Wake That Butt Up: 20 Exercises to Activate Your Glutes and Build Your Backside

There are lots of reasons to want a strong butt: looks, decreased back pain, healthier knees, and stronger hips. As I tell my clients all the time, a strong butt sets you up to do whatever you want in life. It is literally key to everything, and that is a hill I’m willing to die on.

In this blog post, we’ll focus on activating your glutes. Gluteal muscles switch off for all sorts of reasons (Dead Butt Syndrome anyone?). What we want to do is flip that glute switch the ON position. Here’s how we do that:

• Use glute exercises in your warmups

• Do gluteal exercises in every abdominal/core workout.

• Superset glute-specific exercises alongside others at the gym (leg press + hip thrust, deadlift + bridge, etc.)

• Cool down with a glute-blasting burnout exercise.

• Take random breaks throughout the day for “butt stuff.”

The good news is that there are dozens (if not more) of glute exercises. I’ll do my best to organize them into something that makes sense here, so let’s look at some of my favorite glute exercises.

Before trying these exercises

This list starts off with some simple exercises and then gets more intense the further down you go. Here are a few recommendations.

• If you are deconditioned (meaning you haven’t worked out in a while and have very little strength), start off with 2-4 of the easy ones (the first six exercises below), and try for about 10 repetitions of each.

• If you work out regularly, some of these exercises might feel a bit basic for you, but don’t be fooled. I recommend doing a form check to make sure you are actually activating your glutes. You can poke yourself in the glutes during a rep or two to see if they are the ones doing the job. Your butt should feel tense if the glutes are engaging. If the exercise is still basic, fine, it doesn’t have to be your go-to You can stilll use it as a warm-up or a cool down or during a mobility day, though.

Prone Glute Activation

1) Place your torso on a firm layer of cushions with your pubic bone supported.

2) Brace your abs and imagine tucking your tailbone as you raise one leg a few inches off the ground. Make sure to squeeze your gluteal muscle on that side.

3) Return to starting position.

Banded Glute Bridge

1) Put the band just above or below your knees. Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Be sure your feet are not too close to your body (you should not be able to touch your feet with your hands).

2) Press your knees outward and raise your hips off the ground. Focus on tucking your tailbone and letting your back come up one backbone at a time.

3) Lower down, letting your tailbone come down last.

Repeat for reps or time.

Clamshells

1) Lie on the side, legs stacked, knees at 90 degrees.

2) Keep heels together and lift the top knee.

Repeat. FYI - this exercise works best with high reps. Work up to sets of 30 reps at a time.

Side Plank From Knees with Clamshells

Bands are optional for this, but definitely make it harder. Select a band that will allow you to complete all desired reps while still feeling challenging.

1) On your side, place your elbow directly underneath your shoulder. It must not slip out. Squeeze your shoulder blades to keep it feeling solid.

2) Raise your hips off the ground, squeezing your glutes to push your hips forward while bracing your abs.

3) Using your heel as a hinge, lift your top knee away from the bottom knee, using your glute muscles to bring it to its end range, like a clam opening.

4) Repeat for desired reps and return back to the starting position.

Hip Shrug

1) Stand with the inside edge of your left foot parallel to the edge of a step. The right foot is floating.

2) Drop your right hip down, then raise it as high as you can without letting your shoulders move.

Repeat for reps, then do the other side.

Standing Hip Extension

Use a wall or something else solid for balance.

1) Stand on your left foot, keep a small bend in your standing knee and push your hips back.

2) Exhale and bring your right foot back, keep your belly tight and squeeze your butt muscles once your foot gets as far back as it can go.

3) Inhale and come back to the starting position.

Do all reps on one side and then do the other.

Balance Reach

1) Stand on left leg with a small bend in the standing knee. Hover the right leg just above the ground. Make sure not to put any weight into the right leg during any part of this exercise.

2) Reach the right foot forward and tap the toe down (12 o'clock). Return to center.

3) Reach the right foot to the side (3 o'clock) and tap down. Return to center.

4) Reach the right foot back and to the right (5 o'clock) and tap the toe down. Return to center.

Perform all reps on the same side and then repeat on the other leg.

Stability Ball Supine Hip Extension

1) Lie on your back with the ball under your legs (closer to the body makes it easier and vice versa).

2) Raise your hips off the ground. Focus on tucking your tailbone and letting your back come up one backbone at a time.

3) Lower down, letting your tailbone come down last.

Repeat for reps or time.

Side-lying Hip Abduction

1) Lie on your side and pull your bottom knee toward your torso. The top leg is straight. Make sure your hips are squared.

2) Raise the leg up and be sure to lead with your heel rather than your toe (it helps you target the right muscles). Keep your belly tight and be sure you don't roll your hips backwards.

3) Lower down to the starting position.

Repeat for reps or time.

Seated Hip Hinge

1) Sit up tall on the edge of a chair and take your feet really wide. Feet can angle slightly out but try to get them close to parallel.

2) Keep your chest up and reach for the floor. Keep your abs engaged to support your lower back.

3) Return to the starting position.

Resistance Band Hip Abduction Walk (Side Stepping)

1) Intersect the band with your feet, keeping in mind that a narrow stance will give you more resistance and a wider stance will give you a bit less. More isn't always better, so find what works for you.

2) Step out to the side, leading with your heel. Check to make sure your toes do not turn out here.

3) Return to the starting position. Be sure not to let your foot drag the floor, as this can cause the band to break.

Repeat for reps or time.

Glute Band Triple Drill

This is a 3-in-1 circle band drill for glute activation. This is a great warmup for exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges.

Version 1:

1) With the band above or below the knees (depending on tolerance), step one foot to the side, away from the midline of your body, leading with your heel. Keep a microbend in your knee.

2) Repeat for reps or time.

Version 2:

1) Stagger your feet and step your back foot away from the midline of your body, leading with your heel. Keep a microbend in your knee. Bring the other foot toward it.

2) Repeat for reps or time.

Version 3:

1) Hinge at the hip and step your foot away from the midline of your body, leading with your heel. Keep a microbend in your knee. Bring the other foot toward it.

2) Repeat for reps or time.

Do all three versions back-to-back for reps or time.

Shoulders-Elevated 1-Leg Bridge Hold (Timed)

1) Elevate your shoulders using a sturdy bench or a couch. engage your butt muscles to keep your hips up.

2) Raise one leg and hold it for time.

Repeat on other side. FYI, you can also do this exercise for reps by marching.

Hip Thrust / Single-leg Hip Thrust

1) Sit with your upper back against a secure weight bench or piece of furniture. It should hip you just below the shoulder blades.

2) Press evenly through your feet into the floor and lift your backside off the ground. You can do this single-legged by keeping one leg raised while you do this.

3) Return to the starting position.

Repeat for reps or hold for time.

Supported Single-leg Squat

1) Hang onto something like a doorframe, a latched door handle or something else that won't move. Stand on one leg with the other foot floating just above the ground.

2) Bend the standing knee and sit the hips back.

3) Come all the way up to the starting position, squeeze the glutes.

Repeat for reps. Start with 5 and work up from there.

When you are learning this exercise, only go as deep into the squat as you are comfortable with, even if it seems like too little.

Step Down Squat

1) Stand with the inside edge of your foot close to the edge of a step and let the other foot hang off the edge.

2) Inhale - Use your arms as a counterbalance, shift your hips back as you bend the standing knee. Don't let your foot rest on the ground (or even touch it, unless you need to tap down for balance).

3) Exhale - Straighten the leg and squeeze the glute.

Cross-legged Squat

1) Stand on one foot and cross your opposite ankle over your knee.

2) Use your arms as a counterbalance, shift your hips back as you bend the standing knee.

3) Straighten the leg and squeeze the glute as you return to the starting position.

Repeat for reps.

Stationary Side Lunge

1) Stand with your feet wide, keeping them parallel (toes must not turn out)

2) Bend one knee and shift your hips back. Keep your chest up but know that it's ok to fold forward a bit here.

3) Return to starting position.

You can do all reps on the same side or alternate between sides.

Step Out Lateral Lunge

1) Step out to the left side keeping your feet parallel. Bend your left knee and sit your hips back. Hands wherever you need them.

2) Push into your left foot and step your feet together.

3) Step out to the right side keeping your feet parallel. Bend your right knee and sit your hips back. Hands wherever you need them.

4) Push into your right foot and step your feet together.

Single-leg Romanian Dead Lift

1) Stand on one leg and keep your knee unlocked.

2) Brace the abs and inhale as you hinge at the hips and let your leg float behind you.

3) Exhale and return to the starting position. Try to squeeze your but at the top of the movement.

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