Every time you move from a seated to standing position (or vice versa) throughout the day, you’re engaging your glutes, AKA the muscles of your butt. Given how important they are to your everyday movements—not to mention how you look in jeans or leggings—it should be a no-brainer to regularly incorporate glute exercises into your workout regimen. Here, we’re diving into the benefits you can get from strong and shapely glutes, plus what you need to know about the muscles and 10 of the best glute exercises to start adding to your fitness routine today.
Benefits of Strong Glutes
Incorporating glute-centric exercises into your workout routine is going to reap big benefits in your everyday life and your athletic performance. Here are some of the perks you can expect to see.
Better Posture and Less Back Pain
The glutes play a bigger role in your posture than you might think. They are responsible for essentially pulling your spine down when you stand, counteracting the forward tilt that many people have as a result of sitting for hours every day. The payoff: Better posture and less back pain for people with strong glutes, according to a study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science.
Stronger Core and Better Balance and Mobility
Many fitness pros consider the glutes to be part of the core, AKA the muscles at the center of your body like your abdominal and lower back muscles. The glutes support the pelvis and hips from below, while the abs and lower back support the spine. Keeping this entire area strong and toned will ensure that you maintain optimal mobility in your hips as you age, plus improve your balance to reduce your risk of falls. The study above also found that participants who completed both glute strengthening and core stabilizing exercises saw a larger improvement in balance than the people who did core stabilization alone.
Less Hip and Knee Pain
A lot of hip pain comes from tightness or weakness in the front of the hip, which (again) can be a result of spending too much time in a seated position. The glutes are extensor muscles; keeping them strong will help you extend and open the hips more easily to eliminate that pain. Likewise, when the glutes are doing their job of supporting the pelvis and providing for optimal hip rotation, they are making sure that your knees stay properly aligned to avoid strains and pain.
More Speed and Power
If you’re looking for improvements in your athletic performance, strong glutes can help support these goals as well. One study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise looked at the glute muscles of three different classes of sprinters, finding that the elite sprinters’ glutes were 45% larger than the sub-elite and non-sprinters. And a separate study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that people who incorporated glute-specific work into their exercise program for eight weeks increased the height of their vertical jump nearly six times as much as those who didn’t do the glute training.
Guide To Your Glutes
There are actually three separate muscles that cover each half of your backside: The gluteus maximus, medius and minimus.
Gluteus maximus
The largest of the three by far, the gluteus maximus is the muscle that makes up each butt cheek. It starts at the sacrum, the triangular bone at the base of the spine, then stretches out and down from there to the top of the femur, or thighbone. It’s the most superficial of the three glute muscles, with the others situated behind it, or deeper into the body. The gluteus maximus muscles are responsible for the shape and lift of your butt, plus play important roles like stabilizing and extending the hips and thighs during standing and walking.
Gluteus medius
Located just above and behind the gluteus maximus and below the pelvis is the gluteus medius. These fan-shaped muscles help stabilize the pelvis and hips, especially during lateral and rotational movements.
Gluteus minimus
The smallest of the three (as you may have guessed), the gluteus minimus is found behind the gluteus medius. It plays a similar role in maintaining healthy hip rotation and lateral movement.
Best Glute Exercises
As you can see, it’s critical to keep your glutes strong and toned—and these are ten of the best glute exercises to do just that.
Squats
- Weight to use: Medium to heavy dumbbells or barbell
- Glutes working: Maximus
- How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. You can hold the weight wherever you like; at your sides, shoulders, or chest, for example. With your weight in your heels, bend your knees and sit your butt back, as if sitting in a chair, as low as you can before your chest starts to fall forward. Press back up to standing.
Split Squats
- Weight to use: Medium to heavy dumbbells
- Glutes working: Maximus and medius
- How to do it: Stand in front of a bench or chair, facing away, holding weights at your sides. Take a large step forward, then place one foot on the bench or chair behind you. With all your weight on your front foot, bend your knee to lower into a squat, keeping your front knee over your toes, then press back up.
Deadlifts
- Weight to use: Medium to heavy barbell
- Glutes working: Maximus
- How to do it: Place the barbell on the floor and stand just behind it with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat to grip the bar, then with your chest lifted and back straight, press through your heels to lift the bar and come to standing. Lower back down.
Romanian Deadlifts
- Weight to use: Medium to heavy dumbbells
- Glutes working: Maximus
- How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, dumbbells in front of you facing your thighs. With your knees slightly bent and back flat, hinge at the hips until the dumbbells reach mid-shin, then squeeze your glutes to lift back up.
Glute Bridges
- Weight to use: Light to medium dumbbells or bodyweight
- Glutes working: Maximus, medius and minimus
- How to do it: Lie on your back on the floor and bend your knees to bring your feet flat with your heels about six inches from your butt. If you’re using weights, hold them on your hip bones. Squeeze your glutes to lift your butt and lower back off the floor, keeping your upper back down, then lower back down.
Donkey Kicks
- Weight to use: Light to medium dumbbell or bodyweight
- Glutes working: Maximus
- How to do it: Come onto all fours. If you’re using a weight, rest it in the crook of your knee. Keeping your knee at a 90 degree angle, press your foot toward the ceiling until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Lower back down, hovering off the floor between reps.
Fire Hydrants
- Weight to use: Light to medium dumbbell or bodyweight
- Glutes working: Medius and minimus
- How to do it: Come onto all fours. If you’re using a weight, rest it in the crook of your knee. Keeping your knee at a 90 degree angle, lift your knee straight out to the side as high as you can before your hips start to open to the side. Lower back down, hovering off the floor between reps.
Clam Shells
- Weight to use: Light to medium dumbbell or bodyweight
- Glutes working: Medius and minimus
- How to do it: Come onto your side on the floor and prop your elbow directly under your shoulder. Stack your legs and bend them so your knees are directly in front of you. If you’re using a weight, hold it on the outside of your thigh. Keeping your legs bent and toes together, lift your top knee, then lower back down.
Lateral Lunges
- Weight to use: Medium to heavy dumbbells
- Glutes working: Maximus, medius and minimus
- How to do it: Start with your feet together and weights at your sides. Take a large step out to the side and bend your knee, sitting your butt back. Keep your other leg straight and let the weights frame your bending knee. Push off the lunging foot to return to start.
Step Ups
- Weight to use: Light, medium or heavy dumbbells or bodyweight
- Glutes working: Maximus
- How to do it: Stand facing a box, step or bench at a challenging height, likely somewhere between your mid-shin and knee. If you’re using weights, hold them at your sides. Place one foot on the box and push through your heel to step up onto it, then lower back down.
Ready to Lift, Tone and Strengthen?
Your glutes are just one part of your body that you should be targeting on a regular basis as part of your strength training regimen. While you can do so with your bodyweight, dumbbells or barbells, as in the exercises above, you can also tone and lift your booty with the amp fitness device. The adjustable resistance, heights, accessories and workouts combine to create a powerful tool for building strength and burning fat all over your body. Check it out today!
