6 Kettlebell Glute Exercises to Help You Swing and Squat Your Way to a Stronger Butt

"This is an incredible exercise for training hip power and explosiveness," Gertner says. The kettlebell swing is "the godfather of all kettlebell exercises," adds trainer Andrew Bustos, NASM, ACE, a certified kettlebell instructor. Besides being his favorite kettlebell glute exercise, "it also works the hamstrings, abs, and many other muscles since it's a total-body exercise. I have my clients do a swing a lot because it helps to improve posture and keeps the lower back strong."

"By focusing on one side and going heavy, you can feel your glutes on the standing leg right away," says Tara Laferrara, a NASM-certified trainer kettlebell-certified through Onnit Academy. "If you pick up your opposite foot and draw your heel up towards the sky, you can get a little glute activation on that leg as well."

If you're having trouble balancing, you can perform this kettlebell glute workout move with your rear foot on the ground, in a split-stance deadlift. Just make sure to keep most of your weight in the front leg.

As far as squats go, this is the best variation for feeling your glutes the most, Laferrara says. That's "because the weight is in front, you are hinging and leaning slightly forward," she says, which puts more emphasis on your glute muscles.

The deadlift is one of the best butt exercises around, and this kettlebell variation is one way to do it. Hardstyle kettlebell-certified trainer Lynn Montoya recommends using a heavy weight for this kettlebell glute workout move; since you're using a lot of big muscle groups, you'll need a heavier weight to challenge them.

According to Hardstyle Kettlebell-certified trainer Lisa Reed, MS, CSCS, the kettlebell Bulgarian split squat is great for your glutes and hamstrings alike. You should feel the most work in your front glute with just a slight stretch in your back hip flexor. "Because of the balance factor (which also stimulates your abs), split squats are amazing for conditioning your glutes," Reed says.

Form tip: You want to make sure your front foot is out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your foot. Here's a little trick to find the right positioning: sit on the edge of the step and extend one leg forward so your heel rests on the floor. Without moving that foot, stand up and place your other foot behind you on the step. You should be in the right position.

The Turkish get-up is "a challenging and rewarding exercise with numerous benefits for strength, balance, stability, motor control, and mobility," says Corey Degenstein, NASM-certified personal trainer and CrossFit kettlebell coach. It'll work your glutes as well as your core and is a "fantastic exercise for people of all fitness levels," Degenstein says. However, if you're a beginner, try this move without any weight first to make sure you have the movement pattern down or seek out a trainer for help.