Need to shape up your backside? Look no further — we've got over 30 of the most effective exercises to perk up your backside fast. Read on to learn the moves, and stick around to the end for five celebrity-inspired butt-shaping video workouts for you to follow!
— Additional reporting by Michele Foley, Lizzie Fuhr, Susi May, Jenny Sugar, and Jaime Young
All you need is a bench or a sturdy chair to do the step-up:
This side-kick exercise is great for working the deep glute muscles, which help give the butt a lifted look. It might feel like an old-school Jane Fonda move, but we're still doing this classic exercise because it's so dang effective.
Doing these plank leg-lifts on an exercise ball further challenges your balance to help strengthen your core while you work your backside:
The classic squat is a great exercise for toning the derriere, and when you add a jump, the move becomes more effective. Jumping also increases your heart rate to burn even more calories — bonus!
Shake up your squat routine with the pulsing plié squat, which targets glutes and inner thighs:
Whether on the ball or outside on the bench, the elevated split squat (aka Bulgarian split squat) really works your butt:
The Superman ball lift is a butt-challenging variation on your standard Superman:
For a shapely backside, you actually need to tone the glutes on the sides of your pelvis too. These lateral walks strengthen those very muscles: the glute meds. Plus, strong glute meds help stabilize the pelvis, making this exercise great for runners.
The single-leg deadlift not only works your backside, targeting both the hamstring and the glutes, but also works the core. Be sure to choose a weight that is challenging for this exercise. If you don't have a kettlebell, then a dumbbell will certainly do.
Squats are one of the most effective ways to target your backside. Holding dumbbells makes them a little more challenging.
Widening your stance while doing squats will target your glutes differently and will also tone your thighs.
Sculpt a ballerina-worthy butt with this move that you can do using a chair:
Reverse lunges are super-challenging, but if you step back even farther, deepening your lunge, then you'll really feel it in your lower body.
See the reverse lunge in action here.
Tone your butt while on your belly with this frog pose from barre-inspired workouts:
This barre-inspired move gives your booty a surprisingly tough workout:
This rowing variation works the backside beautifully — and not just your bum. It targets the hamstrings and upper back along with the glutes.
This sideways lunge will target your outer tush as well as your inner thighs.
This basic move not only targets your tush, but also tones the hamstrings and quads.
In this pose, the glute muscles lift that leg up and hold it so it remains parallel to the floor. Talk about a workout.
Adding arm work to this glute- and inner thigh-toner makes this a time-saving full-body move.
Evolve your basic donkey kick into a full-body move. Working your glutes and hamstrings in an elbow plank will work your core. Toning your abs and your behind with one move is a win-win in my book.
This exercise from Pure Barre targets thighs, love handles, and glutes:
Since this move requires no equipment, you really have no excuse to skip it! For a bigger burn, flex your butt for five seconds at the top of each move, or hold a yoga block between your knees as shown.
Feel the burn with this move — your butt and outer thighs will be feeling it in no time!
The Pretzel move helps lift your backside and tone the lower back. Here's how to do it:
For a slight variation, try side-lying leg lift:
A do-anywhere exercise, try standing booty kicks the next time you're brushing your teeth.
If you're working to tone your backside, like Super Bowl halftime star Beyoncé, then we have three easy moves you can do at home. But these are not your typical lunges and squats; these moves are fun variations to tone your glutes from a variety of angles.
Gwyneth Paltrow credits her longtime trainer Tracy Anderson with giving her butt an overhaul. Tracy helped transform Gwyneth's self-described saggy and square-shaped butt into a lifted, rounded, and shapely backside. We learned three of Gwyneth's favorite butt-toning moves directly from her trainer — just in time to help you rock your skinny jeans. Add these exercises (bonus: all three exercise are full-body moves) to your workout routine, feel the burn, and see the lift! Watch the video to learn the moves.
Known for her crazy costumes and her cut abs, Lady Gaga also has quite a shapely backside. To get the scoop on her booty moves, we talked to her trainer Harley Pasternak. Here, he shows us three exercises you can do to tone your tush.
We've always been curious about how the Victoria's Secret Angels prep for their annual runway show. Lucky for us, one of our editors was invited to work out with model Candice Swanepoel and the Angel's trainer, Justin Gelband. The secret to rocking undies on the runway? Lots of glute work with ankle weights. Learn the moves when you watch the video.
Here at POPSUGAR Fitness, we know you're pressed for time during the busy Summer season, but we're sure you can find 10 minutes to work your backside. We tapped Sadie Lincoln, founder of Barre3, to create a quick home workout for the glutes and hamstrings. Press "play" and follow along as Sadie leads you through a series of moves to tone your backside.