While lifting heavy barbells [1] is a surefire way to add muscle to your glutes, you can do it with dumbbells, too. Grab a pair that are medium- to heavy-weight (eight to 20 pounds, maybe more), and do these six moves that target your butt and legs. Repeat this workout two to three times. Your butt will be burning, promise. Once you get stronger, go ahead and increase the dumbbell weight.
Goblet Squat
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width, with your toes pointed slightly out. Hold your dumbbell at chest level with both hands. Keeping your back flat, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your elbows touch your knees.
- With your weight focused on your heels, push yourself up to the starting position.
- Complete 15 reps.
Romanian Deadlifts
- Stand holding a pair of medium-weight dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
- Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly bend at your hip joint (not your waist) and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight.
- Now, squeeze your glutes to slowly pull yourself up (don't use your back).
- Do 15 reps.
Side Lunge With Bicep Curl
- Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand with your feet and knees together. Perform a bicep curl by bending your elbows to bring the weights to your shoulders.
- Lower your arms toward the floor as you take a large step to the left with your left foot, lunging toward the floor. Make sure your left knee does not extend past your toes, and keep your right leg relatively straight.
- As you push off through your left foot to return to standing, perform a bicep curl.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Do a total of 20 reps (10 per side).
Dumbbell Thrusters
- Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
- Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
- Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing.
- Complete 15 dumbbell thrusters.
Split Squat With Overhead Press
- Holding the weights at your shoulders with your palms facing out, step backward about three feet with your left foot. Press the weights up to the ceiling.
- Lower the weight to your shoulders as you bend your knees, making 90-degree angles with both legs.
- Straighten both legs as you press the weights back toward the ceiling.
- This completes one rep. Do 10, then switch legs for another 10 reps.
Weighted Donkey Kick
- Start on all fours and place a weight in the crease of your right knee.
- Keeping your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your right leg up until you feel your right glute engage. Flex your foot and slowly pulse the foot toward the ceiling by squeezing your glute. Do not move the torso at all — the motion is just in the hip joint.
- Pulse 20 times, then switch legs for another 20 reps.