Ready to rock your booty? Here are over 20 exercises that will work your backside, strengthening and sculpting both the hamstrings and the glutes. None of the moves require equipment (well . . . we did throw in one move with a booty band) so you can reap the benefits of these exercise virtually anywhere. Be sure to add three to five of these butt-building moves to your next at-home workout and be prepared to feel the burn.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your hands on your hips (or at the back of your head) with your elbows opened wide.
Pull your abs to your spine and keep your back neutral while pressing your butt backward, hinging at the hips, until your back is almost parallel to the floor.
Keep a slight bend in your knees as you hinge forward.
Return to standing, squeezing your glutes when you are upright to reset. This completes one rep.
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2Curtsy Lunges
Start from standing, and step your left leg behind you and to the right so your thighs cross, bending both knees as if you were curtsying. Make sure your front knee is aligned with your front ankle.
Return to standing, and switch sides to complete one rep.
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3Side Skaters
Start in a small squat.
Jump sideways to the left, landing on your left leg.
Bring your right leg behind to your left ankle, and don't let it touch the floor.
Reverse direction by jumping to the right with your right leg. This completes one rep.
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4Split Lunges
Stand with the feet hip-distance apart.
Keep your upper body straight, core engaged, with your shoulders relaxed and your chin up.
Step forward with your right leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle and your other knee gently lowers softly to the floor.
Activate your inner thighs by squeezing your legs toward each other, and keep the weight in your front heel as you push back up to standing, keeping your right foot in place so you can lower back down.
Continue to lower and lift with your right leg forward for 30 seconds.
Repeat with the left leg forward for 30 seconds. This completes one rep.
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5Lunge Jumps
Stand with your feet together and your knees soft.
Jump and come into a lunge with your left leg forward.
Push off with both feet, jumping them together, then hopping into a lunge with your right leg in front.
Jump your feet back together to complete one rep.
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6Sumo Squat and Punch
Come into a wide sumo squat; stand with your feet wide, toes pointing out. Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply, so your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure to keep your weight back on your heels.
Punch to the left, then right.
Return to standing and repeat.
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7Squat Hops
Start in a squat with your feet set slightly wider than your hips and your hands clasped loosely at your chest.
Maintain the posture of the squat as you hop your feet off the ground a few inches. Land softly on the ground and deepen the squat, keeping your weight on your heels, to complete one rep.
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8Squat Jacks
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly turned out, in a deep squat. Put your arms in a "goal post" position with elbows bent and close to your thighs.
Jump up explosively, bringing your feet together and clapping your hands above your head. Keep your core engaged.
Jump your feet apart, landing with control, and lower your body back into the sumo squat position with hands up to complete one rep.
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9Jump Shot Cardio
Start at the left edge of your mat and take a big step to the right, moving through a low, wide squat, sweeping the mat with your left hand.
Bring your left foot to your right, coming into a narrow squat. Jump straight into the air and "take a shot" with your right hand. Don't forget to follow through by straightening your elbow and flicking your wrist as if you were shooting a basketball.
Land softly with your feet parallel. Keeping your knees bent, step the left leg wide to the side to repeat the entire sequence on the other side. The side-to-side movement should be fluid and controlled.
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10Under the Fence Kick
Start with your feet together. Step out to the side with your right foot, and bend forward at the hips slightly, keeping your back flat.
With a neutral spine, bring your body to the right side in a sweeping motion, like you're ducking under a fence.
Step your left foot to meet your right, and kick your right foot up to the side, keeping your hands close to your core.
Repeat on the other side.
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11Squat With Leg Lift
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, feet parallel. Hold your hands out in front of you for balance. Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply so your thighs are parallel with the floor, keeping weight back in your heels.
Then rise back up, straightening the legs completely and lifting the left leg out to the side, squeezing the outer glute.
As you step the foot back into shoulder-width position, squat down again. Then stand up and do a side-leg lift on the right side. Lower the leg back to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
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12180 Squat Jumps
Start in a deep squat with your legs a bit wider than your hips and your toes pointed outward. Twist your torso to the right, reaching your right hand to the ceiling and your left hand toward the floor.
Jump up, spinning to the left 180 degrees (halfway around), bringing both hands overhead. Land softly in a deep squat, twisting your torso to the left, with the left hand reaching toward the ceiling and the right hand toward the floor.
Repeat, but reverse directions so you jump spinning to the right and go back the way you came. This completes one rep.
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13Knee Drivers
Begin with your weight on your left foot and your hands together in front of you for balance.
Bend your left knee and extend your right leg behind you, placing little to no weight in the right toes.
Drive your right knee toward your chest, bringing your hands to meet your knee.
Reextend your right leg behind you. This completes one rep.
Continue for 30 seconds on this side, then switch sides.
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14Single-Leg Touch and Hop
Begin standing with your weight on your left foot. Keeping your back long, bend your left knee to touch the floor with your right fingers.
Swing your right leg and left arm forward to return to standing, hopping once the torso is upright. Land with control, then slowly lower your torso and bend your knee to touch the floor again. Repeat for 30 seconds on each side.
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15Side Steps With a Booty Band
Place a resistance band around your ankles. Start with a lighter band and work your way up to a heavier band.
Begin standing with feet directly underneath your hips and your hands on your hips.
Squat halfway down and sidestep to the right, leading with your heel to make the glute muscles engage as far as you can manage without allowing your knees to rotate toward each other. Bring the left leg toward the right with enough space to keep some resistance in the band. Concentrate on keeping your pelvis level as you move sideways.
Step to the right 10 times, then reverse, stepping to the left 10 times.
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16Shoulder-Squeeze Reverse Lunge
To begin, stand tall with your arms straight in front of you, making two loose fists. Take a large and controlled step backward with your left foot.
Lower your hips, coming into a lunge with your right thigh (front leg) parallel to the floor with your right knee positioned directly over your ankle. Your left knee should be bent at a 90-degree angle and pointing toward the floor with your left heel lifted.
As you're lowering your hips, squeeze your shoulder blades together, bringing your elbows wide while keeping your arms parallel to the floor.
Return to standing by pressing your right heel into the floor and bringing your left leg forward while reaching your arms back to the starting position. Alternate legs, and step back with right leg to complete one rep. Yes! One rep equals lunging backward on each leg.
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17Single-Leg Bridge
Lie on your back, and place your hands on the floor for stability as you bend one leg and lift the other leg off the ground.
Pressing your heel into the floor, lift your pelvis up, keeping your body in a stiff bridge position.
Slowly lower your body to the floor and repeat for 30 seconds on each side.
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18Glute Bridge March
Begin on your back with feet about 12 inches from your bum and hands by your sides with palms up.
Press your heels into the ground and lift your pelvis up until your knees, pelvis, and shoulders form a straight line.
Hold your bridge while you lift your right knee toward your chest until your hip is at 90 degrees.
Return the heel to the floor and lift the left knee. Do not let your pelvis sag or your back overarch while lifting and lowering your knees. This completes one rep.
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19Fire Hydrant
Start on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Keep your right knee at a 90-degree angle as you slowly raise your leg to the right, until it is parallel to the ground. Avoid lifting your right hip, as you should keep both hips squared toward the floor.
With control, lower your leg back to the ground.
Continue for 30 seconds on the right side, then switch to the left leg for another 30 seconds. For an added challenge, wear a light resistance band around your ankles.
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20Quick Skips
Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart.
Make a fist with both hands and bend the elbows to where your hands are about level with your chin.
Drive the right knee up, twist your torso to the right, and bring the knee to meet your left elbow.
Immediately repeat with the left knee meeting your right elbow, and do this in a hopping motion while staying on the balls of your feet.
Keep your abdominal muscles engaged as your knees come up and squeeze the side oblique muscles as you twist.
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21Frogger
Begin in a plank position with your hands underneath your shoulders, body in one straight line. Jump your feet to the outside of your hands, coming into a deep squat and keeping your hands on the floor.
Jump your feet back to a plank.
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22Cardio Foursquare Warmup
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kyle Hartman
Start with your feet centered (on a mat, if you need a visual guide) and hip-width distance apart. Step your left foot back behind the mat, and then bring your right foot to meet your left.
Step your left foot forward back to center and then your right.
Step your left foot forward in front of the mat, and bring your right to meet it. Then step back with your left foot to the center of the mat, and bring your right foot to meet your left.
Step out to the left side with your left foot and out to the right with your right foot. Then return your left foot to center, followed by your right.
Repeat the entire series, moving more quickly each time, focusing on agility and speed.
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23Side Plank March
Lie on your side with your body in a straight line and your elbow under your shoulder. Your feet should be staggered with the foot of the top leg in front.
Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from shoulder to ankle.
Bring your bottom knee toward your chest, and hold for two seconds. Place your foot on the ground and raise your top knee toward your chest and hold once again for two seconds before returning to starting position. Do not sway forward or backward or let the rib cage sag while marching in this position. This completes one rep.
