For better or for worse, butts get a lot of attention in the fitness world. And while it would be disingenuous to ignore the fact that people do glute workouts for aesthetic reasons — derrieres have been involved in plenty of body-based trends over the last several years — the truth is that butt exercises tend to deliver plenty of great, functional benefits as well. After all, a stronger bottom means a stronger foundation, so you can move with more stability, more power, and less risk of injury.
But squats aren't the only way to work out your glute muscles. In fact, they're not necessarily even the best way to exercise the glutes. Squats are a quad-dominant exercise, meaning that the movement mainly targets your quadriceps, the muscles on the front of your thighs. Your glutes get some work but come secondary to your quads in this move.
We know — surprising stuff, considering how popular squats are in lower-body workout plans. And they are a fantastic exercise to have in your repertoire (although you should practice proper squat form). But the Journal of Sports Science Medicine reports that strength exercises where you bend at only the hip are more effective at targeting your glute muscles than exercises where you bend at the hip and knee. That makes exercises like glute bridges, hip thrusts, or Romanian deadlifts better for engaging your butt than movements like squats or lunges — and the more you engage a muscle, the more it has the potential to grow.
One final FYI: the glutes aren't one single muscle. They're made up of three: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. This is another reason you don't want squats to be the only butt-improvement move in your workout plan. To effectively build butt strength, you want to make sure you're incorporating a mix of exercises, to activate all of the muscles that make up your glutes.
So if your focus is strengthening your glute muscles, you've got to start doing exercises that target them specifically. (You'll also need to make sure you're eating enough nutritious food to fuel your gains, including plenty of protein.) And to help you with that, we've rounded up some of the best butt exercises for building glute strength. We've included recommendations on the number of reps and sets to perform, but feel free to adjust based on your personal workout plan and needs. And don't plan on doing all 17 of these butt exercises in a single workout; adding just a few to your lower-body day is more than enough to ensure you feel the burn.
— Additional reporting by Lauren Mazzo
Try this butt exercise with a medium-weight dumbbell (six to 20 pounds), or do this exercise using just your bodyweight.
How to Do a Weighted Glute Bridge:
Grab a pair of dumbbells, holding one in each hand by your sides, or do this glute exercise with just your bodyweight. If you do this move using a taller bench, it may be more comfortable to rest your back foot on the bench with your toes untucked.
How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat:
This deadlift variation centers the work in one of your legs, similar to a single-leg deadlift, but without the balance challenge; that way, you can focus on feeling it in your glutes instead of focusing on not tipping over.
How to Do a Kickstand Deadlift:
You can use a barbell for this butt exercise, do it using dumbbells (as shown), or just your bodyweight. If you go for a barbell, you may want to place a towel or shoulder cushion under the bar to make it more comfortable.
How to Do a Hip Thrust:
You can do this move unsupported or, to modify, sit back onto a chair or bench.
How to Do a Single-Leg Squat:
Hamstring curls might primarily target the hamstrings (the muscles on the backs of your thighs), but your glutes also get in on the action — especially when you do them on a stability ball like this.
How to Do a Stability Ball Hamstring Curl:
For this butt exercise, you can use a low step, like shown, or a taller box; the higher the platform is, the harder the move will be.
How to Do a Step-Up:
Using a small-loop resistance band like this fabric hip band will really add to the glute burn of this move, but you can also do it with just your bodyweight. You may be surprised how difficult it can be to maintain your squat position as you walk from side to side.
How to Do a Lateral Band Walk:
Walking lunges are a functional strength move that works your glutes and so much more: the balance challenge forces your core to activate and also helps light up other stabilizer muscles in your hips. If you're a beginner, you can do this move without the weights.
How to Do a Dumbbell Walking Lunge:
Grab a set of sliders or simply use a small folded towel on a smooth floor. You'll be surprised how much this lunge variation burns in your standing-leg glute.
How to Do a Slider Lunge:
The Romanian deadlift is all about the hip hinge, which is an important functional movement pattern and is also the best way to target your glutes. The key here is to keep your knees softly bent, but not to bend them too much more.
How to Do a Romanian Deadlift:
Single-leg glute bridges are tough, but a great glute exercise; if this one is too difficult, build up your strength with regular glute bridges first. Then progress to short single-leg glute bridge holds.
How to Do a Single-Leg Bridge Kick:
If you don't have a kettlebell, you can do this deadlift with dumbbells, a barbell, or any other type of weight like a sandbag.
How to Do a Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift:
Adding weight to donkey kicks will increase the challenge on your hamstrings and glutes. You can use ankle weights, as shown, or hold a small dumbbell behind your knee.
How to Do a Weighted Donkey Kick:
Similar to the move above, you can do this glute exercise with your bodyweight or up the ante with ankle weights.
How to Do a Fire Hydrant:
If you don't have a hip trainer (shown), you can hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of your chest, stand on the middle of a resistance band while holding either hand in each hand, or slip a small loop resistance band over your thighs as you squat. All these techniques add resistance, making the move more difficult and thus increasing the challenge to your glutes.
How to Do a Goblet Squat:
Another glute exercise that can be done with bodyweight or with a resistance band, this one should really make you feel the burn.
How to Do a Banded Booty Kick:
Tamara Pridgett was an associate editor with PS Fitness. She's a NASM-certified personal trainer and Precision Nutrition level 1 coach, and was a Division 1 All-American sprinter.
Lauren Mazzo was the senior fitness editor at PS. She is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist through the American Council on Exercise. Prior to joining PS, she worked for six years as a writer and editor for Shape Magazine covering health, fitness, nutrition, mental health, sex and relationships, beauty, and astrology.