13 Best Butt Exercises for Women: Top Trainer-Backed Moves for Firm Glutes
Compound and isolation moves combined to shape and stabilize your hips and legs.
13 Best Butt Exercises for Women: Sculpt, Strengthen, and Lift Your Glutes
Looking for the most effective ways to build, firm, and lift your glutes? Whether your goal is a rounder, perkier butt or to simply strengthen your lower body for better stability and athletic performance, the right exercises—paired with proper form—make all the difference. Below you’ll find the top 13 butt exercises for women, backed by trainers and optimized for any fitness level. Most moves can be done at home without equipment, while some offer progressions for increased challenge.
Why Focus on Glute Exercises?
Strong glutes are not just about looks—they are essential for:
- Hip stability and lower back health
- Improved posture and balance
- Better athletic performance in walking, running, and jumping
- Injury prevention, especially in the knees and lower back
The following glute moves hit all three muscle groups that make up the butt: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. Using a combination of squats, bridges, lunges, and targeted kicks will activate and sculpt the entire backside for balanced strength and tone.
How to Build Your Own Butt Workout
For the best results, mix and match 4–6 glute exercises from the list below, performing each for 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps. Include these movements 2–3 times per week, allowing a rest day between glute sessions to allow for muscle recovery and growth.
The 13 Best Butt Exercises for Women
1. Slight Turnout Squat
This squat variation targets your glute muscles differently than traditional squats, hitting the muscle from a slightly new angle.
- Start Position: Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes turned out just a bit.
- Movement: Inhale as you squat down, sending your hips back, keeping knees over ankles, and weight in your heels. Descend until thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Finish: Exhale, squeeze your glutes, and push back up to standing.
Tip: Keep your chest up and core engaged for good posture.
2. Plie Squat
The plie squat hits both the inner thighs and glutes, sculpting multiple muscle groups in one move.
What others are reading
- Start Position: Stand with feet much wider than hips, toes turned out at about a 45-degree angle.
- Movement: With chest high and core braced, bend knees outward to lower your hips toward the floor until thighs are parallel with the ground.
- Finish: Press through your heels to stand, squeezing glutes at the top.
Tip: Keep knees tracking over toes throughout the movement.
3. Non-Dominant Side Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Starting on your weaker side helps address muscle imbalances by ensuring both glutes are equally strong and engaged.
- Start Position: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart. Keep arms at your sides for stability.
- Movement: Press through your heels to lift your hips up, creating a straight line from chest to knees (a “bridge”).
- Raise your non-dominant leg straight up toward the ceiling, keeping hips level. Pause and squeeze your glute at the top.
- Finish: Lower your hips and leg with control before repeating.
4. Dominant Side Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Switch sides to ensure both glutes are firing evenly.
- Repeat all steps of the single-leg glute bridge, now raising your dominant leg.
- Focus on equal power and balance on both sides.
5. Narrow Double-Leg Glute Bridge
Keeping feet and knees glued together isolates and intensifies the activation through the center of your glutes and hamstrings.
- Start Position: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet together, and arms at your sides.
- Movement: Lift your hips, focusing on keeping knees together. Pause at the top and then lower slowly.
- For greater challenge, add a resistance band above your knees or a dumbbell across your hips.
6. Wide Double-Leg Glute Bridge
Taking a wide stance in the glute bridge shifts the work to the outer glutes and hip abductors.
- Start Position: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Movement: Drive through your heels to lift hips, ensuring knees are pushing outwards. Pause at the top.
- Finish: Lower back to the mat with control.
Tip: Once form is perfect, add a weight across the hips to increase intensity.
7. Bent Knee Glute Kickback
A classic for building and shaping the glutes, especially with a resistance band for extra burn.
- Start Position: Begin on all fours (hands and knees) on a mat with a neutral spine, abs drawn up and engaged.
- Movement: Keeping your left knee bent, flex your foot and press your heel upward, driving your left foot towards the ceiling. Squeeze at the top.
- Finish: Lower your knee back to starting position with control, then repeat. Complete all reps before switching sides.
- Resistance bands placed just above the knees add intensity.
8. Banded Lateral Walk
This side-to-side movement targets the glute medius, a key muscle for hip stability.
- Start Position: Place a resistance band just above your knees or ankles. Stand with feet hip-width apart, slightly bent knees, and hips back in a mini squat.
- Movement: Step to the side with one foot, keeping tension on the band, then step with the other foot to return to shoulder width. Move back the other way.
- Repeat for 10-15 steps in each direction for one set.
9. Reverse Lunge
Reverse lunges activate glutes and hamstrings with less strain on knees than forward lunges, making them joint-friendly.
- Start Position: Stand tall with feet together.
- Movement: Step one foot back into a lunge, lowering your hips until both knees form 90-degree angles. The front thigh should be parallel to the floor.
- Finish: Push through your front heel to return to standing, then repeat with opposite leg.
Tip: Keep the front knee directly over ankle, not letting it pass your toes.
10. Bulgarian Split Squat
This challenging move hits the glutes, quads, and improves balance. All you need is a chair or bench for support.
- Start Position: Stand a few feet in front of a bench or step. Place your rear foot on the bench behind you.
- Movement: Lower your back knee toward the ground, leaning slightly forward from the hips to maximize glute activation on the front leg.
- Finish: Press through your front heel to rise. Complete reps, then switch legs.
11. Hip Thrust
Often considered the queen of booty builders, hip thrusts focus direct overload on the glutes.
- Start Position: Sit on the ground with your shoulders against a bench, knees bent, feet planted. Roll a barbell (optional) over your hips.
- Movement: Drive through your heels to lift hips up, squeezing glutes at the top. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Finish: Lower hips to the floor. Repeat.
Tip: Keep your chin tucked and ribs down for stability.
12. Step-Ups
Step-ups strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and quads, improving real-world movement like climbing stairs.
- Start Position: Stand facing a sturdy chair or bench.
- Movement: Place one foot on the bench and press through your heel to lift your body up, bringing the other foot up alongside.
- Finish: Lower down with the same leg, then repeat. Switch legs after completing reps.
13. Curtsy Lunge
This lunge variation hits the sides of your glutes, sculpting the outer hips and thighs.
- Start Position: Stand tall, hands on hips.
- Movement: Step one foot diagonally behind the other, crossing it back into a ‘curtsy’, and bend both knees to lower your hips.
- Finish: Push through the front heel to stand up. Alternate sides.
Key Form Tips for All Butt Exercises
- Engage your core throughout each movement to protect your lower back.
- Slow, controlled repetitions are more effective for glute activation than fast, sloppy reps.
- Focus on the mind-muscle connection: consciously squeeze your glutes at the top of each move.
- Use resistance bands, dumbbells, or barbells for extra challenge as you get stronger.
Sample Butt Workout Routine
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slight Turnout Squat | 3 | 12 | 60 sec |
| Single-Leg Glute Bridge (each side) | 3 | 10 | 45 sec |
| Banded Lateral Walk | 2 | 15 | 45 sec |
| Reverse Lunge | 3 | 14 | 60 sec |
| Bent Knee Glute Kickback (each side) | 2 | 12 | 30 sec |
Tips to Maximize Your Butt Workout
- Warm up with dynamic stretching and activation drills (e.g., bodyweight squats, glute bridges) for 5–10 minutes.
- Gradually increase resistance as you grow stronger, but never sacrifice form for weight.
- Prioritize recovery: schedule at least one full rest day between intense glute sessions.
- Include both “compound” (multi-joint, e.g., squats) and “isolation” (single-joint, e.g., glute bridges) moves for best results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Butt Exercises
Q: How often should I train glutes for best results?
A: For most, 2–3 sessions per week is effective. Giving at least 48 hours between glute workouts helps muscles recover and grow.
Q: Can I build my butt at home without any equipment?
A: Yes. Bodyweight exercises like glute bridges, squats, and lunges work well. Adding resistance bands or household weights increases challenge as you progress.
Q: What should I do if I feel my thighs working more than my glutes?
A: Double-check your form and slow the tempo. Focus on pressing through your heels and consciously squeezing the glutes at the top of each rep.
Q: Will these exercises make my legs bulky?
A: Most glute exercises will tone and strengthen the entire lower body. However, using moderate weights, higher reps, and combining with cardio will help achieve a lean, sculpted look without excessive mass.
Q: What’s the difference between a hip thrust and a glute bridge?
A: A hip thrust typically uses a bench for upper back support and allows greater range of motion and heavier weights. A glute bridge starts from the floor and is ideal for beginners or as a warm-up.
Conclusion
Sculpting your glutes isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about harnessing power, strength, and stability for everything you do, from daily movement to challenging workouts. With this comprehensive guide to the best butt exercises for women, you can create a firmer, rounder, and more athletic backside, right from the comfort of home.
Remember, results come from consistent training, balanced nutrition, sufficient recovery, and dedication. Use these exercises to build your glute routine, listen to your body, and adjust intensity as needed for a safe and effective journey to stronger, fitter glutes.
References
- https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/g33657818/best-butt-exercises/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r-liFTy64E
- https://gb.readly.com/magazines/good-housekeeping-uk/2024-08-01/66a896d13b7b678e68e9f3ad
- https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/fitness-workouts-tone-slim/
- https://pocketmags.com/ca/good-housekeeping-magazine/jan-25/articles/-these-are-the-best-butt-lifting-hold-you-in-undies-i-ve-ever-tried
Similar Articles
Read full bio of medha deb
