These exercises are not only safe but also highly effective in targeting your glutes to give you a sculpted and toned backside.

Whether you’re recovering from a knee injury or simply looking for knee-friendly glute exercises to avoid knee pain in future, this article will provide you with 10 top exercises that you can add to your workout routine.

So, let’s dive in and check out the best glute exercises without knee involvement for safe and targeted workouts.

Top 10 Glute Exercises Without Knee Involvement

When it comes to working out the glutes, many exercises involve knee involvement, which can be a problem for those with knee injuries or discomfort. However, there are still several effective glute exercises that can be done without putting pressure on the knees. Here are the top 10 glute exercises without knee involvement:

1. Glute bridges are an excellent exercise for targeting and activating the glute muscles, and they are particularly knee-friendly. To perform glute bridges, start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. As you lift your hips off the floor, focus on squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement. By primarily focusing on hip extension, glute bridges minimize knee involvement, making them a safe choice for individuals with knee sensitivity or issues. The controlled lowering phase also allows for a smooth and controlled movement, reducing the risk of knee strain. Not only is the glute bridge fantastic for your booty, but it’s also good for hip muscles and even works the core.

2. Hip thrusts, similar to glute bridges, are another effective exercise for targeting the glutes while minimizing knee strain. This exercise provides an additional challenge by using a barbell or weighted plate placed across the hips. To perform hip thrusts, start by sitting on the ground with your back against a bench or step. Position the weight across your hips and drive your hips upward, lifting your glutes off the ground. It’s important to keep your feet flat on the floor and hold the top position for a moment before lowering back down. Hip thrusts isolate the glute muscles and limit knee involvement, making them an excellent choice for individuals looking to work their glutes while being mindful of their knees.

You can even combine the hip thrust and the glute bridge to create an extra effective option by holding the hip thrust at peak and into a glute bridge, this can be particularly effective for training weak glutes and avoiding knee pain whilst doing this without weight as it offers more time under tension. Try holding each of your glute thrusts at the top for a count of 8 seconds and see how quickly the burn adds up!

3. Clamshells are a simple yet highly effective exercise for targeting the gluteus medius, a key muscle responsible for hip stability. To perform clamshells, lie on your side with your knees bent and your feet together. While maintaining the alignment of your hips, open your knees apart like a clamshell. As you open your knees, focus on squeezing your glutes, then return to the starting position. Clamshells are considered knee-friendly exercises because they involve minimal knee movement while effectively activating the glute muscles. This makes them a valuable addition to any knee-friendly glute workout routine.

4. Fire hydrants are another knee-friendly exercise that targets the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus muscles. To perform fire hydrants, start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keeping your knee bent, lift one leg out to the side, mimicking the motion of a dog at a fire hydrant. At the top of the movement, be sure to squeeze your glutes before lowering your leg back down. Fire hydrants engage the glutes without putting excessive strain on the knees, making them an effective and safe option for knee-friendly glute exercises.

5. Donkey kicks are a dynamic exercise that effectively targets the glutes while minimizing knee involvement. Begin on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. To perform a donkey kick, lift one leg up behind you, driving your heel toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement before lowering your leg back down. Donkey kicks isolate the glute muscles without requiring significant knee movement, making them ideal for individuals looking for knee-friendly glute workouts. It’s important to maintain control throughout the exercise and focus on the mind-muscle connection with your glutes for optimal results.

6. Standing glute kickbacks are a standing variation of donkey kicks that provide a knee-friendly way to target the glutes. To perform standing glute kickbacks, stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and slightly bend your knees. Lift one leg backward, extending it straight behind you while maintaining a slight bend in the supporting leg. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then lower your leg back down. Standing glute kickbacks engage the glutes without putting excessive stress on the knees, offering a safe and effective knee-friendly glute exercise option. Remember to keep your core engaged and maintain stability throughout

7. Cable pull-throughs are a compound exercise that offers a knee-friendly option for targeting the glutes. To perform cable pull-throughs, position yourself facing away from a cable machine with the cable between your legs. Grab the cable handle and take a step forward, maintaining a slight bend in your knees. As you hinge forward at the hips, allow the cable to pull your hands back through your legs. This movement engages the glute muscles. To maximize the glute activation, squeeze your glutes and stand tall, extending your hips forward. Cable pull-throughs are an effective exercise for the glutes while minimizing strain on the knees. By focusing on the hip extension movement pattern, this exercise allows individuals with knee sensitivity to strengthen their glutes safely.

8. Step-ups are a versatile exercise that targets the glutes and thighs while being gentle on the knees. The do engage the knee a little bit, but unless you’re currently struggling with knee pain, it shouldn’t be so much as to cause any overtraining issues. To perform step-ups, start by placing one foot on a step or platform. Push through your heel and lift your body up onto the step, fully extending your hips. Lower your body back down in a controlled manner and repeat the movement on the same leg or alternate legs. Step-ups emphasize the hip extension, engaging the glute muscles without excessive knee movement. This makes them an excellent choice for individuals seeking knee-friendly glute exercises. Step-ups can be easily modified by adjusting the height of the step or incorporating weights to increase the challenge and further activate the glutes.

9. Resistance band lateral walks are a low-impact exercise that specifically targets the gluteus medius, a crucial muscle for hip stability. To perform this exercise, place a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and slightly bend your knees. Take a step to the side with one foot, maintaining tension in the band, and then follow with the other foot. Continue walking sideways, focusing on keeping your glutes engaged and maintaining the tension in the band. Resistance band lateral walks are a knee-friendly exercise that strengthens the glutes without subjecting the knees to undue stress. By focusing on the gluteus medius, these walks promote hip stability and help prevent knee issues associated with poor hip control.

10. Swiss ball hamstring curls provide an effective way to target the glutes and hamstrings while being gentle on the knees. Begin by lying on your back with your feet resting on a Swiss ball, knees bent. Lift your hips off the ground, engaging your glutes, and roll the ball toward your glutes by bending your knees. This movement isolates the glutes and hamstrings, promoting knee-friendly strength development in those muscle groups. Extend your legs back out, rolling the ball away from your glutes, and lower your hips back down to complete one repetition. Swiss ball hamstring curls allow individuals to work their glutes and hamstrings without placing excessive strain on the knees. The unstable nature of the Swiss ball also engages the core muscles, providing an additional benefit for overall stability and strength.

Advantages of Knee-Free Glute Exercises

Focusing on glute workouts that avoid putting stress on the knee joint are an excellent way to build strong, toned glutes without putting unnecessary strain on your knees. There are several advantages to incorporating these examples into your workout routine, including:

1. Reduced Risk of Injury: When performing traditional glute exercises such as lunges or squats, there is a risk of knee injury due to the pressure placed on the joint. Reducing knee engagement can all but, eliminate this risk, allowing you to focus solely on building your glutes without worrying about any potential knee damage.

2. Increased Glute Activation: Knee free booty exercises often target the glute muscles more effectively than traditional exercises, resulting in greater muscle activation and improved results. This is because they typically involve a wider range of motion and more isolation of the glute muscles.

3. Improved Posture: Strong glutes are essential for good posture, and knee free glute exercises can help you achieve this. By strengthening your glutes, you can improve your overall body alignment and reduce the risk of back pain.

4. Greater Variety: glute workouts for bad knees provide a greater variety of exercises to choose from, allowing you to switch up your routine and keep your workouts interesting. This can help prevent boredom and keep you motivated to achieve your fitness goals.

5. Convenience: Many of these can be performed at home with minimal equipment, making them a convenient option for those who don’t have access to a gym or prefer to workout at home.

Why People Prefer Knee-Friendly Glute Exercises:

People prefer knee-friendly glute exercises for several reasons. Firstly, these exercises minimize knee involvement, making them suitable for individuals with knee sensitivity or those recovering from knee injuries. By primarily targeting the glute muscles and focusing on hip extension, knee-friendly exercises such as glute bridges and hip thrusts allow individuals to strengthen their glutes effectively without putting excessive strain on their knees. This is crucial for maintaining joint health and preventing further knee issues.

Moreover, knee-friendly glute exercises effectively target and activate the glute muscles. The glutes are essential for overall lower body strength and stability. Exercises like clamshells, fire hydrants, and donkey kicks isolate and engage the glutes, helping to enhance muscle definition and strength. By specifically targeting the glute muscles, individuals can achieve better muscle activation and improve their overall physique.

Another advantage of knee-friendly glute exercises is that they are suitable for all fitness levels. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced athlete, these exercises can be modified to suit your capabilities. With variations in intensity, range of motion, and resistance, individuals can gradually progress and challenge themselves over time. This adaptability allows people of all fitness levels to incorporate knee-friendly glute exercises into their workout routines and continually improve their strength and conditioning.

Additionally, knee-friendly glute exercises provide variation and challenge to workouts. With a wide range of exercises available, such as cable pull-throughs, resistance band lateral walks, and Swiss ball hamstring curls, individuals can introduce new movements and stimulate different muscle fibers in their glutes. This variety not only prevents boredom but also helps to overcome plateaus and promote continuous progress in strength and muscle development.

Furthermore, knee-friendly glute exercises can be performed at home or at the gym, offering flexibility and convenience. Many of these exercises require minimal equipment or can be done using bodyweight alone. For example, glute bridges, clamshells, and donkey kicks can be easily performed in the comfort of one’s home. On the other hand, exercises like cable pull-throughs and step-ups can be incorporated into a gym routine by utilizing equipment readily available at fitness facilities.

In summary, knee-friendly glute exercises are popular among individuals seeking to strengthen their glutes while being mindful of their knee health. These exercises minimize knee involvement while effectively targeting and activating the glute muscles. They cater to all fitness levels, provide variation and challenge to workouts, enhance muscle definition and strength, and can be performed in various settings with minimal equipment. Incorporating knee-friendly glute exercises into a regular routine not only improves glute strength but also enhances overall lower body stability, balance, and functional fitness.

How To Hit Glutes And Avoid Knee Pain FAQ :

1. Can I still work my glutes effectively without involving my knees?

– Absolutely! The exercises mentioned in this article specifically target your glute muscles while minimizing knee involvement.

2. Can I perform these exercises at home without any equipment?

– Yes, many of these exercises can be performed using just your bodyweight. However, some exercises may require minimal equipment like resistance bands or Swiss balls for added resistance and variation.

3. Are these exercises suitable for beginners?

– Yes, these exercises are suitable for individuals of all fitness levels, including beginners. Start with proper form and gradually increase the intensity as you progress.

4. Will I see noticeable results by doing these exercises regularly?

– Yes, with consistent practice and proper form, you can expect to see improvements in glute strength, muscle definition, and overall lower body stability.

5. Can these exercises be combined with other workouts?

– Absolutely! These glute exercises can be easily incorporated into your existing workout routine or combined with other exercises to target different muscle groups.

Imagine an exercise that’s so versatile it allows you to target every single muscle in your legs and core, while at the same time ramping up your heart rate and incinerating belly fat.

That’s exactly what the good old squat has to offer.

Whether you’re a beginner on a mission to build a better body, or an advanced athlete looking to refine her figure, this bootylicious 4-Week Squat Challenge to Lose Weight leaves no stone unturned.

With our SMG ultra-cool exercise program, 30 days and a gritty motivational focus you’ll have a bangin’ booty and luscious legs in no time.

Let’s get this!

Why Squat, Girl?

It’s time to go ass to grass. Going low to come out on top is the name of the game here!

When it comes to bang-for-your-buck exercises, the squat comes out a clear winner every single time. It’s a key exercise and should form the cornerstone of any girl’s program where killer legs and a big, round a** is the goal.

The squat is functional and provides the basis for all lower body movements. Bodybuilders, figure athletes and sportswomen all have squat variations in their programs… and for good reason too.

Don’t let yourself down… you need squats in your life, girl.

Here’s why you should be dropping it like it’s hot…

The benefits of squats for weight loss are wide and varied. You can pump out this fat-burning movement with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells or any other heavy item laying around.

Body weight squats build eye-watering lactic acid and if you dare to try out single leg variations, you’ll feel muscles you didn’t even know existed.

Girl, as you can tell… SMG are all about that #squatlife.

Here are the main benefits of our 4-week squat challenge for weight loss:

Build strength in your legs, inner thighs and booty

The squat targets pretty much all the lower body muscles, but really emphasizes your quadriceps, inner thighs and glutes.

When it comes building a sassy boss woman figure, it’s number one on the list.

Develop shape and tone exactly where you want it the most

By altering your stance, changing the equipment you use or varying the depth of your squat technique you can spot-enhance specific muscles.

Wanna hit your booty? Go low.

Working on the inner thighs? Let’s see a wide stance

Want strength? Let’s hit some heavy weight, girl.

A powerful calorie burner that’ll ramp up energy expenditure and torch fat

In caliometry testing, squats have been found to have superiority as a fat burner.

Compared to upper body exercises such as the bench press, leg day is the best day for burning up those fat cells.

Enhance sports performance

If you’re an athlete looking to create that all-important edge, squats are the way forward. they’re closely linked to better performance in the gym and on the field.

Both jump and sprint ability are linked to squat strength.

Build balance, coordination and core strength

basic squats have a bigger ‘carry over’ effect to core strength, agility, balance and other important motor skills.

But modifying your position, working single leg or using an unstable variation of an exercise really ramps up the neural benefits of squatting.

Increase muscle building hormones

Testosterone is important for women. Not only does it help you create a toned and sexy figure, it’s also a key regulator of menstruation, libido and mood.

Studies have found that going ass to grass with a bar on your back is a killer way of getting some of those beautiful hormones flooding around your body.

4-Week Squat Challenge to Lose Weight

In general, 30-day challenges work well. They keep things tight, concise and along with your high levels of motivation, get great results.

Setting yourself a medium-term goal over 30 days gives you something to work for. When you’re feeling sore or tired you know you’ve got a deadline to work towards.

It’s pretty motivating!

And research shows that goal setting works well when organizing your fitness and body targets.

What makes our squat challenge different?

The problem with many 4-week squat challenges is they presume that progress is linear – that a girl like you will be able to progress day after day, with no fatigue or need to recover.

Unfortunately, your body doesn’t work like that. If you perform the same movement day after day without variety or modification, you’ll just end up burned out or overtraining.

Luckily, our team of top-notch diva sport scientists have clubbed together their collective, extensive knowledge to bring you an evidence-based squat program for weight loss – one that boosts your booty and crushes your goals… guaranteed!

Ready to smash your goals and develop a goddess physique?

Let’s go girl…

Exercise 1: Chair Squat

• Stand close to a chair with your feet at around shoulder-width apart and your arms out in front of your body
• Stick your butt back and bend from your knees as you sit back onto the chair under control
• Aim to keep your knees and line with your big toe and avoid letting them rotate inward
• Sit on the chair upright
• Bend forwards slightly and push through your heels, maintaining good knee alignment, until you are stood up tall
• The upward phase will naturally be faster than the sitting phase

Exercise 2: Prisoner Squat

• Start with your hands clasped behind your head and your shoulder blades pulled together
• Stand with your feet at around shoulder-width apart and your chest up tall
• Bend at your hips and knees and squat as low as feels comfortable, aiming to keep your chest tall throughout. Sit your weight back on your heels
• Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement before returning to the start position

Exercise 3: Lateral Squat

• Start with your hands on your waist and your shoulder blades pulled together
• Stand with your feet at around shoulder-width apart and your chest up tall
• Bend your left knee, and as you do so, move your body weight to your left side as far as feels comfortable. Keep your right knee straight throughout
• Move slowly to the start position and then transition to the opposite side
• Complete the reps from one side to the other with no break

Exercise 4: Jump Squat

• Stand with your feet at around shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides
• Stick your butt back and bend from your knees as you sit back into an air squat position with your arms out in front of your body
• At the bottom of the movement, push through your heels and swing your arms towards your body
• As you reach full extension, jump in the air. Your arms will naturally swing behind you
• As you land, bend your knees to move the stress from your knees and onto your muscles

Prisoner Squat with Kickback

• Follow the technique for standard prisoner squats
• At the top of the squat movement though, lift one leg, move it behind your body and clench your butt cheek
• Avoid hyper-extending your lower back. All the movement during the kickback should come from your hip
• Alternate your kickbacks with each squat

Split Squat

• Otherwise known as a ‘static lunge’, place your feet at shoulder-width apart in a staggered stance (roughly 3/4 of your maximum stride length)
• Your front foot should be flat and with your rear foot you should only have the ball of your foot on the ground
• Keeping your hands on your hips and your chest tall, bend your knees and lower your rear knee to the ground, stopping an inch or so from making contact
• Pause briefly and return to the start, making sure your upper body only travels upward and not leaning forward
• Once you’ve completed all reps, change lead legs and repeat

Bulgarian Split Squat

• Place your rear foot on bench below knee height
• Place your front foot at shoulder-width and flat on the ground
• Bend both knees and descend until your back knee is just above the ground. Keep your chest tall throughout
• If the knee of your front leg goes in front of your toes you need to stride out a little further
• Push through the heel of your front foot and return to the start position
• Once you’ve completed all reps, change lead legs and repeat

The Program

This program can be followed as a body weight or externally-weighted workout. If you’re new to leg training, we’d advise using just your own weight for resistance – you can always add dumbbells later down the line.

If you’re more advanced and looking for a brutal, fat-incinerating schedule, use bands, bells or bars to light up your legs and booty.

Final Word

This 4-week squat challenge to lose weight is your best opportunity yet to carve out sexy, toned legs and glutes that’ll showcase your curves and athleticism.

It’ll be tough in places. But work for it girl and you’ll deliver some awesome results!

Enjoyed this article? Check out these related guides:

• Squats – Everything women need to know
• The hack squat: Your ultimate guide
• Is there any benefit to doing squats in high heels?

Whether you want something a little perkier or are going for next level Kardashian, we’ve got your back.

At SMG, we’ve used our fitness expertise to bring you the exercises that are absolutely essential to your bigger butt workout. Simply add these to your gym routine and you’ll start to feel that muscle growing booty burn in not time.

The key with this one is keep it challenging, but don’t overdo it. Regularly change up your exercises and rep/set patterns to avoid the dreaded plateau. At the same time, don’t focus on bigger butt workouts more than twice a week. We know you want an incredible transformation, but just like every other muscle, it needs time to heal so you can work harder next time it’s booty day.

You could add a pre-workout in the mix to keep you motivated.

Bigger Butt Workout – Article Preview:

• Reps and sets
• Bigger butt workout

Reps and Sets for a Bigger Butt

The amount of reps and sets you perform for these exercises depends on your goals. For muscle size, or hypertrophy, we recommend you aim to achieve between 8-12 reps in each set. You can build muscle at any rep range but this one works great for building strength and endurance at the same time.

If you’re looking for all-out strength, 1-6 reps at a heavy weight is optimal.

In a bigger butt workout, a hypertrophy workout is probably your best bet. It will still make your booty stronger, but the main focus will be growing the muscle for a visibly perkier derriere.

The weight should be challenging for 12 reps. A way to test that you’re at the right weight is to attempt 14 reps at something you find difficult. If you really struggle with the final rep, that’s about the perfect weight for your 12.

Aim to do between three and five sets of 8-12 reps, depending on how strong you’re feeling. If you have some fuel left in the tank, go for the extra set. If it’s becoming easy for five reps it’s time to up the weight.

Bigger Butt Exercises

Take three of the following exercises and use them to create a super effective bigger butt workout. To really feel the burn, complete a round of muscle activation before you start lifting weights. This way your glutes will be firing on all cylinders, ready to work hard.

Back squat

This is like the foundation of your bigger butt workout. A squat pulls in just about all of your lower body muscles, perfect if you’re looking to grow your booty. Add weight with a barbell or dumbbells to bring another level of challenge to your workout.

Our top tip is to vary the width of your stance to target different muscles. The closer your feet are to each other the more the focus will be on your quads, whereas if your legs are slightly wider apart, you’ll feel it more in your glutes. So a slightly wider stance will likely help you in your booty growing goals.

If you’re not familiar with squatting with weight, work on your form before you head to the bar or use the leg press instead.

How to back squat:

Before you add weight, make sure your squat form is perfect. Begin with your feet at just outside hip width apart and your feet pointed outwards at around a 40-degree angle. Break at the hips and begin to move them back and downwards, keeping your weight on your heels. Keep your chest high and maintain a strong lumbar curve throughout the movement. This is essential girl – when you add weights, you don’t want your back to bend as this could cause injury.

Once you feel comfortable with your squat form, step under a barbell on the rack until it rests across the back of your shoulders. When it feels like it’s in the right position, step it up and out of the rack, holding it in place with both of your hands.

Lunges

The lunge is one of the most effective exercises for targeting your booty. It drills right into your hamstrings and glutes to give you a real burner of a bigger butt workout.

There are also a few different types of lunges you can use to mix up the intensity of your workout. Have a go at these to really get your butt working. We’ll start with the easiest and work out way through to the harder variations.

Lunge variations:

• Stationary lunge – In a standing position, simply take one large step forward. When you bend your front leg, your knee shouldn’t go over your toes. If it does, step out a little further. Drop down until your back leg almost touches the floor, then push up and back with your front leg to return to a standing position with your feet together.
• Walking lunge – Step out and drop into a lunge as you would with your stationary variant. When you go to stand, push up and forward with your front leg and bring your back foot up to meet the front. You should’ve stepped forward.
• Split squat – This is one of the most glute focused variations on a lunge. Place one foot on a bench behind you and hop your front foot out so you can perform a lunge without your knee going over your toe. From here, dip down until your back knee almost touches the floor, then push up again with your front leg.

You can add weight to all of these to make it more challenging and help grow those butt muscles.

Hip Thrusts

This is one of the most glute focused exercises you can do. It requires strength and power from your butt and hamstrings which grows muscle in the areas you want them most. When performed correctly, you can also load your hip thrusts with weight for extra booty gains. Form is key though on this one girls, so get that nailed before you start adding barbells into the mix.

How to hip raise:

Begin with a hip raise before you move on to a weighted thrust. Lie on the floor and move your feet in until they’re about a foot in front of your butt. Push through your feet and tighten your glutes to raise your hips until your body is a straight, diagonal line from knees to shoulders. Hold a plate over your hips for extra resistance.

How to hip thrust:

For a hip thrust, sit in front of a bench with your knees slightly bent and your planted on the floor. Rest your shoulders on the bench and push your hips up to the ceiling. Trying to not to move too far onto the bench with your shoulders, squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement before returning your butt down to the ground.

To add weight, simply roll a barbell into the crease of your hips – wrap a gym towel or a barbell pad around the bar so you don’t get any bruises. Then simply perform the hip thrust, holding the bar in place when it’s not on the ground.

Deadlifts

A deadlift is one of the fundamental exercises for working your hamstrings and glutes. It effectively works a huge range of muscles, but you can’t let your form slip on this one or you could end up with an injury.

How to deadlift:

Throughout the movement, keep your back flat, your hips down and your abs in and tight for a strong core. When you first pull the bar off the ground, straighten your legs, keeping your back strong until the bar is just above your knees. Then, the second pull is you extending at the hips, squeezing your butt until you’re standing upright. To bring the bar back down, reverse that motion.

Stay strong and controlled throughout this movement for a safe form and an effective workout. Keep your bar close to your legs to stay in control and make the lift as efficient as possible.

Add these exercises to your legs day to create a well-rounded, muscle-building big butt workout. Work them with the optimal rep and set patterns at challenging weights to start building muscle and a peachier, rounded butt.

Bigger Butt Workout

Try this complete big butt workout and watch your body develop next level size and shape.

Begin with glute muscle activation using resistance bands.

• 4 x 8 squats
• 3 x 12 hip thrusts
• 3 x 8 split squat (el)
• 3 x 6 deadlift
• 3 x 10 weighted reverse lunge (el)

Once you have these workouts down, you’ll start building some serious muscle in your rear, perfect for that bigger, rounder booty.

Looking for more workout inspiration? Read more of our articles at SMG: 

• Barbell Legs Workouts for Women
• Ultimate Female Pull Up Program
• Burning Booty Band Workout for Women

Or check out our top pre-workouts to power through those booty gym sessions!

You heard us right, girl. No matter how many squats, split lunges, kickbacks, or step-ups you do, you’re still missing out. Hip thrust exercises are hands down the most effective movement there is for glute activation.

But it’s not just all about ass-thetics. In terms of athletic performance, this compound lift offers more than just looking good in shorts girls. Strong glutes lead to greater speed, strength, and power. If you’re wanting to transform into the MVP on your team look no further.

And while they might look strange ladies, just remember this – try not to make eye contact with anybody and you’re all good. Unless, of course, you’re pushing some serious weight then, by all means, intimidate the annoying gym bros.

The Chalk-Up: Article Preview

• What are Hip Thrusts?
• Rep the Science: How do they work?
• Sweat the Technique: How to Hip Thrust
• How to do Hip Thrusts
• Hip Thrust Variations & Trainer Tips
• Finisher: Summary Set

What are Hip Thrusts?

Originally invented by ‘The Glute Guy’ himself, Bret Contreras, hip thrusts have become one of the most popular butt building exercises today. It’s hard to argue with the science behind their effectiveness, and the results Bret’s seen in his clients says it all.

But, it’s not all party in the back and business in the front, girls. The hip thrust exercise is awesome for activating the hamstrings, quadriceps, and adductors too! Therefore, they’re pretty much essential for any lady who lifts with lower body goals.

Bret Contreras used hip thrusters as the primary exercise in ‘Strong Curves’, a book he co-wrote with Kellie Davis back in 2013. Plus, he even wrote a whole PhD thesis on glute development centered around his favorite hip-hinging exercise.

Okay, now we see why they call him ‘The Glute Guy’...

Ben Brune, one of Contreras’ colleagues, is a huge fan of giving the hip thrust exercise to his celebrity clients. He’s actually the man responsible for Kate Upton’s butt, which we all agree raised the bar for booty goals worldwide.

Not only that but so many top bikini competitors like Ashley Kaltwasser, Amanda Latona, Michelle Lewin, and Courtney King include this glute-kicking compound in their competition prep. There’s no such thing as ‘just squatting’ for show-stopping booty, girl. Never mind what any genetically-gifted Instagram model says.

Key point: Hip thrusts are a compound exercise invented by S+C coach Bret Contreras. Women all over the world love them for their awesome glute activation levels.

Rep the Science: How do they work?

A hip thrust is essentially a glute bridge carried out with a load. However, rather than resting the shoulders on a yoga mat or the ground, they’re elevated onto a bench. And whilst it may seem strange at first, this set up is used to increase the range of motion.

To be more scientifically specific, the hip thrust is a bent-leg hip extension exercise. Essentially, your horizontally loaded hips go from closed to open position during a single repetition. Tension is never fully released from the hips throughout the entire exercise, and the highest levels of contraction are when the muscles are at their shortest.

Because tension is never fully released and ROM is optimized, hip thrusts are hypertrophy heaven. The glutes experience much more activation than in a regular floor bridge for example, and some would argue greater amounts than in the squat. No wonder they’re so popular among physique pros and celebrities in search of the perfect butt.

Plus, because the biggest squeeze happens when the muscles are at their shortest, strength and power can be built at short muscle lengths. So, whilst hip thrusts might not make you jump higher, you’ll explosively sprint faster for sure. Athletic ladies, take note.

Key point: Hip thrusts optimize tension and ROM for better hypertrophic results. Simply put, they’re perfect for building a bigger, toned, and fuller booty.

Sweat the Technique: How to Hip Thrust

Ready to give these booty-busting hip thrusters a go for yourself? Let’s do it, girl…

SpotMeGirl would recommend you start out without any resistance first. Nailing the bodyweight variation is the safest and easiest way to get the booty ball rolling.

Of course, you’re naturally going to feel the need to push some numbers. But be patient girls, the glutey-goodness will be yours in no time, just once you’ve got your technique on lock down.

What You’re Gonna Need

Setting yourself up to hip thrust is pretty easy. Every essential item can be found in most regularly stocked gym in the States, and a few accessories are relatively affordable online.

At the very minimum, you’re going to need a stable platform, some flat shoes, and a grippy floor. Also, unless you want some pretty questionable bruises, you’ll definitely want a foam barbell pad when you start adding weight. However, to make the most out of this exercise, throw in some kind of resistance to really challenge your lower-half.

For the variations we’re going to show you today grab:

• A safe and secure padded bench or stack of aerobic steps
• Olympic lifting style plates
• A barbell (straight is preferred)
• Padding for the bar, SMG recommends picking up a proper foam barbell protector, but a towel can be used as an alternative
• Resistance bands
• Chains
• Non-slip floor
• Flat shoes (alternatively bare feet)

Beg, borrowed, and stole your way around the gym? Sweet, it’s time for some action, girl. Here’s what you need to do…

Key point: If you can’t find Olympic lifting plates you can still use standard smaller sizes. Just simply place more plates or aerobic steps underneath to raise them until you can position yourself under the bar.

How to do Hip Thrusts

Strap in and pad up your bar, because we’re about to teach you everything you need to know about how to do hip thrusts.

Hip Thrust Technique:

1. Start out sitting in front of the bench with bent knees. Feet should be flat on the floor at a medium to wide stance, with your shoulders resting on the platform.
2. Take a deep breath in and raise your hips towards the ceiling. Ensure you push through your heels here. Keep the elbows pushed down and firmly into the bench whilst making a fist in each hand.
3. Be careful not to slide up and onto the platform. In terms of neck alignment, imagine you’re tucking an egg underneath your chin. Concentrate on not dropping it to ensure awesome posture.
4. Once you’re at the apex lock out the hips and squeeze those glutes. Contracting at the top in this way will increase metabolic-stress and work the muscle harder. Yup, it all goes towards a bigger, rounder butt.
5. At this point, your shins should be straight and your knees tracking over the toes. If you notice your knees caving inwards, concentrate on keeping them pushed out in the proper position. Your ribs should also stay down here to avoid lumbar hyperextension – aka overarching the lower back.
6. Return back to the starting position smoothly, in a controlled movement.

Hip Thrust Variations

Once you’ve learned how to do hip thrusts, it’s time to get creative, girl. Boost your next booty workout with these butt building variations.

Bodyweight Hip Thrusts

Mastering the bodyweight hip thrust exercise is an absolute must for beginners. By learning how to crush the technique without any resistance means you’re at a lower risk of injury. After all, being sat on the sidelines for sure isn’t the best booty building training method. Not for the kind of lean, strong, and toned ass we’re striving for anyway, are we right?

Barbell Hip Thrusts

When we think of hip thrusts we no doubt conjure up images of this variation. Images pop into our mind of strong powerful women pushing heavy weight to the sky and we think ‘you’re damn right I’m doing that’. So, we know you’re down for these for sure. Grab a barbell and load it with the larger Olympic lifting style plates.

Ensure you have adequate protection on the bar to cover your hip-bones. If you don’t have a bar pad, a folded up foam matt can work, it’s just a little awkward. Then, roll the bar over your legs until it is tightly wedged in the fold of the hips. Keeping control with your hands, elevate that heavy mutha to the sky.

If your platform allows you to lower the load to the ground after every rep, do so. If not, stay elevated but dip back down low enough to effectively shorten the working muscles. Remember to keep your mind in the muscle and squeeze those glutes at the top of each rep to ensure they’re being challenged.

Band Resisted Hip Thrusts

Whilst a the banded variation might not be as common, it’s still worth a shot girl. In actual fact, many women prefer this as it can be less abrasive on the hips. All you need is a band, a set of heavy dumbbells, or even better, a squat rack to attach your band to.

Set the band up across the hips, just like it were a barbell. Then, all you have to do is weigh down the band at either side with the dumbbells. Then simply complete one rep with good form, using the band for resistance.

Ensure it’s properly secured to the ground though or you could have a few fellow gym goers on your case. Not that we’ve ever sent a band into orbit or anything… SMG have found the safest and most effective way is to set up your bench in the squat rack and secure the band under it.

Chain Resisted Hip Thrusts

Not quite feeling the roughness or a steel bar over your hips but find bands a bit too basic? Link yourself up with a heavy chain and use that instead. Just like working with a band, chains increase their rate of movement the further away you take them from the ground.

So, essentially you have to work harder the closer you get to the top of the movement. As more links lift from the ground the overall weight of the load increases. It’s a pretty cool training method used by athletes across the globe, and now you. Plus, it looks badass…

Key point: Form should be your number one priority girls. Keep all the reps smooth and focus on technique over weight.

Trainer Tips: 

• Use a smooth, steady tempo throughout. Unless a trip to the emergency room is your idea of a good night out, leave the herky-jerky stuff for the dancefloor. 
• The mind muscle connection is a wonderful thing scientifically proven to increase activation – it’s a guaranteed game changer, girl. 
• Maintain tension during the eccentric phase of the lift – don’t just drop down and miss out on the most effective bit for gainz.
• If you find you can’t lock out your hips then the load is too challenging. Regress, lower the numbers and hit it again in a smooth, controlled way.
• Always use padding to protect the hips when using a barbell. We know you’re as tough as they come, girl, but we love you. Bruised up body parts really aren’t the best results from a hard workout.
• Are your knees tracking inwards or do you want greater glute and abductor activation? Grab a mini-band and push against it with your thighs. Not only will this keep your knees from caving inwards but it’ll get those glutes working even harder. 
• Record your lifts – it feels so good to look back and see how much stronger you’ve become over time. Positive reflection is some seriously empowering stuff.

Finisher: Summary Set

Hip thrusts are a compound movement first developed by S+C coach Bret Contreras. As far as glute activation is concerned, exercises don’t come much better than this baby.

Women worldwide are using them to build the best booty they’ve ever had. Everybody from IFBB bikini competitors to celebrities are including them in their workout, and the results speak for themselves.

Gym goers don’t need much fancy equipment to get started. All they need for the most basic of variations is a bench or padded platform. The rest is all about creativity and how hard you want to push yourself, girl.

Finally, if you’re going to learn the hip thrust exercise, stay safe out there. Ensure your platform is secure and sturdy enough not to fall over and can take the weight of your body plus resistance. Also, keep a barbell pad on handy to protect your hips from bumps and bruises. Don’t panic if you leave your foam at home though, roll up a gym towel and use that instead.

Good luck with all your glute goals, girls. We’re right behind you!

Remember, we’ve always got your back, girl. Check out these other articles created specifically for us ladies that lift: 

• Chest and Shoulder Workouts for Women
• Muscle Activation Exercises to Transform Your Workouts
• The Benefit of HIIT Workouts for Women

They’re cost-effective, easy to throw in your gym bag and can give you a seriously killer workout. Resistance bands could be just what you need to mix up your training technique and improve your butt gains.

Whether you’re taking them to the gym or smashing an at-home butt workout, this piece of kit is your new best friend.

Find out how a resistance band can help you grow muscle, get a more rounded booty and even improve your squat.

Why do you need a booty band workout?

The possibilities with a booty band workout are endless. They can help you target specific muscles, isolate your glutes for a sculpted butt, and can even help you reach new heights in the squat rack.

Just as you vary the rep and set patterns of your workout, it’s important to try new training methods to really get your body working. If you’re bored with your current program or you’re putting in all the work but not feeling the results, throw in a booty band workout and watch the gains come your way.

It will provide variety in your normal workout schedule and target the muscles in a different way. A banded booty workout is also about as close as you can get to glute isolation exercises – perfect for muscle growth.

A booty band workout is different to lifting weights as it provides constant resistance for your muscles, so you’re working them non-stop from the moment you put the band on. You’ll start to feel that muscle-sculpting booty burn after just a few reps.

Can a booty band workout improve my squat?

Your glutes are the biggest muscle in your body, and there’s a whole lot of power in that booty. Unfortunately, sometimes your muscles aren’t fully warmed up and your compound movements alone don’t get your butt firing in the way it should. That means you’re not utilizing those muscles in the best possible way to strengthen them.

That’s where your booty band workouts come in, girl.

You can use these workouts as part of your muscle activation process before you head off to slay squats day. Trust us, this can help you recruit those big muscles, take the load off your quads and squat more efficiently. It’s everything we ever dreamed of.

Booty band workouts

To help you get what you want from these workouts, we’ve provided rep and set patterns for both muscle activation and for a full booty workout.

When it comes to the strength of the resistance band, find something that’s challenging for your set amount of reps, but not impossible. If you’re activating your muscles, choose three exercises and go a little lighter with the band so you don’t max out before your squat session – but make sure you’re still feeling the burn towards the end.

1. Banded squats

Put a spin on your usual squat and grab your band. Simply pull it up to just above your knees and it will create resistance by trying to pull your knees inwards. By resisting this pull and keeping your form and your knees in place, you’ll activate your glute muscles and your abductors. Do this bodyweight if you’re trying out activation, or add some iron for an extra muscle-building edge.

• Place your band around both legs, placing it just above your knees
• Step your feet out so they’re just outside hip width apart
• Begin to bend at the knees and move your body back and down
• Stop when your hips are just below your knees
• Stand up again

Muscle activation: 2 sets of 12 reps

Full workout: 5 sets of 8-10 reps

2. Banded clams

This movement drills deep into your glute muscles, in particular your gluteus medius and your abductor. This means you’re working the around the top and outside of your butt, helping to sculpt that peachy, rounded muscle formation we dream of. Top tip for this movement is to try not to move your hips at all, so all that resistance goes through your muscles.

• Place the resistance band around both legs just above the knees
• Lie on one side with your knees slightly bend and your ankles together
• Keep the leg on the floor still and your ankles together raise your knee up, pushing against the resistance of the band
• Stop when your top leg creates an angle of about 70 degrees
• Bring your knee back down to the bottom leg

Muscle activation: 2 sets of 10 reps on each leg

Full workout: 5 sets of 8 reps on each leg

3. Lying leg raises

Strengthen those abductors and whip your outer booty into shape with a lying leg raise. This, combined with your other banded exercises, is a fantastic way to craft a well sculpted, rounded booty, worthy of the gram.

• Lie on one side with your band around your ankles
• Your legs should be straight with your knees and ankles together
• Keeping your bottom leg on the ground, raise your top leg
• Stop when you reach about 60 degrees from the floor, lower your top leg back down to the ground

Muscle activation: 2 sets of 10 reps on each leg

Full workout: 5 sets of 8 reps on each leg

4. Glute bridges

The resistance band brings a whole new level of intensity to the glute bridge. It’ll bring the burn in way’s you’d never imagined before. The trick with this one is not to let your knees drop inwards and squeeze your glutes at the top of each movement. Don’t thrust your hips, stay in control and don’t over-extend. Slow and steady, girl. You’ll thank us when the gains start rolling in.

• With your band sitting just above your knees, lie on your back
• Place your feet on the floor about a foot away from your butt
• By firing through your glutes, raise your hips until your body is a straight, diagonal line from the knees to the shoulders
• At the top, squeeze your glutes together and lower your butt to the floor

Muscle activation: 2 sets of 10 reps

Full workout: 5 sets of 8 reps

5. Banded Kickbacks

You don’t need a cable machine to grow your glutes. This is one of the most effective finishers a girl could dream of and it’ll get every fiber feeling like fiyah. The kickback is just about as close as it gets to isolation exercises for the glutes, as it works every part of your butt, including a little hamstring too. A little tip from us SMG girls to you, don’t kick your leg back hard. Take it slow on the way up and down, and you’ll feel a deeper, more effective burn.

• Place the band around your ankles
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold on to a wall for support
• Flex at the knees but don’t bend them entirely
• Take one leg and pull it as far back as you can
• Then return it to the starting position

Muscle activation: 2 sets of 12 reps on each leg

Full workout: 5 sets of 10 reps on each leg

With these five killer exercises for your boot band workouts, you’ll have the perky butt of every gym girl’s dreams. Whether you’re using the exercises to activate your muscles and max out in your squat session, or plan to make them your whole workout, you can be sure of booty growing results.

With these movements, you won’t just get a bigger booty. We’re talking about a peachy, rounded beach-ready butt – a work of art. Include a few of these banded workouts to see the results for yourself.

Looking for more fitness inspiration from your sisters at SMG? Check these articles out:

• How to Get Perfect Legs in a Week – Can it be Done?
• Chest and Shoulder Workouts for Women
• 10 Most Inspiring Sports Women of 2018

We’re on a quest to get strong and sexy. Not skinny – no way!

We want nothing less than being able to lift weights like a badass and be proud of our bodies. You can keep your superficial diets and endless hours on the treadmill.

Nothing says “I could probably out-squat you and your bros” like a killer booty. Hey girls, we ain’t gonna lie. It’s also nice to know that all our hard work is turning heads, too.

That’s why we’ve put our minds together as a team to bring you this tailor-made workout. Because every woman deserves to have an ass that can stop traffic. We mean that literally too!

Related Articles 

• Ultimate 4 Minute Workout
• Female Fitness Model Workout

Grow Those Glutes Girl

Here’s a few tips to get those glutes growing:

• Lift medium to heavy to be most productive (67-85% of 1RM to be precise)
• Eat right (and definitely enough)
• Don’t focus on boring cardio
• Get down with progressive overload
• Believe in yourself

Also, it goes without saying that we should focus on targeting our lower bodies. That means plenty of compound movements like squats and lunges instead of tricep push downs. Leave that cr*p to the leg day skipping bros.

We’ll be hitting the massive muscle growing potential of the glutes. Oh and a healthy dose of activating the hamstrings too.

Notice we’ve not split the glutes into areas? That’s because there’s no need here. With the array of exercises we’ve chosen, every bit of your ass will benefit from this workout. You’ll definitely feel it if you train like a badass.

The Ultimate Booty Builder Checklist

Hey, we know this isn’t our usual SpotMeGirl style but we’ve got something real important for you. Don’t see this as a chore style checklist – we love you too much for that!

We just want you to take a mental note of these things whilst you’re on the gym floor. Working out isn’t all about looking good and growing, there’s mental gains to be made too.

Tick off each one of these things in your mind during every single rep:

• Keep your mind on the muscle (think about the body-part you’re using)
• Focus on the contraction/squeeze
• Remember to breathe efficiently – do not hold your breath

Three little things doesn’t seem too much right? But get them right, and your gains will go through the roof.

Keeping your mind in the muscle helps the body to activate it, focusing on the squeeze gets the most tears out of every rep, and breathing right keeps you powerful and full of oxygen.

Write these down or just get them locked in mentally. After a while they’ll become as intuitive as your f*ckboy detection skills.

Go time!

Okay so we’ve talked about this for long enough. The only thing left now girl is for you to get in the gym and show those weights who’s boss.

Plug into your pump-up playlist, turn off all notifications and focus on activating that booty. Remember, mind in the muscle, even when warming up.

If you’re a regular foam roller then now’s the time to jump on it. Focus on waking up all of the lower body and activating it ready to train. If in doubt, check out a few routines online. Oh, and remember to get that heart rate going a little too.

If you don’t foam roll, that’s cool. Just warm up as usual with a special emphasis on mobility in the bottom half. Think leg swings, air squats, dynamic lunges, and all the other good stuff. Your ass will thank you for it.

Here goes…

The Ultimate Round Butt Workout

Exercise 1: Kettlebell Lateral Lunges

How to do it:

• Stand with feet shoulder width apart and with a neutral spine.
• Hold the kettlebell by the horns and keep it close to your chest.
• Step out to your left hand side and squat until your knee is at a right angle.
• Brace that core, squeeze the glutes and keep your spine neutral.
• Push away using the loaded left foot to the starting position.
• Repeat again, this time using the right leg to take your weight.

Complete this whole process for an equal number of reps (7) on each side. Remember to sit your booty down to really get those hamstrings fired up.

Exercise 2: Landmine Deadlift

How to do it:

• Load the landmine up with a weight that’ll challenge the entire rep range.
• Set yourself in the sumo deadlift position with arms inside your knees.
• Bend into a hip hinge and make sure to keep a neutral spine.
• Grab hold of the bar with both hands and hip hinge until standing upright. Push through the toes whilst pulling the weight upwards to better target the butt.
• Really contract those glutes and hamstrings at the top of the lift.
• Lower the bar back to the starting position using the same hinge.

Exercise 3: Glute Bridge

How to do it:

• Grab yourself a yoga mat or some kind of cushioned floor and lie under the bar.
• Place the dead centre of the bar across your hips (maybe grab a squat pad or towel to soften things up).
• Take those hips up to the ceiling until your knees, stomach and shoulders are all in line.
• Concentrate on the contraction at the top and engage your core.
• Breathe in…
• Return to the starting position under control, whilst breathing out.

Exercise 4: Box Step Up

How to do it:

• Start with feet shoulder width apart. To create the most extension in the hip, try to stand between one-and-a-half and two feet away.
• Next, decide which leg will lead. Then place the entirety of that foot onto the box.
• Push through the heel and let the opposite leg follow onto the box. Ensure to move and land at a well controlled pace. (Squeeze those glutes on the way up, girl!)
• Take your starting foot and step backwards returning it to the ground. Do this part as controlled as possible – we don’t want to put our knees at risk.
• The remaining foot can now follow and you should be back in your starting position.

Tip: If this seems all too easy for any hardcore honeys – step it up! Bring the following leg up in-front to 90 degrees first before landing on the box.

Exercise 5: Weighted Hyper Extensions

How to do it:

• Start set up against the extension pad with a plate held to your chest.
• Before going anywhere make sure you’re both comfortable and secure. Your ankles should be firmly tucked under the pads and your quads should also be on the soft area.
• Keeping the chest proud and shoulders pulled back begin to lower your torso. Remember to keep a flat back and the mind in the muscle. You’ll feel most of the work happening inside your hamstrings, so focus on there.
• Take a moment once you’re at the bottom before returning to the top position.

Exercise 6: Banded Squat Bouncer

How to do it:

• Grab yourself a short(ish) resistance band and step into it. It should rest comfortably stretched above your knees as you squat.
• Start with feet shoulder width apart and eyes facing forward. Keeping a straight back and neutral spine, lower yourself into a deep squat.
• Use your knees to press outwards into the band. Whilst doing this, bounce to the top then return to the starting position.
• This whole motion counts as one rep.

Tip: Really press into the band to stop the knees from tracking inwards. This not only keeps your squat form on point, but it’ll activate the glute medius and hip abductors even more.

Nailed it!

Awesome, so you’ve nailed the workout? Pat yourself on the money maker and check out that pump.

Aim to complete this workout two to four times per week. Theoretically you could hit it every day, but we wouldn’t recommend that.

It’s best to leave a rest day in between each muscle group. Although we’re not hitting powerlifting PB’s here we are still challenging the muscles.

Allowing them time to adapt and grow is our best way to getting the results we’re after. With proper recovery, we can keep working towards a bigger rounder butt without over training.

Yeah, you heard us right. It’s not just what we do inside the gym that counts, definitely not. It’s a combination of in gym badassery and healthy lifestyle habits that form success. Just like 2+2=4, hard work + proper recovery = GAINS.

Time to recover

Okay, so by now you’ve worked out we’re not going to shut up about recovery. And it’s for good reason too.

Our recovery time is the post-workout period which our muscles (and mind) fix themselves up. You know all those tiny micro-tears that we created deadlifting that sucker? Well, they need both time and fuel to come back stronger.

A great way to make sure your muscles get their hard earned rest is to calculate your sleep. Experts say that if you’re a regular gym goer you should aim high for a solid eight hours.

However, if you’re a real night owl who only manages half of that, shoot for the minimum of seven. You’ll be doing your gains a serious dis-service with anything less, so try your best.

Turn off all screens an hour before heading to bed and try to keep your phone on silent. You know you need the rest to grow the ultimate round butt but your friends don’t. Don’t sacrifice your endurance in the gym and earned growth for a 3am time Insta binge.

Our final food for thought

A major part of growing the perfect round butt you want to call your own is what you eat. When looking to add some lean mass to your body, you’ve got to get that protein girl.

Hit up a calorie counter or take a look at labels to make sure you’re getting enough. Scientists say that 1.4-2.0 gram per kilogram of body weight is enough to maintain and build muscle. We always go for a realistic 1.7g.

Lean proteins are your best sources of booty building fuel. Think skinless chicken and turkey breast over hamburgers or processed foods. If in doubt, try to stay as natural as possible and leave out the extra dressing. Good quality protein sources include:

• Chicken breast
• Turkey breast
• Turkey mince
• Salmon
• White fish
• Lean beef
• Tuna
• Quinoa
• Tempeh
• Lentils
• Soy

These foods are clean, free from added sugars, and don’t contain pesky additives that’ll damage your hard work. If you’re a meat free athlete, head straight for the beans, pulses and soy products.

Related Article

• 8 Nutrition Tips to Help You Become Lean

Eat Clean, Play Dirty

The same attitude towards clean eating should go for your other macros too.

Unrefined carbs like brown rice and sweet potato will keep you fuller for longer, especially when compared to white bread for example. Not only that, but they’re much more nutritious and don’t come with the added sugar crash.

You can find healthy fats in the likes of nuts, olive oil and fish oils. Try to not overdo these guys as although they’re healthy, they’re also super dense in calories. Nine cal per gram to be precise.

Wait! You need to hear this part…

Hey! Before you get mad at us, just hear us out. We’re not here to spoil your good time – we just want you to have an amazing ass.

Nobody expects you to stick to an uber clean diet from this day forward forever. That’s not how the professionals do things anyway…

Fitness model and personal trainer Paige Hathaway (who’s a real glute growing queen) splits her diet into the 80-20 method.

So if it’s good enough for Paige, it’s definitely good enough for you and your new butt. Us too in-fact.

We’d go crazy without our Sunday icecream so we love this eating style. We can stay focused for a huge majority of the time knowing we can soon reward ourselves with a treat.

Play nice 80% of the time, and for the other 20% get down and dirty. That’s how we roll, girl!

Also, by including the deadlift into a routine, the whole workout becomes much more efficient. Why spend extra hours trying to target individual muscles when you can just pick up a heavy ass bar?

The three major muscle groups hit by the deadlift are those found in the hip, lower back and knees. These include the quadriceps, the hamstrings and of course the gluteus maximus. The large group of muscles that make up the butt.

Additionally, the movement also calls upon team of supporting muscles found in the core, shoulders and remaining back. Making it the “go-to” lift for functional fitness and increasing overall strength.

Add a fat burner into the mix and you’ll be well on your way to a trimmed figure!

Bend The Bar For A Bigger Butt

For us though, we’re all about the fact that the deadlift targets the entire backside. As the knee joint extends, the glutes and hamstrings contract. Creating tiny micro-tears in the muscle tissue, that with proper recovery will repair and grow.

Achieving noticeable gains relies on lifting enough weight to genuinely challenge the muscle. Simply put; the bigger the bar-bend, the bigger the butt. A load that we can move for 6-12 reps is the optimal amount.

Too little weight and we won’t be pushing our body to it’s true potential. Too much and we’ll over work the muscle, risking injury. If in doubt, play it safe with a lower load or hire a personal trainer.

The commonly agreed effective number of sets is no more than a max of 6. It’s all about finding the sweet spot between the number of reps and sets that works for you.

Once you’ve found your magic formula, try deadlifting once or twice a week. Due to the stress they put on the body and the CNS, any more frequency runs the risk of serious DOMS. Don’t say we didn’t warn you, girl.

Let’s do this! – How To Deadlift

If you’ve never deadlifted before the whole thing can seem a little daunting. So, we’re going to break things down and make them nice and easy. Just make sure to grab a pair of flat training shoes and a pumping playlist before you start.

The Hip Hinge

First, it’s all in the hips. The hip hinge is the ultimate way of realizing the power stored in your hips. Mastering this movement will also ensure you can keep good form whilst lifting and increase your overall mobility.

The hip hinge is the fundamental movement of the deadlift. Therefore, without being efficient in the hinge first, our form will suffer. Meaning you should probably spend some time here if you want to move some butt boosting lbs.

How to practice the hip hinge:

• Place your back flat against a wall.
• Take a small step inwards towards the centre of the room.
• Keep feet shoulder width apart, brace core, and hinge the hips back so your butt taps the wall behind you.
• You should be able to feel the hips hinge comfortably without any additional bend in the knees.
• Return to start position with core still braced under full control.

If you’re not sure about your posture, place a light PVC pipe down the length of the spine. It might feel strange first time, but you’ll fix that form in an instant.

The Conventional Deadlift

The conventional deadlift is both simple and effective in it’s design, yet requires a bunch of micro-movements in order to be carried out safely. Make sure to pay attention to your form all the way through the lift.

Warm Up

Before heading into any heavy lifts, get loose and prepared with a few warm up sets. Start with an empty bar and slowly increase the weight ’till it gets though for 6-12 reps. This will be your working load.

If you find you lack the hip mobility to perform a hip hinge safely whilst grabbing the bar, don’t fret. Simply raise your starting position by stacking extra plates under the bar. This way you won’t have to hinge as far to safely grip the load.

Lift!

• Stand with your feet underneath the bar, so the barbell crosses above your shoelaces.Tip: Don’t move the bar to you, position yourself at the bar instead.
• Hinge the hips backwards and lean over to grab the bar. Your grip should be a little wider than your legs without touching them. Your legs should still be straight.
• Move hips down into position, maintaining a flat back at all times. Tip: To ensure you keep a flat back squeeze your lats together and chest out upwards.
• Brace the weight of the bar, creating tension throughout the body. (You may hear the plates and bar “clink” together, this is good)
• Now, hinge the hips forward and lift the weight directly upright. Squeeze the glutes whilst you pull the weight, and be sure not to over-extend the spine at the top.
• Lower safely back to starting position and become a total badass!

When lifting, try to drive through the mid-foot and the heels. This will help you maintain a neutral spine without leaning forward. If you start to lean forwards, the weight will move away from the body. Making the lift harder and raising the risk of injury.

Variations

Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift

If you can’t seem to find a bar you can always grab a kettlebell. Most gyms have them in their arsenal, as they’re super diverse.

The kettlebell deadlift is fundamentally the same as that of a barbell. However, when picking up a KB the load should start between the feet. It’s compact shape means it doesn’t need to be in-front like a bar.

Remember to keep the back flat and pressure in the mid-foot and heels. Just like with a regular deadlift, your chest should also be pushed proud and core engaged.

Landmine Deadlift

The landmine deadlift is a variation that’ll seriously target the glutes. Plus, it’s a safe and easy alternative for the ladies struggling with their form.This is because, unlike with a barbell, you can safely lean forward into the lift.

Powering  through the toes in this motion actually targets the glutes better than a standard deadlift. So, if you’re after the ultimate butt builder, give this variation a try.

The Four Final Tips

• Don’t ditch the squats just because you’re now deadlifting. They’re still an awesome exercise for building the glutes. Plus, by box squatting regularly you’ll be helping to strengthen your posterior chain. Something that’ll actually improve your deadlift.
• Do ditch the bulky training sneakers. Yeah, seriously, get those things outta here girl. Whilst they might look cool and provide comfort, they’ll make your lift suck. You’ll lose power from the floor and they’ll totally throw off your alignment. Grab a fresh pair of Chuck Taylors or go bare foot instead.
• Don’t overdo it. Trust us, the DOMS just aren’t worth it. What’s the point of building a great bum if you never want to get off the couch? Consistency is key in any and all fitness results, so take a steady approach.
• Do have fun! Set up a real feel good motivational playlist and head into the gym fired up. There’s nothing more empowering than lifting heavy weights, especially when you can put the guys to shame. Plus, science says listening to the music we like can actually boost our lifts.

Happy lifting ladies! And remember to check out our best supplements for torching that extra body fat.

There’s no denying that a great ass drives the guys wild. Slipping into your best pair of skinny jeans and shaking that hourglass silhouette down the sidewalk is sure to get you some attention.

And rightly so.

You deserve it cos that a$$ is poppin’.

If you’re looking for a simple but effective booty builder workout you can do in the comfort of your own home without weights we’ve got just the thing for you girl.

Let fire up those glutes and build some sexy buns…

Booty basics – What you need to know to build that butt

If you’ve landed on this article, you’re wanting to build a curvy ass and boost your sex appeal. Either that or you want to enhance your athleticism and power for your sport.

No matter what your goal is you’re in the right place.

Your booty muscles are involved in running, jumping, squatting, swimming – pretty much every movement you can think of. If you want to be a champion athlete you need to train them the right way to get the right results.

And if you want to be a downright sexy diva you need to get your booty pump on.

Different glute muscles you need to target for that luscious booty

What you might not know is that your glutes are made up of different muscles, each with their own roles and responsibilities.

Gluteus maximus – This Roman superhero-sounding muscle is the biggest one in your body. This muscle is involved in movement where you extend your leg behind you – like when you run or do a reverse ninja kick. It’s also involved in clenching your butt cheeks together too.

Gluteus medius – Although it’s only a tiny muscle, your medius helps maintain pelvic position when you lift your leg from the floor. Located at the side of your hip (to the outside of your pants pocket), it works when you bring your legs out to the side of your body, like when you do the splits or take a sideways step.

Gluteus minimus – The smallest of the three, your glute minimus lives just below your medius and supports it during sideways movements and hip stability.

Hit all muscles to boost results

To really make the best progress possible with your booty program you’ll need to add in exercises that mirror the natural movements of three of these muscles.

If you neglect one of these you’ll find that booty just wont be poppin’ like it should be.

Here are the key movements for you to follow in your home workout program

• Squats
• Lunges
• Hip hinges

Vary your rep range to grow that butt

Okay, so now you know that you need to hit your booty from different angles to really make it grow.

Now, your glutes have a mixture of different muscle fibers, each with their own strength and endurance potential.

Although this differs by person and genetics, science gives us a rough idea of how your butt is composed:

• 75% endurance fibers – Your glutes are made up of mostly ‘slow twitch’ muscle fibers. This means it responds to higher rep, lower weight workouts. Perfect for body weight home workout programming.
• 25% strength fibers – You’ll also benefit from adding in some more challenging, power-based movements to hit those ‘fast twitch’ fibers too. Although these don’t need to make up too much of your program.

If you limit your workouts to one kind of rep range or exercise difficulty you’ll really miss out.

But using a home workout plan that uses different exercises, a variety of rep ranges and some different challenges really does bring that ass up and fill out those summer pants.

Why work that booty?

It’s nice to make the men salivate with those juicy buns as you give it the catwalk model strut down the sidewalk.

Men are hardwired to find a curvy booty attractive. It signals the deep part of their (their often small and simple) brains that you’re fertile and ready to make them some babies.

But there are far more empowering reasons why you’ll benefit from training your booty using a home based workout.

• Reduced risk of knee and hip injuries
• Improved speed and power in the legs
• Better posture
• Reduced mechanical back pain
• Lean physique – lower body training burns loads of calories
• More confidence

Booty Building Home Workout

You’ve got two options with this home workout.

Cardio booty building and fat shredding

Aim to keep rest times below exercises super low. Even go from one exercise to the next without any rest at all if you can.

Complete 15-20 reps of each exercise and take a 2-3 minute rest once you’ve completed every exercise in the circuit.

Grab a drink, catch your breath and complete each circuit from start to finish again.

In the second circuit perform 12-15 reps. In the third, aim for 10-12. This not only varies the rep range but accounts for fatigue too.

Aim for a total of 3 circuits.

Combine your workouts with a fat burner to seriously blitz those calories and power through your circuits.

Irresistibly strong curves

To build some curvy muscle lets boost the tension through the muscle. Slowing things down and counting 2 seconds to lower your body and 2 seconds to lift it in each exercise will place a much larger mechanical stimulus through your muscle fibers.

Aim for a 8-15 reps for each exercise. If you get tired you can drop the reps down to 6-10.

Still complete a total of 3 circuits but rest a good 1-2 minutes in between each exercise and between sets.

The result?

Bootyful curves and shapes to womanly you’ll be the talk of the town.

The workout

#1. Jump squats

• Start with your feet at shoulder-width apart.
• Place your hands in front of your body as you squat down.
• At the bottom of the squat, bring your hands behind your hips and powerfully push through the floor.
• As you move upward, drive your arms forward above your head and aim to move both feet from the floor.
• As you land, absorb the impact through your joints by immediately moving into the next squat. Aim for speed and power!

#2. Lateral lunge

• Start with your feet placed wider than shoulder-width and your feet facing forwards.
• Keeping your chest tall and your hands on your hips, lean to one side.
• Bend the knee at the side you are leaning to, but keep the opposite side straight.
• To return to the start position, push through the heel of the bent leg.

#3. Reverse lunge

• Begin by standing up tall with your feet at around hip width apart and your hands on your hips.
• Take a long stride back, keeping your ankles, knees and hips in line.
• Your chest should remain tall as you place your rear foot on the ground behind you. Aim to keep the weight through the heel of the front foot but on the ball of the back foot as you bend into a deep lunge.
• Drive through the floor using your front foot, and as you straighten your knees, bring the rear foot forward to the start position.

#4. Single leg hip thrust

• Begin by lying on the floor, feet flat and at hip-width apart and your hands in contact with the floor for support.
• Lift one leg from the floor and push through your heel to lift your hips. Aim to use your booty to initiate the lift and get a real good squeeze at the top of the movement.
• Lower down under control, change legs and repeat.

#5. Frog pump

• Lie on the floor and place the underside of your feet together. Your knees should be bent.
• Push your feet together to build tension in your glutes and push your hips from the floor.
• At the top of the movement really contract your booty.
• Lower yourself down under control and repeat for all of the designated reps.

#8. Squat to side kick

• Begin in a squat position with your feet at shoulder-width apart.
• Squat down with your arms in front of your body as a counterbalance.
• As you return to the start position and straighten your legs, use your glutes to push one leg out to the side.
• The idea is to keep your chest and head facing forwards, with the focus on the booty doing the work.
• On your next squat, change sides and repeat the movement.

Follow these exercises to grow your booty at home and make unreal glute gains! Don’t forget to check out our list of top fat burners to really boost your workouts.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting a bigger booty, and who wouldn’t? The only issue is, if you’re short on time, it might feel like a daunting task to build a bigger booty quickly.

However, there’s a handful of exercises you can do, that have been tried and tested to work time-and-time again to get you the best butt of your life!

In this article, we’ll run through the best exercise you can do to build a bigger butt in the shortest space of time.

We’ve also included a workout plan at the end of this article to help you on your quest, so you’re no longer asking ‘How to get a big and round booty quick?’ Here, we’ve go your answers!

Benefits of Building a Bigger Booty

If you think building a bigger booty is only for looks, think again ladies! It will help to not only boost your confidence, but it will also help your posture, strength, and if combined with the correct diet, building a bigger booty will help you lose weight.

The type of exercise needed to build a bigger booty also work your entire core, lower body, and in some cases, your upper body too – making it an all round workout.

• Become stronger – Build muscles in your legs, hamstrings and glutes for overall body strength.
• Build core stability – Work your abs and core as you work through these important booty builders.
• Boost endurance – This workout will test your endurance, and leave you feeling fitter, and stronger.
• Lose weight – Combine this workout with the correct diet, and you’ll also lose weight.

As you can see, it’s not only going to help you feel great, but, building a bigger booty will also help your overall health, and confidence.

Exercises to Build a Bigger Butt Fast!

1. Squat

Probably the most common butt builder, the squat. The squat works the entire lower body, including your core muscles.

By adding squats into this workout for a bigger butt, you’ll grow your booty in no time. It will also give your core muscles a good workout.

2. Lunges

Another great booty builder are lunges. Just like the squat, they work your entire lower body, including your stabilizing muscles.

The lunges work to directly target your glutes, so prepare to feel the burn in your booty with this exercise.

3. Kickbacks

Unlike lunges, and the squat, the kickback is an isolation exercise. It works to focus directly on your glutes, allowing you to put all of your attention on your booty muscles.

Using a lighter weight, and more focus on the muscle, you’ll be able to really pump up your glutes with this exercise.

4. Sumo Squat

Sister of the squat – the sumo sqaut works your quads, hamstrings, and your outer glutes, helping to give you that rounded and firm look all over your booty.

Slightly awkward to perform than the regular squat, but it’s definitely not one to miss out on.

5. Stair Master/Stairs (long strides)

Skip the elevator and take the stairs. The stair master, or the stairs in your building will help you build a bigger butt quicker than you can say “build my booty now.”

By taking long strides, either on the stairs, or on a stair master in your local gym, you’ll work not only your glutes, but also you hamstrings at the same time.

Workout Plan to Build a Bigger Booty

You’ll need to work your booty hard to get your butt into shape with our ‘quick booty workout.’

It will take hard work, and dedication, but afterwards, you’re ass will be firmer, rounder, and looking great.

Each day, you’ll perform 1 exercise, for a total of 20 minutes. It works like this: You’ll perform the exercise for 1 minute on, then rest for 1 minute.

Effectively, it’s the same structure as a HIIT workout, but, the only difference is, you’ll be blasting your butt instead.

Lifting Tempo:

The lifting tempo is important in this workout, as you’ll be working for 1 minute straight, then resting for 1 minute, repeating for a total of 20 minutes – so your form and tempo needs to be perfect.

Below is an example of a lifting tempo that you’ll need to follow for each exercise to get the most out of this workout.

Lifting Tempo Example:

• Squat down for a total of 3 seconds (at this point you should reach the bottom of the squat).
• Squat upwards for a total of 3 seconds (on the 3rd second, you should reach the standing position).

TIP: Each exercise has a different lifting tempo. See the exercises below for the correct tempo to get the best results.

Plan Overview:

You’ll need to workout 5 days a week with 2 rest days which are shown below on this quick booty plan.

You can adapt this workout to suite your goals, changing your rest days, and your workout days to better fit your weekly schedule.

To get the best results, repeat this program until you’re happy with the results. If you can, add weight the the exercises, this will only build your booty quicker.

If you do this workout properly, and push yourself in every working set, the quicker you’ll see results.

The Workout:

Perform each exercise for 1 min, then rest for 1 min. Repeat this for a total fo 20 minutes. See each exercise below for the correct lifting tempo to build your booty.

• Monday – Squats 3 – 3 tempo 20 minutes.
• Tuesday – Lunges 3 – 2 tempo 20 minutes.
• Wednesday – rest day
• Thursday – Kickbacks 2 – 3 tempo 20 minutes.
• Friday – Sumo Squats 3 – 3 tempo 20 minutes.
• Saturday – Stair-master long and slow strides for 20 minutes no-stop.
• Sunday – rest day

Conclusion to Getting a Bigger Butt

There you have it ladies, a complete guide to getting a great looking booty, all you need to do now is get to work and start exercising.

By following our steps the best you can, and staying consistent, you’ll start to see the results you want.

Go out there girls and start working on those butts!

However, we’ve got good news for you, we’ve put together a quick and easy step-by-step guide to help you lift your buttocks in the fastest way!

Here we’ll run through all of the exercises you’ll need to lift, and shape your buttocks in no time.

Don’t forget to read through the whole article, at the end, we’ve added in a Buttock Lifting Workout just for you!

Exercises To Lift Your Buttocks

1. Sumo Squats

The sumo squat is a highly underrated exercise that many women don’t even know about. It works the outside of the gluts, along with your thighs, and quads, giving you that shapely toned, and firm butt that you’re after.

It’s like a standard squat, however, with the sumo squat you need to open your stance slightly wider, and open your toes to point outwards. This ladies, is the sumo squat – prepare yourself for a firm booty with this exercise.

2. Weighted Lunges

There’s one reason why the basic exercises are used over and over again, and that’s because they work. Lunges work your entire lower body, including your core muscles to help tone and shape your butt, and also your waist.

Start off by holding two dumbbells in either hand, then take one step in front of the other, then kneel down, repeating the whole movement one foot after the other.

It might be useful to find an open space to do this exercise, so you can walk from one end of the gym to the other. However, don’t worry, you can still do this exercise standing in one spot, just switch feet each time you lunge.

Top Tip: Don’t lean forward when doing the lunge, instead, go directly down into a kneeling position once you’ve stepped forward, without letting your knee hit the floor (to protect your knee). This will give you more control over the entire movement.

3. Cable Pull Through

If you really want to target your butt, and make it perky, using cable pull throughs will isolate your ass like no other exercise. The difference between this exercise and the first two is; you can use a lighter weight and focus all of your attention on building a firm, and round buttock.

Start off by holding a rope, which is attached to the cable machine between your legs, and with your back against the machine. Then, take a few steps forward – this is your starting position.

From there, slowly allow the weight attached to the cable to pull your upper torso forward, and downwards, much like a deadlift. But this time, you’ll be able to stretch your hamstrings and glutes more efficiently.

Once you’ve fully stretched your glutes, squeeze your butt and bring your torso into an upright position, making sure to focus all of your attention on your buttocks and hamstrings throughout the whole movement.

4. Kickbacks

The kickbacks are great for not only your glutes, but they’re also a great exercise for core stability. Kickbacks target the upper part of your buttocks, really helping you to achieve that firm lifted ass.

Start by kneeling down and placing your hands on the ground. Then, kick one leg back as far as you can, while pausing, and squeezing your butt at the top of the movement.

Repeat his movement for each leg, working one side at a time in a series of sets. If you want to make this exercise harder, place a dumbbell in the back of your knee, adding extra weight to your leg while you perform the kickback.

Booty Lifting Workout

Follow these simple steps to get the most out of your buttock lifting workout:

• Warm up for 5 minutes – either using dynamic movements, or on the running machine.
• Perform a lighter warm up set before the beginning of each exercise to prevent injury.
• Drink water to keep you energizad throughout the workout.
• Seek profesional advice before doing any exercise, or workout you aren’t sure of.
• Follow this routine for 3 days a week for 2 weeks for the best results.

Most importantly girls, have fun with this workout, you’ll see results in not time!