Build a Better Butt Fast: 8 Creative Exercises to Grow Your Glutes
Our culture is in a butt renaissance right now, and for good reason. The mainstreaming of hip-hop and the rise of the Kardashians highlighted a big round butt as a beaty standard for women. The work of Bret Contreras in the 2010s underscored the importance of glute strength in athletic performance, and athletes like the “King of Squats” Nkululeko Zane Dlamini showed us proof in real life.
Since 2020, Google searches for glute exercises have doubled, as everyday people try to cash in on the glute strength goodies. In this blog post, I’ll show some of my favorite exercises, suggest repetition ranges, and give nutrition tips that will help you grow a bigger, stronger butt. Consider this your badass butt blueprint.
Keep scrolling for more. Also, be sure to check out the following blog posts for more butt-related content!
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. By clicking on the affiliate links in this post, not only do you get to find great products at no extra cost, you also support my blog, as I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links.
Sweet Cheeks Are Made of These
Ah, the gluteal muscles—those glorious rear-end engines that not only keep you upright but also help you strut into the gym like you own the damn place. The glutes, as fitness enthusiasts affectionately call them, are made up of three powerhouse muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. And yes, they’re as important as they sound.
Gluteus Maximus
Let’s start with the big boss: the gluteus maximus. This is the largest muscle in your entire body, and its main job is hip extension—think powering through squats, deadlifts, or just getting up off the couch after binge-watching a season of your favorite show. It also assists in external rotation of your hip, which means you can thank it when you gracefully (or not-so-gracefully) pivot and twirl.
Gluteus Medius
Next up, the gluteus medius is like the middle sibling—less flashy but super reliable. It’s responsible for hip abduction (moving your leg away from your body) and stabilizing your pelvis, especially while walking or balancing on one leg. Without this one pulling its weight, you’d be wobbling around like a newborn deer.
Gluteus Minimus
Finally, there’s the gluteus minimus, the shy introvert of the trio. This small muscle also helps with hip abduction and rotation, providing critical support so you don’t feel like your legs are working independently from your torso.
So, whether you’re chasing aesthetic goals (hello, perfectly rounded glutes!) or just want to make your daily movements more efficient, these muscles deserve your attention. Train them wisely, and they might even forgive you for all those hours you spend sitting on them!
Get Ready: Strategy is Everything
Since everyone reading this is starting from a different place, it would be irresponsible to give too many specifics. But it would be lazy of me not to give enough. Here’s what I can tell you.
Deconditioned Lifters: If you haven’t lifted weights in more than a few months, it’s a good idea to start back with higher rep ranges and lower weights. This helps reduce the risk of injury by preparing the tendons and muscles for heavier loads. Think 1-2 sets of 25-20 reps. Be sure to also check out this blog post for deconditioned lifters.
Novice Lifters: If you are new to lifting, get familiar with the form before you go heavy. Consider consulting with a certified fitness professional if possible, or at least have a knowledgeable friend check your form.
Intermediate Lifters: This blog post is written with you in mind. You’ll be getting 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps for most of the exercises in this post.
Advanced Lifters: You may need to add volume to these suggestions. You’ll know what to do here. Honestly, I’m surprised this post isn’t on YOUR blog!
Injuries: Be sure any back, knee, ankle, hip, or other problems are resolved before attempting heavy lifting, and seek modifications and substitutions wherever you need to. Build core strength, improve flexibility, and avoid things that increase pain. Consider meeting with a physical therapist or trainer specializing in the type of injury you are recovering from. If you have back pain, try incorporating some of these exercises in your program.
Get Set: Nutrition Makes all the Difference
This part could be an entire blog post, but I’ll try to keep it short: Eat lots of protein, adequate carbs to fuel your workouts, and don’t overcomplicate things by doing weird diets.
Protein
Protein and its components, amino acids, are the building blocks of muscle, so if you aren’t getting the right amount, you won’t get the results you are looking for. Since this post is about getting bigger glutes quickly, protein is a must-have. Your strategy:
Start Early: Get your protein in early in your day. Start your day with a high protein breakfast like this protein parfait (this is great if you need something that will stick with you better than a shake).
Supplement: It’s hard to have a normal life without adding some sort of protein or amino acid supplement, especially if you are vegan or vegetarian.
These are the protein powders I recommend to most people:
These are the amino acid supplements I like:
BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) include three essential amino acids—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—which are particularly important for muscle growth, reducing soreness, and preventing muscle breakdown. However, they do not provide a full spectrum of amino acids, which means they are great if you already get a lot of protein. Pure Encapsulations BCAA capsules are a great recovery tool for after a workout. If you prefer something you can add to water, try Nutrology BCAAs.
Essential Amino Acids, like Thorne Amino Complex, contain all nine essential amino acids (EAAs), including BCAAs, making them more comprehensive than BCAAs alone. EAAs support muscle repair, strength, energy production, and metabolic function, making them ideal for vegans and vegetarians, athletes, aging individuals, and those recovering from injuries.
Be Sure You Get Enough: Use this protein calculator if you’re curious about how much protein is ideal for your goals. You can also use a protein logging app for several days to check your current intake. Check out this blog post for more about protein.
Carbohydrates
Be sure to get enough slow-digesting carbohydrates (think resistant starches) in your diet. This will give you steady energy to lift more weight and create more muscle damage, which will ultimately lead to faster gains.
Try This: Mix UCAN Energy powder into your pre-workout drink about 30 minutes before you start your workout. You’ll have great energy, and no blood sugar dips because it acts like a time-release energy source, even if you haven’t eaten yet!
Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid that is found in muscle and brain tissue in your body. It helps the body produce energy by supplying a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP for short) that makes muscles contract more strongly during intense physical exercise (it also helps power your heart and brain). When you take creatine, you’ll be able to lift heavier and build more muscle.
How to Choose Creatine: Don’t buy cheap creatine that isn’t as bioavailable or pure as it could be. Not all creatines are the same, and it can be hard to tell because the U.S. supplement industry is unregulated. Instead, look for a brand that uses Creapure® (a patented high-bioavailability form of creatine), like this one from Thorne. FYI, when you buy directly from Thorne through one of the links on this blog, you get free shipping plus a special 15% discount!
Let’s Go!
Are you ready to be a badass with a good ass? Then let’s get to it. These exercises work because they recruit a lot of muscle at once, centering around what’s going on at the hip: think squat, lunge, and hinge movements.
But there are ways to max these exercises out a little more.
Add Hip Abduction
Adding hip abduction targets the Gluteus Medius, which we now know is one of the three glute muscles. Try adding a hip circle to your squats and see how much more your butt burns up!
Use the Transverse Plane
You can add rotation at the hip joint by adding curtsy lunges, internal rotation-biased banded step-ups, or woodchops to your routine. This helps target the glutes in new ways and improves the hip’s ability to internally rotate (great for healthy knees and a healthy back). We typically think of hips as moving forward or backward (sagittal plane) or away from or towards the midline of the body (frontal plane), and it is easy to overlook the rotation that happens in the transverse plane. But now you know what to do!
Dumbbell Goblet Curtsy Lunge
Curtsy lunges are a powerhouse move for strengthening and toning your lower body while improving mobility. Unlike regular lunges, the curtsy variation works your muscles from multiple angles, hitting your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and even the stabilizers in your core. One of the biggest perks? It helps improve internal hip rotation, which is key for functional movement and flexibility.
By stepping diagonally behind you, you're not just challenging your balance—you’re also increasing mobility in your hip joint, reducing injury risk, and boosting overall strength. Whether you're looking to sculpt strong legs or enhance movement efficiency, curtsy lunges are a must-have in any workout routine!
Instructions:
1) Hold the dumbbell in front of you, using the heels of your hands.
2) Imagine you are standing on the face of an old-school clock. Starting on your least dominant side, step your foot back and across your body. For example, if you are stepping back with your left foot, aim for 5 o'clock; if you are stepping back with your right foot, aim for 7 o'clock.
3) Bend both knees deeply and keep your body upright as you drop into the lunge.
4) Return to the starting position. You can alternate between sides or perform all the reps on the same side, then switch sides.
Recommendation for intermediate lifters: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side.
Circle Band Dumbbell or Kettlebell Goblet Squat
Blast your gluteals by adding a circle band or a hip circle to your squats. You'll torch those suckers like it's the fourth of July just by adding a simple band to your squats. People will compliment you on your shoulder blades, to which you'll respond, "thanks, that's actually my butt."
This video highlights squats performed with a circle band around the knees, targeting enhanced gluteus medius activation. Learn how to boost hip stability, strengthen the lower body, and improve overall movement patterns.
This exercise is ideal for activating and engaging the gluteus medius while promoting better squat form and alignment. Perfect for individuals seeking focused lower-body strengthening and improved functional performance.
Instructions:
1) Place the band around your legs just above the knees. Stand with your feet hip-to-shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbells right in front of your shoulder, trying not to rest the weights on your shoulders.
2) Bend your knees and hips and let yourself sit back into a squat. Keep your knees in line with your feet and keep your knees from collapsing inward.
3) Descend as close as possible to being parallel with the ground. Come back up.
Use a heavy-duty circle band like this one for the best glute activation.
Recommendation for intermediate lifters: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side.
Banded IR-Bias Step Up
Doing step-ups this way allows you to improve internal rotation at the hip. Have a friend help you or check out the video for a solo setup.
Instructions:
1) When performing this exercise, you’ll want to ensure your abdominals are engaged the whole time, both while stepping up on the step and lowering yourself down.
2) Place one foot centered on top of the step with the other foot on the ground. The band sits just below the knee and is anchored on the same side of the body as the leg you are about to work. You should feel your leg fighting the band as the band tries to pull your leg out to the side.
3) Stand on one leg by loading your bodyweight over the foot on the step by squeezing your glutes, leaning forward, and pushing through the front leg until you are standing tall on one leg.
4) You can touch the foot on the free leg down on the step, float the foot just behind the step, or bring your free leg's knee up in front of you. Keep your abdominals braced and glutes active to minimize wobbles and maintain balance.
5) Return to the start position by lowering your back foot to the ground, making sure not to step back too far from the step.
6) Once you’ve completed all your reps on one side, repeat them on the other.
Recommendation for intermediate lifters: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side.
Tip: This is the type of rubber circle band that you’ll place just below the knee. Check out this blog post for more ideas: https://www.omnifunction.us/blog/home-workout-must-haves.
Hip Thrusts
These are a powerhouse glute-building exercise when paired with squats and deadlifts. Check out the different variations in this video and choose the right progression for your needs!
Bodyweight or Dumbbell Two-Leg Hip Thrust
This is a great variation to start with as it teaches your body how things should feel and the proper mechanics. Start here.
Instructions:
1) Sit with your upper back against a secure weight bench or piece of furniture. It should hip you just below the shoulder blades. Keep your hands on your hips or give yourself a self-hug to avoid arching your lower back.
2) Tuck your tailbone and press evenly through your feet into the floor and lift your backside off the ground.
3) Return to starting position.
Repeat for reps or time.
Isometric Single-Leg Hip Thrust Hold
What's great about this version is that it is an isometric hold, which targets slow-twitch muscle fiber and helps you build endurance.
Instructions:
1) Sit with your upper back against a secure weight bench or piece of furniture. It should hip you just below the shoulder blades.
2) Press evenly through your feet into the floor and lift your backside off the ground. You can do this single-legged by keeping one leg raised while you do this.
3) Hold for time, then return to starting position.
Repeat for reps or time.
Dumbbell 1-leg Marching Hip Thrust
this is a great progression and a way to go a long way with relatively little weight. Let's say you only have two 10-pound dumbbells at your house. This is a way to really maximize your equipment and get the biggest gains out of what you have to work with.
Instructions:
1) Sit with your upper back against a secure weight bench or piece of furniture. It should hip you just below the shoulder blades.
2) Press evenly through your feet into the floor and lift your backside off the ground. You can do this single-legged by keeping one leg raised while you do this.
3) Lower the hips and return to starting position.
Level 1: Do all reps on the same side and then do the other side.
Level 2: Alternate sides.
Repeat for reps or time.
Recommendation for intermediate lifters: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side or 8-12 two-legged hip thrusts.
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat with a Cross-Body Twist
The DB Bulgarian Split Squat is a unilateral lower-body exercise that builds strength, balance, and mobility. By elevating the back foot on a bench or plyo box, this movement increases the challenge to the front leg, targeting the quadriceps, glutes, and stabilizing muscles.
This goblet-style version moves the center of gravity forward, which involves the core a little bit more than the other variations. It is a great modification for people to avoid carrying heavy weights at the sides (like if you have tennis elbow, for example).
The rotation across the front leg closes the hips and helps you work on internal rotation, which is an often-overlooked thing. This version could be seen as a progression of curtsy lunges.
Instructions:
1) Hold the dumbbells at your side and stand a few feet in front of a bench or plyo box and reach one foot back, resting the top of your foot on the box. You can check your alignment by bending both knees deeply and making sure your back knee is under or slightly behind the hip and the front foot is under the front knee.
2) Bend both knees and imagine trying to get your back knee to touch down on the floor. Get as low as possible.
3) Push through the front foot and return to the top position.
Repeat for reps.
Recommendation for intermediate lifters: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side.
1-Arm DB Lateral Lunge
This exercise takes thing to a whole new level bay only using one arm to load these side lunges. They also help you build forearm strength! If your forearms aren’t very strong yet, you can always use a lifting strap to make a single dumbbell more manageable.
Instructions:
1) Hold a dumbbell at your side with your dominant hand and bring the other arm out to the side, making a fist with your hand. Keep the shoulder blades feeling "active" and sliding down your back.
2) With the leg on the same side as the outstretched arm, take a big step to the side.
3) Bend the knee of the leg you have just planted and shift your hips slightly back. Brace your abs.
4) Return to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
Recommendation for intermediate lifters: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side.
1-Arm DB Transverse Lunge
Like the exercise above, this is a great lunge variation that is often overlooked. Instead of stepping to the side, you open the hips up and use external rotation in the transverse plane. Training in the transverse plane is crucial for balancing muscles and preventing those “random” injuries.
Instructions:
1) Hold a dumbbell at your side with your dominant hand and bring the other arm out to the side, making a fist with your hand. Keep the shoulder blades feeling "active" and sliding down your back.
2) Turn 135 degrees toward the side with the outstretched arm as you pivot and plant that same side foot. Let your body turn from the 12 o'clock position to the 5 or 7 o'clock position (depending on which side you are doing.
3) Bend the knee of the leg you have just planted and shift your hips slightly back. Brace your abs.
4) Return to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
Recommendation for intermediate lifters: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side.
Stabilized Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
This exercise is great for glutes. Activate the entire posterior chain with this great move and enjoy the added stability of a wall. This modification lets you lift heavier weights while giving extra stability and a balance boost. Plus, having to press your foot into a wall or place it on a bench really adds a new vibe to the hinge movement of RDLs. I love this exercise, which is why I saved it for last.
Blast your gluteus muscles with this powerful version of a single-leg Romanian deadlift.
Instructions:
1) Stand in front of a wall, bench, or chair. Pop your foot back and find a place where it feels supported and stable. If you use a bench or chair, press through the top of the foot for balance. If using a wall, press your foot into the wall for balance.
2) Keeping a microbend in your standing knee, brace your abs, hinge at the hips and push them backward. Try not to feel like you are only bending forward (you want to think that you are sending your hips back instead).
3) Return to standing and repeat for reps or time. Do on the other side.
Recommendation for intermediate lifters: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side.
Find workout equipment recommendations here: https://www.omnifunction.us/blog/home-workout-must-haves
Moving Forward
Making progress is the goal of any program, so starting in the right place is very important. If you aren’t sure where to start, reach out to a certified professional for help.
If you already have a grasp on the basics, start playing with volume (how much total weight you lift across all sets and reps), tempo, progressions, and rest periods. There’s so much to be explored, so enjoy your journey to glutes that kick ass.