Glute Boot Camp: The 5 Exercises You Need to Be Doing for a Stronger Butt
There’s a lot of buzz about glutes these days, with some of the top search keywords on Google being “Ozempic Butt” and “Dead Butt Syndrome.” With so many people losing weight on GLP‑1 medications, it’s no surprise. A common side effect of rapid weight loss is losing muscle along with fat, which means plenty of people reach their goal weight only to realize their butt disappeared in the process.
If you’re looking for ways to rebuild or grow your backside, this post is for you. I’m breaking down the five most effective glute‑building exercises and calling out one super‑popular move that people swear is a butt‑builder…but doesn’t actually grow your glutes at all.
To keep things accessible, I’m focusing on bodyweight versions and showing you how to use tempo to make them far more effective. One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that bodyweight exercises can’t build muscle. That’s not necessarily true.
Cheat Code: Time Under Tension
Time under tension is the secret weapon that makes bodyweight movements almost as effective as weighted ones. People don’t often think about the tempo they perform and exercise with, but they should!
Slowing down the eccentric (the lowering phase), pausing at the bottom, and controlling the entire range of motion will light your glutes up in a way fast reps never will. Keep that in mind as you practice these movements.
The takeaway: Quality reps > fast reps.
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Movements That Matter
There are countless exercises out there, but the most effective glute‑builders are variations of these five foundational patterns:
Glute Bridges
Hip Thrusts
Squats
Lunges
Hip Hinge
See the descriptions and watch the videos for these moves, and you’ll get a pretty good idea what I’m talking about.
Going through several sets of these exercises several times a week can make a big difference in your gains. There are a few fun ways to try these:
EMOM sets: EMOM is an acronym for Every Minute On the Minute. Try doing 6-10 reps every minute and then use the rest of the minute as a rest period. Cycle through the five movements two to three times through and then throw on a finisher (like a 2-minute wall squat).
Weighted sets of 10: Do a 10-rep max and then give yourself 90-120 seconds’ rest before going to the next set. Try 2-3 sets of each exercise for a massive leg day!
Circuit Training: Use alternating work and rest periods to get a wicked burn. Aim for 40-45 seconds of work and 15-20 seconds of transition between exercises. After each round of five, give yourself a one-minute break.
Tip: If you're looking to level up your home gym or workout area, check out this blog post for ideas: https://www.omnifunction.us/blog/home-workout-must-haves
Glute Bridges
Bridges are great, but these bridges are a great way to target one side at a time. Unilateral movements like this allow your body to address muscle imbalances and can help build real-world stability that can help you max out on muscle-builders like squats and deadlifts. They are a progression on a standard two-legged bridge, which you can always use if this version doesn’t work for your body.
Instructions:
Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Be sure your feet are not too close to your body (you should not be able to touch your feet with your hands). Extend one of your feet a little further away from your body. This is your B-Stance.
Raise your hips off the ground. Focus on tucking your tailbone and letting your back come up one backbone at a time.
Lower down, letting your tailbone come down last.
Repeat for reps or time.
Hip Thrusts
This exercise is a shoulder‑elevated version of the bridge that gives you more range of motion—and more growth potential. From B‑stance to single‑leg to weighted and machine‑based, there’s always a way to level up your hip thrusts. Start by learning bodyweight hip thrusts and then move on to weighted ones. Your new, stronger butt will thank you!
This is a glute-blasting must-have. You can progress it to other versions (see the recommended video at the end for a simple progression).
Instructions:
Sit with your upper back against a secure weight bench or piece of furniture. It should hit you just below the shoulder blades. If you are using dumbbells, place them at your hip crease.
Press evenly through your feet into the floor and lift your backside away from the ground. You can do this single-legged by keeping one leg raised while you do this.
Return to the starting position.
Repeat for reps or hold for time.
Squats
Even though squats are often labeled as a “leg” exercise, your glutes are major players here. Especially when you add a circle band at the knees to recruit the glute medius a bit more! And with all the squat variations and tempo tweaks available, you can keep this movement fresh and challenging.
Start out with bodyweight and then progress to weighted squats and leg presses.
Instructions:
Place the band around your legs just above the knees. Stand with your feet hip-to-shoulder-width apart.
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.
Descend as close as possible to being parallel with the ground.
Come back up.
Tip: Use a Slingshot Hip Circle (a durable cloth and elastic band that will help you level up your glute game).
Lunges
Any movement where the hip does work involves the glutes. Lunges also improve balance and stability—two things that become increasingly important in midlife. Forward, reverse, lateral, transverse, step‑ups… you’ll never run out of options.
If you’re new to lunges, try them bodyweight. At the end of the video below, you’ll see a progressed version with weight for when you’re ready.
Instructions:
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.
Bend both knees deeply and keep your body upright as you drop into the lunge.
Return to the starting position. You can alternate between sides or perform all the reps on the same side, then switch sides.
Hip Hinges
Think Good Mornings, Romanian Deadlifts, Single‑Leg RDLs, back extensions, hip extensions, and kettlebell swings. Even bodyweight hinge variations can build serious muscle when done with intention.
If you are new to these, start with the bodyweight version below. See the end of the video for a version with weights.
Instructions:
1) Stand on one leg and keep your knee unlocked.
2) Brace the abs and inhale as you hinge at the hips and let your leg float behind you.
3) Exhale and return to the starting position. Try to squeeze your but at the top of the movement.
Popular, But Not a Great Muscle Builder
Ok, here’s where I stir the pot about hip abduction exercises, namely banded lateral walks and clamshells: they’re not bad exercises, but they’re not the glute‑builders people think they are.
Do they strengthen glutes? Yes. Do they build a lot of muscle? No. These moves are highly isolated and usually performed with very light resistance, which means it’s tough to create enough tension to truly fatigue the muscle. And because they’re not compound movements—meaning they don’t recruit larger muscle groups—the overall metabolic demand stays low. That lower demand means you’re not getting the kind of stimulus that drives significant muscle growth.
They’re great as warm‑ups, activation drills, or accessories. But if your goal is actually building your backside, the big five movement patterns will always give you far more return on your effort. The only exception to this is hip abduction machines, which can be loaded heavily enough to build muscle.
It’s Time to Work
If you want stronger, rounder, more powerful glutes, these five movement patterns are your foundation. But knowing what to do is only half the battle; having a structured plan that progresses week after week is what actually drives results.
That’s exactly why I created Badass Backside: A Program for Your Posterior.
It’s a 28‑day, follow‑along glute‑building challenge designed to help you:
Build real strength and shape
Master proper form
Use tempo and time under tension effectively
Stay consistent with short, doable workouts
Feel confident and powerful in your body
It’s a program that’s open only four times a year, so be sure you know when the next one starts!
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, join the waitlist for the challenge and let’s build your strongest backside ever.
→ Waitlist for Badass Backside: A Program for Your Posterior