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While some people can easily overlook exercises for the butt, others are out there wondering which are the best and most effective exercises for these muscles.
Today, we spend most of our time sitting in front of a computer or on a couch. Sitting for an extended period weakens the glutes and tightens your hip flexors.
The effects of sitting can hurt your posture and result in back issues. Therefore, we need to get those glutes working to benefit our whole body.
Strong glutes assist us in our everyday activities like climbing stairs or squatting to choose something besides looking great and attractive. These muscles are vital in sports activities.
Strong glutes will power your involvement in any sport, like biking and particularly in jumping sports such as football, beach ball, soccer, basketball.
The butt is mainly made up of three main muscles which are; the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is power-producing muscles, while the smaller muscles help with stability All these muscles work collectively to ensure proper and well-coordinated movement of your legs.
Since all these muscles are connected to the hip, the legs, and the lower back, strengthening glutes can greatly aid in strengthening the back. This explains why most exercises for the butt mainly target the glutes.
The Best Exercises for Butt
Butt exercises help in the development of stronger glute muscles. Of course, everybody thinking of working on their butt, they must wonder which are the best exercises to engage themselves in so that to ensure that their butt is kept well and fit.
You can perform butt exercises at home or in the gym using various equipment. You don’t need complex equipment to workout from home; therefore, you have no excuse not to build a nice butt.
Before we get into the exercises, you must note that butt workouts should target the entire glutes muscles. The following are the best exercises that will ensure that you develop your glute in the best way possible
Glute exercises using bands
Glute bands help in isolation and activation of glute muscles. The role of resistant bands is to stimulate your butt, legs, and hips complex to give your glutes the physique you want so bad.
These bands come in various sizes and resistance levels. Here are the top exercises butt exercises to do using bands.
1. Hip thrusts
Hip thrusts are one of the best exercises for your butt. Many workout gurus swear on these exercises, and you should consider adding them to your schedule. To perform hip thrusts using resistant bands, lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent.
Wear the band between your legs and position it above your knees. Once the band is in position, drive your heels into the ground then raise your hips to the furthest height possible. Exhale as you raise your hips and inhale when lowering your hips back to the starting position.
Repeat this movement for twelve to fifteen reps. You should feel a nice burn in your booty after your reps.
Hip thrusts work on all your glute muscles and the hamstrings.
2. Clamshells
To perform the clamshells, start by wearing a light glute band around your legs and place it slightly above your knees. Lie on one side, stack your hips, bend your knees, and put your feet together. Don’t tuck your butt.
Lift your top knee while keeping your feet together. Remember to exhale while when lifting your knee. Return your knee to the starting position while inhaling. Perform around fifteen reps, then switch sides and repeat the same process.
3. Standing kickbacks
Other butt exercises you can perform using bands are the standing kickbacks. To do these workouts, begin by placing a band around your ankles.
Transfer your weight to your right foot then position your left foot toes about an inch behind the right foot. This positioning should create tension in the band.
Kick your left foot back around six inches while exhaling. Do not arch your back and maintain a straight position in your knees. Inhale while returning your left foot to the starting position.
Perform ten to twelve reps then switch your feet. These exercises target your hamstrings and all your glute muscles. The muscles targeted by clamshells are the gluteus medius and minimus.
4. Lateral stepping
To do lateral steps, place a resistant band slightly above your ankles and stand with your feet positioned at roughly hip-width. One foot should be in front of the other. Drive your weight through your heels then move your right foot laterally to create tension in the band.
Move your left foot slightly to the right while keeping the band tight. Do the right-side movement for about five steps. After the five steps, move to your left to resume your starting position. Repeat this exercise three times.
Lateral steps focus on your gluteus minimus and medius.
Top butt exercises using equipment
We cannot look at booty exercises and skip those you can do using any equipment.
5.Squats
These are most people’s favorite butt exercises. Squats fire your muscle fibers within the glutes. They also hit your hips, thighs, and the entire calves. You should make them a part of your daily routine. Just in case if squats are hurting your knees, you try the alternatives.
While squatting, you should stand with your feet leaving a distance of about hip-width. To increase the intensity of your exercise, you can hold weights at your sides or shoulder levels. You should then bend the knees as you lower into the squat.
Always maintain the knees behind your toes. Go down till you press the heel then stand up. Repeat this for about two or three times in a set of between eight and sixteen reps.
6. The kettlebell swings
If you want an intense hip extension exercise, then you should do kettle swings. It’s critical that you perform these exercises correctly to get the full benefits.
You need to push your hips and butt backward then, move forward and tightly squeeze your glutes at the top of each rep.
The powerful and sudden movements of kettlebell swings target your hip flexors and strengthen your glutes. Once you get your form right, you can use a heavier kettlebell to increase your exercise’s load.
7. Goblet squats
The good old squats will always be good for your butt. There are various alterations to the traditional squats that you can perform to build a nice and toned butt. Goblet squats are one of the alternative squats’ exercises.
Standing with your feet at shoulder-width apart, hold a kettlebell in front of your chest. Take a deep breath, bend your knees then push your hips back to lower your body into a squat.
Aim to lower your hips to your knees position and refrain from tucking your tailbone. Tucking your tailbone could make you bend your back, which could, in turn, cause back pain.
To go back to your starting position, exhale while driving your weight through your heels. Repeat these exercises for twelve reps before taking a break. You will feel the effects of goblet squats in your hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteus maximum.
8. Bulgarian split squat
Our last but definitely not our least favorite butt exercises are the Bulgarian split squats. These exercises are excellent glute isolation exercises as they focus on the different glutes one at a time.
You need a bench and a weight to perform this exercise. Place the rear foot on the bench, and the other one supports you on the ground. Bend your knees while ensuring the knee of your foot that’s vertical to the ground doesn’t travel past your foot.
When you stand, ensure you squeeze your glutes to activate them. Repeat this exercise for about twelve reps before switching sides.
Top exercises for butt using bodyweight
You don’t need equipment to perform booty workouts. Here are our favorite booty exercises to perform using your body weight.
9. Frog pumps
To do frog pumps, begin by lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. Raise your hips so that they form a bridge position while maintaining a neutral spine.
Make sure you tuck your chin is tucked into your chest. Tucking your chin keeps you from looking up when doing frog pumps. Let your elbows push into the ground.
Allow the bottom of your feet to press together then, position your heels close to your butt. Once you are in position, exhale while lifting your hips and inhale when lowering them back to the ground.
Repeat these exercises for fifteen reps before taking a break. All your glute muscles get activated with frog pumps.
10. Single-leg hip thrust
Remember, we said hip thrusts should be your best friend when you want a nice butt. Well, lacking a band doesn’t mean you skip on these exercises. To do single-leg hip thrusts, start by lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor, and your knees bent.
Raise your hips to a bridge position. Once your hips are in place, lift one leg above the ground and, extend the leg in front of you. Ensure you maintain your pelvis level while extending your leg.
When performing single-leg hip thrusts, drive the heel of the leg that’s not raised into the ground while you raise your hips. Exhale as you lift your hips and leg, then inhale when lowering them. Do around ten to fifteen reps before switching the legs.
All the glute muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings become activated through single-leg hip thrusts.
11.Walking Lunges
Lunges are essential butt exercises. To perform a lunge is easy. You begin by stepping forward with one foot and lowering the other foot into a lunge. Lower your foot so that its knee is just above the ground. Maintain a straight back while performing this exercise.
Push your weight through your heels to reduce stress on your knees. To switch your feet, push through the foot that’s forward to stand in a single-leg stance. Move the foot that was in a lunge forward and lower the other leg. Keep alternating your feet for about twenty reps.
The muscles activated by walking lunges are hamstrings, gluteus maximus, and quadriceps.
12.Bridges
With bridges, you should lie on your back on the floor with the knees bend. Ensure that both feet are on the floor leaving a distance of about your hip-width apart.
Slowly lift your spine from the floor starting from the bottom working towards the head. Ensure that you tighten the hamstrings and glutes. Lift the body until a diagonal line is formed between the knees and shoulders.
Return to your original position slowly. You can also try bridges on a stability ball. Keep your head, and the shoulders balanced on the ball, lift your hips up to the same level as your shoulders. Lower the hips slightly. Repeat the process several times.
13.Hip/leg extensions
These types of exercises stretch your butt by reaching the leg behind your body. In this way, you work the glutes. There are different ways through which you can work on your glute through these exercises.
You can do them on a stability ball while standing or while lying by your sides. Hip extensions target the butt in quite a specific manner. When added to other exercises I just listed above; you get better development in your glute muscles.
How can exercises for butt benefit you most?
When you resolve to exercise your butt vigorously, there are a number of factors that can ensure that you get the most out of your efforts. Though it calls for determination and commitment, you must look at the following tips to maximize the output of your efforts.
They are like simple rules that keep you in check no matter what butt workout plan you opt for. They are factors that not only apply to your butt exercises but also to your weight loss program if any. These are;
- Always have clearly set goals
- Stay focused on ensuring that you are always surrounded by positive people
- Be consistent always
- Work the opposing muscles
We hope you incorporate these top exercises for the butt in your next workout and get that booty that you want.
