5 Compound Glute Exercises That Will Get You Results - AMMFitness (2024)

Compound glute exercises are more effective at targeting the glute muscles and providing you with a better butt than other types of workouts. These exercises do not specifically target one muscle on the body but rather work out multiple muscles in one movement, which is why they are called compound movements. Compound movements are particularly popular in bodybuilding because they allow you to get an effective workout in less time.

Glutes play a key role in so many of our daily movements, it’s important to maintain a strong gluteal muscle. A strong set of glutes will support good posture and make day-to-day activities easier, from walking upstairs to playing with your kids! Although it can be tempting to work this muscle directly during your workout routines, compound glute exercises are superior. Compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts recruit more muscle fiber and break down fat stores more effectively than direct muscles-only workouts.

The 5 most effective compound glute exercises

There are five main compound glute exercises that you should be doing. You can do these all in one day or split them up into different days to give your body time to recover.

1. Deadlift

What is the deadlift? The deadlift is a strength training exercise that involves lifting a weight off the floor to straight legs. It’s one of the most powerful exercises you can do and widely considered one of the best mass-building exercises. Why do people perform deadlifts in their workout routines? There are tons of exercise variations you can use to train your entire body, but many people choose to focus on compound exercises such as the deadlift. Compound exercises target multiple muscle groups, which means you can build more muscle in less time.

To perform the deadlift, stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell or weight plate in front of you. Bend your knees and hips and slowly lower yourself down until your hands reach the floor. Pause and then slowly push yourself back to the starting position.

2. Lunges

Lunges are one of the most common yet severely underused exercises. Lunges are a lower-body quad and glute exercise. The muscles that do all of the work during lunges are your glutes and quadriceps. Lunges help to activate your posterior chain; a term used to describe your pelvic region and buttocks including your hamstrings and all the muscles located at the back of your leg.

To perform a lunge, you will need to find an open space in your home or the gym. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. Step forward with your left foot and lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor and your rear knee is bent 90 degrees. Keep your back straight, and don’t let your front knee go past your toes. Push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat with your right leg.

3. Split squat

The Split Squat is a classic lower body exercise that will hit your quads, glutes and hamstrings. The movement pattern is similar to the traditional squat but the split stance takes away some of the emphasis on the quadriceps, making it a more balanced exercise.

This exercise can be performed with or without weights and can be progressed or regressed by altering the stance width, depth of the squat and the weight of the load. To begin, stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a weight in your left hand. Step your left foot back two feet and lower your body down into a deep squat. Keep your weight in your heels, and make sure to push your hips back and down. Make sure to exhale as you squat down, and inhale as you come back to the starting position. Repeat this movement for 12-15 repetitions, and then switch sides.

4. Step-up

If you are new to step-ups, start with a low height and work your way up. You can also use a weight to make the exercise more challenging. Step-ups can be done with either your right or left leg. Step-up exercises can be done with either your right or left leg. To begin, place your left foot on a sturdy step or bench. Drive your heel into the step, and lift your body upward. Keep your core engaged, and bring your right foot up to join your left. Step back down with your left foot, and then step down with your right.

5. Barbell hip thrust

Barbell hip thrusts are becoming a popular exercise among men and women. Barbell hip thrusts strengthen the gluteus maximus muscles. They differ from squats in the sense that they involve no knee movement. This movement is all about engaging the butt muscles and building strength in this particular area. Some fitness trainers recommend adding weight plates to the barbell to increase the challenge, while others say that this is not necessary.

To do a barbell hip thrust, place a barbell on the floor and lie down on your back with your feet flat on the ground and shoulder-width apart. Place the barbell on your hips and press your feet and hips into the ground to lift the barbell off the floor. Thrust your hips upward until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.

Conclusion

Compound exercises are a great addition to your workouts. They can help build lean muscle, increase strength and improve overall fitness. Compound exercises allow you to perform more repetitions with less effort as well. They require that you use multiple muscles, thus involving them as prime movers in the exercise rather than a stabilizer of others.