Glute workouts may once have been the go-to for a Kardashian-style instant butt lift, but now they're now the preferred exercise for women who want to train smarter, not harder.
"The glutes are the engine of the body and hold everything together," says Stephen Pasterino, trainer and founder of P.volve. "They are the largest, strongest muscles in the body and have been strategically placed at the crossroads of the upper body and lower body."
Let us decode that. If you want to tone your legs, tighten your lower stomach and fix your posture it's time to get to the bottom of the problem, which is often weakened glute muscles.
To help you finesse your lower body workout routine, we've rounded up the best bum workouts available online. Whether in the home or gym, with weights or just your bodyweight, good results are guaranteed.
Read on to discover why training your glutes will give you more than just aesthetic benefits, and which moves (other than squats) will help result in a perkier posterior.
Can exercise really make your bum bigger?
Absolutely. "It's possible to 'grow' this area of your body by using your workout to activate and engage particular muscles, which will make your bum stronger, firmer and have a more shapely appearance," says Pasterino.
So, what type of exercise results in a more rounded rear? "Strength training in particular will increase the size of your butt," notes Loui Fazakerley, trainer at Third Space. And there are three main muscles you should be targeting:
- Gluteus maximus
- Gluteus medius
- Gluteus minimus
"The gluteus maximus is the biggest muscle in the bum area, and the one responsible for making your bum 'pop'," explains Jenny Francis, trainer at F45 Islington. "The gluteus medius is smaller and situated higher up and towards the sides of your bum, and is attached to the ligaments in your hip joint. Finally, there's the gluteus minimus, situated underneath the gluteus maximus, which works alongside the gluteus medius to help stabilise the hip."
What are the best workouts for a bigger bum?
Before lift off, it's always wise to brush up on the ground work and identify which moves target each glute.
According to the experts your bum workout should include:
- Gluteus maximus: hip thrusts, deadlifts, squats and donkey kicks
- Gluteus medius: Sideways leg raises and the seated hip abduction machine
- Gluteus minimums: Balancing exercises such as the side bridge/plank
Before you get started, try these two glute activation exercises to prime your rear for action...
Single Leg Glute bridges
Targets: Gluteus maximus
Do: 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps
Side lying clams
Targets: Gluteus medius
Do: 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps
13 best bum workouts to tone your behind
Now onto the fun bit...
At-home bum workout
The unofficial glute-firming queen, Jen Selter, shows you six moves you can do from the comfort of your living room. Be prepared for the burn.
15-minute bum workout
Fitness star Alice Liveing talks you through four lesser-known bum exercises to strengthen your glutes. The trainer covers single leg step-up, sumo deadlifts, single-leg glute bridges and kettlebell swings in this 15-minute workout. All you need is a kettlebell and bench to hand.
Bum workout with equipment
Gunnar Peterson, the trainer behind the bums of Kim Kardashian and Sofia Vergara, reveals his four essential moves for a strong rear. The only equipment you need is a skipping rope and dumbbells.
Bum workout without squats
If you're bored of squatting, don't let that put you off working your glutes. Leandro Carvalho – who created the Brazil Butt Lift workout Kate Hudson swears by – has devised this five-move butt-blitzing circuit without a squat in sight.
Bum workout without squats
Bum workout with weights
Challenge your body a little more by adding some weights. Lyzabeth Lopez, creator of the Hourglass Workout, has revealed the four moves she enlists for stronger glutes and a bigger bum. Try three one-minute sets per move with a 30-second rest after each set. All you need is two dumbbells and a Swiss ball.
Bum workout on a mat
Because sometimes standing up feels just too hard. Ariel Hoffman, the US-based trainer to the stars, has revealed her five-move circuit to isolate the glute muscles for focused sculpting.
Bum workout using bodyweight
This is another glute workout you can do from the comfort of your living room. And, as trainer Zanna van Dijk shows, you don't even need to put on your trainers. Her workout features hip thrust, leg raises, donkey kicks and glute brides. Plus, absolutely zero weights.
Bum workout in the gym
Fitness star and qualified trainer Krissy Cela reveals the seven moves she performs in the gym weights section to truly transform her glutes. Spoiler: they are hip thrusts, sumo deadlifts, stiff legged deadlifts, split squats, glute bridges, walking lunges and abductions.
Resistance band bum workout
California-based fitness model and qualified trainer Heather Robertson demonstrates how to build strong glutes simply using a resistance band in this 15-minute session.
Bum workout in park
Dutch supermodel and Victoria's Secret Angel Romee Strijd proves that you can carve a peachy derrière quite literally anywhere. This workout (which requires just a band) can be done in quarter-of-an-hour at the end of your park run, and includes jump squats, reverse lunges, booty kicks, donkey kicks and fire hydrants.
Pilates inspired bum workout
Pilates instructor Cassey Ho (AKA blogilates) demonstrates five equipment-free moves to try at home that target the 'underbutt'. Exercises targetting the hamstrings – including a walking bridge combo, grasshoppers and hamstring curls – complete the routine.
Abs and bum workout
Sometimes, you want two for the price of one when it comes to your workout Katie Austin, a California-based qualified trailer, targets both the glutes and the core in this speedy session which requires nothing more than a band.
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