15 Best Butt Exercises for Strong Glutes [For Women]

Getting the most out of your butt workout is ideal for those seeking stronger glutes. Women can use a range of exercises to build and tone their butt, from squats to deadlifts. For maximum results, the right routine, effective movements, and diet is essential.

For the 15 best butt exercises for stronger glutes, see below:

The 15 Best Butt Workouts for Strong Glutes

Butt exercises are crucial if you want to strengthen the glutes. Working on glute strength will not only build muscle but tone the area. For a more defined and robust butt, here are 15 of the best exercises to do at home or the gym:

1 – Hip Bridge

The hip bridge movement is a great way to activate your glutes before a butt workout. They are useful for building the gluteus maximus. Use pulses or weight to intensify a hip bridge.

1. Lie down with your back parallel to the floor, knees bent, and feet together within touching distance
2. Ensure your palms and feet stay flat on the floor and lift your hips towards the sky
3. Hold the bridge for a few seconds by squeezing your glutes before returning to the start position

2 – Hip Thrust

Hip thrusts are simply a hip bridge but with different movements in between reps. While in the hip bridge pose, you pulse the hips up to the ceiling to intensify the burn on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius.  

1. Rest your upper back on an exercise bench or chair and prop yourself up with feet flat on the floor
2. With or without weight on your hips, lift your glutes towards the sky and perform thrusting motions
3. Perform ten thrusts before returning to the start and repeat

3 – Single-Leg Bridge

A single-leg bridge is a great way to work on one side of the gluteus muscles at a time. The exercise enhances the movement by making one leg work double the intensity. 

1. Begin lying down with your back and feet flat on the floor, knees bent and hands by your side
2. Lift your left leg to an upright position and follow by lifting your hips to a bridge pose
3. Hold the left leg and hips up for a few seconds, return to the floor and repeat on the right side

4 – Donkey Kicks

Donkey kicks are effective for toning and stability. The exercise targets the largest of the gluteus maximus as well as your core and shoulders. 

1. Position your body into an all four stance, with both knees and palms firmly on the floor and back flat 
2. Rest the left foot on the floor and create a bend in your right leg while lifting it off of the floor
3. Push your right foot towards the ceiling, leaving your left knee bent
4. Return to your right leg lowered and repeat the steps ten times on each side

5 – Frog Pump

The frog pump is a movement that requires and targets all three glute muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. 

1. Begin lying on the floor, knees bent and feet together
2. Keeping both feet together and back parallel to the floor, open your knees outwards 
3. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips to a comfortable position
4. Hold the frog pose and pump your hips up ten times before returning to the start position

Tip: for maximum results, add weight to your lower abs and lift with each hip raise.

6 – Deadlift

A deadlift requires strength and mobility from the gluteus maximus, the top, and the largest glute muscle. While toning your glutes, the deadlift movement will also tone the hamstrings and quadriceps. 

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and add a slight bend to your knees 
2. Lower your chest to grab the barbell (or weight of choice)
3. Grab the weight firmly with both hands and lift the weight to hip height by squeezing your glutes 
4. Keep a straight back while lowering back down and repeat

7 – Step-Ups

Step-ups require as much glute strength as they do quadriceps and hamstrings. This movement targets the gluteus medius and is an excellent exercise for butt toning and building. 

1. Position a step or chair in front of you and stand with your hands on your hips
2. Step one leg onto the stage and hold for a few seconds before stepping back down
3. Repeat the steps on both legs and add weight to both sides for more intensity

8 – Walking Lunges

Walking lunges are useful for growing a more muscular butt. They require all lower body strength and are ideal for toning the glutes, especially the gluteus maximus. 

1. With both hands on your hips, stand with one leg in front of the other
2. Lower both knees down to perform a lunge and return to the standing position
3. While walking forwards, repeat the steps to perform walking lunges

9 – Back Squats

Back squats require strength and power from the gluteus maximus. Squatting is an excellent movement for building and toning the butt and leg muscles. To intensify a squat, add weight or resistance. 

1. Position a barbell across your shoulders and grip firmly with both hands
2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, create a bend in your knees and lower your hips towards the floor to a seated position
3. Hold the squat for a few seconds and push back to standing by squeezing your glutes

10 – Good Morning

The good morning exercise is a great back strengthener, as well as glute stretch. It requires simultaneous movement from the gluteus maximus and hamstrings to perform the hip extension, which tones the glutes and strengths the lower back.

1. Position a barbell across your shoulders and grip firmly with both hands
2. Create a slight bend in your knees and lower your chest down towards the floor, keeping a straight back
3. Use your glutes to push back to standing and repeat the steps

11 – Clock Lunges

The range of movement in clock lunges means uses muscles than in typical lunges. The forward lunge targets the gluteus maximus. While the side lunges targets all three glute muscles. 

1. With your feet together, hold a weight between both hands
2. Stand firm and lunge one foot out in front of you
3. Create a bend in the activate knee and the other leg straight
4. Push back to standing and lunge the activate leg to the side at a 90-degree angle
5. Return to the beginning position and repeat the steps on the other leg

12 – Clamshells

The gluteus minimus is an area often left out of most butt exercises. Yet, the clamshell targets the small glute muscle specifically. 

1. Lie on your left side, feet and hips stacked and knees bent
2. Keep your left leg down and feet together while lift your right knee to perform a clam shape
3. Lower the right knee and repeat the steps on each side

13 – Rainbows

Rainbows are an all-over butt builder, as the movement requires work from all three glute muscles. 

1. Position yourself on all fours, knees, and palms firmly on the floor
2. Straighten your left leg behind you to the left slightly 
3. Raise your left foot in the air and land your foot on the right side, creating a rainbow motion in the air
4. Repeat the rainbow sequence on both sides

14 – Heel-Lifted Sumo Squat

A standard squat typically targets the gluteus maximus only. But, heel-lifted sumo squats use all three glute muscles to perform the movement. 

1. Begin with both legs wider than hip-width apart and create a slight bend in both knees
2. Lift both heels off the floor while lowering your butt down to the floor
3. Keep your back straight and hands wherever comfortable 
4. Standing back up, lower your heels down and repeat the steps for the heel-lifted sumo squat

15 – Curtsy Lunge

The curtsy lunge is far different from a standard lunge. The movement range requires the gluteus medius mid lunge and the gluteus maximus to push back to the start position. 

1. Stand with both feet around hip-distance apart
2. Lift your left foot and circle it anti-clockwise behind you are your right foot
3. Lunge down by creating a bend in both knees
4. Return the left foot to the start position and repeat the steps on the right side

Using a range of exercises during a butt workout will result in more muscular and defined glutes. 

>> Read also about out Butt Exercises for Strong Glutes for Men.

For further queries on glute toning and butt strengthening:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do glute exercises give you a bigger bum?

Performing squats with some hand-held weights directly works your glute muscles and therefore build them to be stronger. This gives you a bigger bum. Some other exercises that can help with this are jumping squats, walking lunges, banded side steps, just to name a few.

How long does it take to tone your glutes?

Glute toning doesn’t happen overnight. With consistent, daily workouts, you can start to see results in about 4 to 6 weeks. More muscle growth happens within 8 weeks, and within 6 months, you can change the musculature of your glutes.

For our roundup on the best butt exercises for stronger glutes:

To maximize your butt workouts, it is best to use a range of movements. Activating and working all three glute muscles is key for a rounder, stronger, and more toned butt. 

Diet is just as important as exercise when you want to grow muscles and increase strength. It is essential to refuel your muscles with the right foods for repair and growth after a workout.

Use the list of exercises above to get the most out of your butt workout and strengthen your glutes.