Use these bodyweight glute exercises to work your butt muscles anywhere! These at-home glute exercises target all three gluteal muscles and require no equipment. Easy to perform and ideal for growing your backside!
The glutes are one of the largest muscles in the body and have a huge impact on the three P’s:
- Posture
- Pain
- Performance
So strengthening them is a smart choice.
As a, I know that though there are lots of wicked glute exercises with weights, one of the awesome things about gluteal muscles is that you don’t need any equipment to give them a good workout! Bodyweight exercises go a long way.
Before you get started with these glute bodyweight exercises though, learn more about the glutes themselves (like what they actually do, how to engage the glutes & how to isolate the gluteal muscles) in my blog post: Glute Training 101: Everything You Need To Know
How To Build The Glutes
Like any other muscle, the glutes require three things to grow:
- Muscle tension
- Metabolic stress
- Muscle damage
In order to hit all three of those, you want to choose a variety of exercises and repetitions. However, know that the very base exercise is a glute bridge. So, make sure to master that first.
But what about exercises with weights? Part of growing a muscle is about progressing it, meaning: making it harder. And there are lots of ways to do that without weight.
Here are 10 ways to make your home workouts harder.
Implement those with these glute bodyweight exercises and they’ll grow!
Exercise #1: Bulgarian Split Squat
Set up in lunge position with the left leg elevated on the bench and the right knee over the heel.
Hinge forward slightly (to create more tension on the back of the body: glutes) as you push backward and drop the left knee towards the floor while keeping the right knee facing forwards.
Squeeze the glute of the right leg as you push through the heel to reverse the movement and extend the hips to the starting position.
Perform all repetitions on the right leg before moving on to the next.
Perform 8-12 repetitions.
Exercise #2: Paused Glute Bridges
Lying on your back, bend your knees and bring your heels close to your bum. Feet shoulder-width apart roughly.
Push through your heels and lift your hips by squeezing the glutes. Do not excessively arch the lower back.
Pause at the top for three seconds with a maximum glute squeeze before releasing the tension and bringing the hips back to the starting position.
Perform anywhere from 8-25 repetitions.
Exercise #3: Single Leg Hip Thrust
Set up in hip thrust position with your back on the bench (running roughly along your bra strap) and the left knee bent and over the heel. The right leg will be raised.
Dip your hips towards the floor making sure that the left knee stays facing forward and not caving. Squeeze the glutes and lift the hips towards the ceiling while squeezing the glute.
Your back will extend flat on the bench. Lockout the glute briefly, release the tension and return to the starting position.
Perform all repetitions on the left leg before moving on to the right leg.
Perform 8-12 repetitions.
Exercise #4: Side-Lying Hip Raise
Lay on your right side with your knees bent and feet together. Hips and shoulders in one line and the right arm under the right shoulder.
As you raise up into side plank position and lift the hips off the ground, raise the left leg up using the left glute. Keep the knee bent and flex the left foot. Pause and return to the starting position.
Perform for 10-15 repetitions.
Exercise #5: Extended Range Abductions
Laying on your right side on a bench (or table etc), bend your bottom leg so it’s out of the way. Keep the left leg straight and let it dangle off the bench while having your thighs together.
Lift the left leg from the “deficit” position against the band. Pause at the top and return to the start potion.
Exercise #6: Froggy Pumps
Laying down, being the soles of your feet close together and towards your bum.
Squeeze the glutes and with your knees driven out (knees wider than hip-width apart) raise the hips.
Pause and return the hip to the floor.
Perform 15-40 repetitions.
Exercise #7: Clamshells
Lay on your right side with your legs stacked and knees slightly bent. Make sure your shoulders, hips, and heels are in one line.
Place your top hand on your top hip. Keeping your heels together, squeeze your glute while opening up at the knees.
Release the squeeze and return the knees to meet each other. You should feel the muscles under your hand contract.
Perform 10-15/side.
Exercise #8: Feet Elevated Glute Bridge
Lay with your back on the floor and feet on a bench, couch, or stair roughly hip-width apart. The knees should be bent. Squeeze the glutes and lift the hips into hip extension.
Do not arch the back but lockout at the top briefly. Release the glute squeeze and return to the starting position.
Exercise #9: Deficit Lunge
Using a bottom step or yoga blocks, stand upright, chest lifted, on the step.
Step the left foot back onto the floor and begin bringing the knee down towards the floor as you hinge the upper body forward slightly.
Pause at the bottom and then reverse the movement and pull up your body with the right leg (don't push off the left foot!), extending the hips back into a standing position.
Perform 8-12 repetitions per leg.
Exercise #10: Quadruped Hip Extensions
Come into a tabletop position on all fours.
Keeping the knee of the working leg flexed the core strong and engaged (you need to have mastered bird dogs for this), move through the hip as your raise the foot towards the floor.
Do not let the low back drop and make sure to keep the knee bent. Return the knee towards the floor by releasing the tension in the glute.
Perform for 8-12 repetitions per leg.
Exercise #11: At Home Reverse Hyper Extensions
Typically, this exercise is done in the gym with a specific machine (see here for a demo). However, it can be done at home as well.
Normally when performing reverse hyperextension at home, you'll elevate your body further with a swiss ball like in this video.
However, you can easily perform this on a bench.
Lay belly down on a bench with the end of the bench at your hips (legs hanging off).
You can do this with straight legs or bent knees. Squeeze your glutes so that your legs raise up and your hips extend (go from bent to open). Pause and return the feet to the floor.
Perform for 10-30 repetitions.
Exercise #12: Glute March
Laying on the ground on your back, bring the heels close to the bum. Raise the hips into a glute bridge position. Keeping the glutes squeezed and the hips squared, begin walking each foot out away from the bum.
Walk the feet out until you can no longer support the low back or the hips and then walk them back into the bum again.
Perform these for 30-45 seconds.
Exercise #13: Quadruped Straight Leg Abductions
Come into table top position and make sure the core is engaged and low back is neutral. Take the left foot out to the side and keep the left leg straight with the toes pointed.
Use the left glue to lift the left foot up and down.
Repeat for 10-15 per leg.
Exercise #14: Curtsy Lunge
Stand upright in a comfortable position. Step the left foot back and across the line of the left leg.
Lower the knee toward the floor while hinging slightly at the hips. Keep the foot of the right leg fully on the floor.
Push through the right foot and return the left foot back to the starting position.
Perform for 8-12 repetitions per leg.
Exercise #15: Single Leg Romanain Deadlift
Standing upright keep the knees bent, Raise the left food behind you as you hinge from the hips and shift the weight backward.
Your hips should remain facing the floor and the left glute should be engaged. You should have a flat back and feel a stretch in the right hamstring.
Pause briefly and bring the left foot back toward the floor.
Perform for 8-12 repetitions per leg.
Exercise #16: Wall Glute March
Lay with your back on the ground and feet planted on a wall. Knees bent. Lift the hips up into extension as if you were performing an elevated glute bridge.
Keeo the glutes engaged, the hips squared and high as you raise the left foot and then the right foot (as if you're marching).
Perform for 30-45 seconds.
Exercise #17: Reverse Plank
Begin with your hips on the ground, legs straight out in front of you and your hands with fingers pointed out a few inches behind your hips.
Squeeze the glutes and raise the hips high into the air coming into a posterior pelvic tilt. Open up the chest and hold.
Perform for 20-40 seconds.
Exercise #18: Crossack Squats
Stand with your feet much wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep the right leg straight as you push your hips back and start to bend the left leg and sink down.
Keep the left foot fully on the ground and aim to touch your bum to the back of your calf. While doing this, the right leg can rotate so that the toe points up.
Reverse the movement and come to the top of the position.
Perform 5-8 on each leg.
How To Use The Bodyweight Exercises: 10 Minute Glute Workout
The bodyweight glute exercises above can be worked into your current training programs (choose 1-2 per workout) or used in warm-ups.
But they can also be used a workout themselves.
Choose 4-6 exercises and perform them back to back. After the last exercise, rest for 60 seconds and perform it again for a total of three rounds.
Here is a playlist of super speedy, follow-along glute workouts if you need ideas.
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More Resources On How To Workout At Home
Before anything, check out the top four links below to learn more about your glutes and how to strengthen them. Below are blog posts to help you learn to master working out at home.
- Glute activation exercises
- Glute isolation exercises
- Sweaty glute finishers
- The benefits of strong glutes
- How to reduce back pain by training glutes
- The ultimate guide to home workouts
- Follow along at home workouts
- Fitness tips for moms
Frequently Asked Questions About Bodyweight Glute Exercises
Can you build glutes with just your body weight?
Building a muscle can be done with or without weights. So long as you create a progressive stimulus (constantly challenge the muscle more and more), the muscle will grow. Instead of adding weight to an exercise to make it harder, be strategic with repetitions, tempo of the exercises, and exercise style.
How do I activate my glutes bodyweight?
The fun thing about glutes is that, when activated, they actually change shape! You can both feel and see the contraction. To activate your glutes, come into the starting position for a glute bridge, relax, inhale, and squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips. You should feel the engagement. Place your hands on your buttocks and you should physically feel and see the contraction. The glutes should feel tight. Keep your hands there and release your hips bask down towards the floor. The glutes will feel relaxed and squishy. Try this with exercises like the glute bridge, clamshells, and lying abductions to really nail down how to activate your glutes.
What are 3 exercises for glutes?
Three amazing glute exercises you can do at home are: paused hip thrusts, extended range abductions, and deficit lunges.
