Glute Exercises: The 9 Best Moves for Your Glutes

The good news is that they respond well to training. Below are the 9 best glute exercises, ranked from the most direct to the ones that work the glutes as part of a bigger lift. You will also find what to do at home, a glute workout you can start today and how often to train. Tap any exercise to see it from every angle.

Your glutes are three muscles. The gluteus maximus is the largest. It extends the hip, which is what happens when you stand up from a squat or drive your hips forward in a hip thrust. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus sit higher and to the side. They move the leg out to the side and keep your pelvis level when you stand on one leg. A complete glute workout trains hip extension with heavy loads and adds some single leg or side work for the medius and minimus.

Four exercises, about 45 minutes. Start with the heaviest lift while you are fresh, then move to single leg work and finish with a light isolation move. Stop each set with one or two good reps left in the tank. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add a little weight next time.

You do not need a gym to grow your glutes. The glute bridge, the reverse lunge and the Bulgarian split squat all work with body weight. Once they feel easy, hold a dumbbell or a backpack filled with books. A couch or a sturdy chair works as a bench for hip thrusts and split squats. To keep making progress at home, add reps, slow down the lowering part of each rep, or switch to single leg versions.

• Glute bridge: 3 sets of 15 to 20
• Bulgarian split squat, rear foot on a chair: 3 sets of 10 to 12 per leg
• Reverse lunge: 3 sets of 10 to 12 per leg
• Single leg glute bridge: 2 sets of 10 to 15 per leg

Two glute sessions a week work well for most people, with at least one rest day in between. Aim for about 10 to 20 hard sets for the glutes per week, counting hip thrusts, bridges, split squats and deadlift variations. Beginners can start at the lower end. The glutes also work during squats and lunges on leg day, so count those sets too. If your glutes are still sore when the next session comes, give them one more day.

The hip thrust is a strong first choice because it loads the glutes hardest at full hip extension and is easy to make heavier. The best results come from pairing it with a squat, lunge or split squat, which train the glutes in a deeper stretch.

Two times a week suits most people. Spread about 10 to 20 hard sets across those sessions and leave at least one rest day between them.

The glute bridge, the reverse lunge and the Bulgarian split squat with your rear foot on a chair. Add a dumbbell or a loaded backpack when body weight gets easy.

Yes. Squats work the glutes hard, especially when you go to full depth. They also train the quads a lot, so add a hip thrust or glute bridge if your main goal is bigger glutes.

Start with the glute bridge and the reverse lunge. They are simple to learn and need no equipment. After a few weeks, move to the hip thrust and the Romanian deadlift.