We all want to have a fit and lean body, that’s why we try to eat healthily and exercise regularly. Men and women alike aspire towards perfection when it comes to our body but one of the things we want the most is to have that perfect butt which will make us rock those skinny jeans. Luckily for you, we’ve prepared the most effective exercises which will make your booty look like JLo’s in no time. This workout routine targets the glutes specifically and you’ll have to do them at least three times a week for maximum results.
These exercises are specifically designed for a firmer and rounder booty but you’ll still need to do some cardio and pay attention to your other body parts as well. Don’t spend an entire workout session just focusing on the glutes, you can overwork them and be counter-productive. Just set aside 15-20 minutes each session to these exercises, three times a week and the results will be visible soon enough.
1. Flutter Kicks
- This is the perfect abs-glutes combo exercise, packed in one.
- You can work on both while doing the routine.
- Get down on the ground and lie on your back.
- Lift up your legs at a 45-degree angle and start pushing one leg up while lowering the other down, simultaneously.
- Continue moving them, one up other down, alternating, for as long as you can.
2. Hip Thrusters
- This exercise increases strength and power in the hamstrings and glutes and it can be quite strenuous for beginners, so don’t worry if you can’t do it at first.
- You’ll need a barbell and a bench for this workout and it’s also recommended to place a pad between your body and the bar if you feel discomfort.
- Lie with your upper back supported on a bench and your feet planted on the floor in front of you.
- Put a weighted barbell over your pelvis and roll it across your hips.
- Lower your hips down so your glutes almost come in contact with the floor.
- Pressing through your heels and squeezing your glutes, return the barbell to the start position.
3. Deep squats
- If you’re doing squats without weights you should go as low as you can, keeping your back straight.
- In this way you activate your glutes to the maximum, making the exercise target them specifically.
- The position should be just a little bit wider than shoulder width and you must keep your spine as straight as you can while you’re going down.
- Once you’ve mastered these, increase their difficulty by holding a weight in front of your chest or performing them with one leg, gradually.
- This exercise doesn’t just target your glutes, it gives you more strength and makes you more flexible as well.
4. Side Leg Lifts
- I believe we all know this one but let’s recap just in case. Lie on your side and lift one leg up.
- Then start slowly lowering it down, all the way to your other leg.
- Once you’re finished with one leg switch to the other side and continue with your other leg as well.
- This exercise is good for the smaller muscles of your legs, not just the glutes.
5. Cossack Lunges
- Take a wider than shoulder width stance, and turn one foot out to the side with the toe off the floor.
- Keep that knee straight and squat to your other leg, trying to keep both heels on the ground and keeping your spine as straight and tall as possible.
- Lower as deep as comfortable or until you have to start rounding your spine to get any lower.
- Return to the start position and repeat it with the other leg.
- Alternate between legs until you feel tired then take a break and repeat again.
- If you can’t keep the straight leg straight, open your stance up a little wider.
- This exercise is excellent for your glutes and legs too.
6. Step-Ups
- This is not just a glutes exercise it’s a great cardio workout too.
- You’ll need a platform a bit higher than your knees and you just step up and down, that’s it.
- If you’re a beginner you can start with a lower platform and gradually work your way up.
7. Plie squats
- Stand firmly on the ground, wider stance, toes pointed outwards.
- Slowly bend your knees in front of you and stop when you can no longer see the toes.
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
8. Fire hydrants
- Kneel down on all fours with shoulders wide apart and palms flat.
- Position your knees to hip wide apart, bent at a 90 degrees angle.
- Raise one leg up, keeping the 90-degree angle.
- Do the right leg first then do the left one.
- These exercises are excellent for hip opening, glutes strengthening and overall mobility improvement.
9. Gluteal squeezes
- This may be the simplest exercise which doesn’t mean it’s ineffective.
- It works the glutes like crazy. Just lie back on the floor and raise your hips upwards the highest you can, tensing the glutes and remain in that position for at least 3 seconds.
- Get back on the ground and repeat.
10. Horse stance
- It is a core exercise found in many Chinese martial arts and it’s a great exercise to increase the size and strength of the thighs and glutes.
- To do it put your legs about one and a half to two shoulder widths apart.
- Try to keep your toes pointed forward as best you can.
- Then, keeping your back straight and upright squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, with your knees pointing out to the side.
- Remain in this position as long as you can, but beginners are advised to start with 15-30 seconds and gradually go up.
11. Bridges
- This may be one of the most effective exercises for your glutes.
- Lie on your back and bend your knees so that they point upwards, keeping the feet planted on the floor.
- Start raising your butt up until you’re touching the floor with just your head, shoulders, and feet.
- Push your hips as high as you can and squeeze the glutes when you reach the highest point.
- It will be hard at the beginning but as you continuously repeat it ’ll become much easier.
- Then you can start putting some extra weight on your ab area during the exercise.
- Or you can also try doing it with just one leg, keeping one straight on the ground and pushing up with just the other one.
12. Rear leg lifts
- Kneel down on all for, knees and forearms bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Lift one leg off the floor and push the foot towards the ceiling.
- Return to starting position and repeat with the other leg.
- When it gets easier, with time, you can add some ankle weight while you’re doing it.
