Buttock exercises are among the most sought after by women and men . All boys and girls want beautiful buttocks. This makes us more attractive (why deny it!). We want a butt that turns heads! A good place to train the gluteus is the gym. Maybe you are already enrolled in a gym, but do you really know the best exercises for buttocks and legs ? We will teach you so that you can put them into practice. The results are assured.
The best exercises for a leg and buttocks routine in the gym
The legs and buttocks routine must include some basic and heavy exercises, which can be combined with specific training machines. What are the basic exercises? These are the movements that are done with a bar or dumbbells. They are also called free weight exercises; that is, they are movements that are executed without using gym machines. Basic or free weight exercises are the most important. These exercises involve a large number of muscles in the body during their execution. They not only serve to lift the buttocks , but also to strengthen the legs and abdomen . They are perfect for making the so-called GAP routine(buttocks, abs and legs). Some examples of these exercises are the squat, hip thrust, and deadlift .
There are also other specific or isolation exercises, which are done as secondary movements. An example of these is the glute kick machine . Let's see how you can organize your training routine to have big buttocks . We have ordered the following exercises for glutes in order of importance.
Squats, the most basic exercise for legs and buttocks
The squat is one of the best exercises for the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus . It has always been said: if you want to have perfect buttocks , do barbell squats . This exercise works the entire leg, including the posterior chain area.
To do the squat, you will need a power rack or rack to put the bar on, so you will have to go to a gym.
- Prepare the bar loaded in a rack or support.
- Grab the bar by spreading your arms as far as you feel comfortable and get under the bar.
- Bring your shoulder blades together and contract them when you have the bar on your back. Hold the bar tight. He takes a breath, pulls the bar out of the rack, and takes two steps back.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly out.
- Take a deep breath and bend first the hips and then the knees to lower the body as low as possible without losing the curvature of the lower back.
- As you descend, bring your knees out.
- Extend your hips to come back up and continue bringing your knees out. Expel the air at the end of the movement.
The deeper you go into the squat, the more work your glutes have to do. You may not be elastic enough at first to go down that much, but over time you will. You can start by doing bodyweight squats in your at-home glute workout routine . However, you'll see the best results working with a barbell and weights, so find yourself a squat rack or join a gym as soon as you can. This is the number one glute exercise .
Hip thrust exercise
The Hip Thrust exercise or hip thrusts has to come second. You will not find a more effective specific exercise for the glutes. We'll show you how it's done. Keep in mind that there are many variations of the Hip Thrust. This move can be done with dumbbells, a kettlebell, a single leg, or even a resistance band around your knees. In many gyms, you will also find the Hip Thrust machine , which makes things much easier. Here we are going to explain the basic version: the Barbell Hip Thrust . Remember that if you want to do Hip Thrust at home, you will need a bar with plates or some heavy object. You will also need a (low) bench or a low surface to lean on.
Why is the Hip Thrust one of the best exercises for the glutes? Because the work focuses entirely on the gluteus maximus (upper gluteus) and the gluteus medius (lower gluteus). The movement also activates the hamstrings, which are involved as secondary movers, making it one of the most effective exercises for your posterior chain.
We explain how to do the Barbell Hip Thrust:
- First, place a bench, chair, box, or other flat, sturdy object against a wall. Don't use a bench that is too high. The platform must be at knee height.
- Place the bar about two feet in front of the platform. Sit with your upper back resting against the platform and roll the bar through your legs to your hips (use weight plates that leave a few inches between the bar and your thighs when you sit down). You can use a bar pad if you want to be more comfortable.
- Place your feet firmly, close to the gluteal muscles.
- Force through your heels to push your hips up . Come to a bridge position (thighs parallel to the ground) with hips fully extended. Be careful not to stretch your lower back.
- Lower the pelvis in a controlled manner until it is one or two centimeters from the ground. Begin the next repetition from this position. The goal is to hold the tension, not to go all the way down to the ground.
Don't forget to do Hip Thrust in your glute routine . It is excellent for men and women who want to build strong and striking buttocks. In this exercise, a lot of weight can be moved. Even advanced women can pack a lot of pounds on Hip Thrust.
Romanian or Stiff Legged Deadlift
Our third basic and recommended exercise to strengthen the glutes is, without a doubt, the Romanian deadlift . The movement has some similarities and differences from the normal deadlift. This exercise is also called the stiff-legged deadlift . It is done to strengthen the hamstring and gluteus; however, you have to know how to execute it correctly to feel the work in the right parts of the posterior chain. To do this, you need a barbell and plates (can also be done with dumbbells or kettlebells).
How to do Romanian deadlift for glutes and hamstrings:
- Load the bar with a suitable weight to do at least 15 repetitions. Stand in front of the bar and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the bar at shoulder width with your arms slightly outside your legs.
- Start standing up straight and holding the bar with your arms outstretched.
How to correctly isolate the glutes and hamstrings in the Romanian deadlift?
- Take a breath. You have to lower the bar bringing it close to the legs. She brings her buttocks and hips back ; This is the key to noticing the effort in the hamstrings and glutes. The legs may be slightly bent, but not too much. If we were to bend our legs a lot, the exercise would become a normal deadlift and it would lose its effectiveness for working the hamstrings and glutes.
- How far down the bar depends on the flexibility of each person. At the very least, the bar should be below the knee or even near the ball of the foot. Try not to round your back too much as you lower the bar.
- Then, stand up again and exhale to complete the repetition.
Important : remember that in this style of deadlift, the discs should not touch the ground (unlike the conventional exercise). Maintain tension on the posterior chain by leaving the weight several inches off the ground on each repetition.
Don't forget to incorporate Romanian deadlifts into your exercises to increase buttocks . Get to notice the tension of the exercise in the biceps femoris and the buttocks. As you gain experience, you will be able to isolate the muscles you are trying to improve much better. How to help you lift more weight ? You can use the mixed grip (grab the bar with the palms of your hands facing each other) or use special straps for deadlifts ("straps").
Sumo deadlift, gluteal exercises in the gym
This version of the deadlift is done with the legs spread wider, which remain between the arms during the exercise (as opposed to the conventional deadlift, where the arms are outside the legs). The basic version is done with the barbell, but the movement can also be done with dumbbells and kettlebells.
Why is the sumo deadlift one of the best exercises for the glutes? Because the wide stance, external rotation of the pelvis, and shorter range of motion focus the lift noticeably on the glutes (especially the gluteus medius), hamstrings, and upper thighs.
How to do sumo deadlift?
- Load a weight on the bar that represents a challenge. For example, that allows you to do 10 to 15 repetitions with effort. Many people can move more pounds on the sumo deadlift compared to the traditional deadlift. If this is your case, you are in luck.
- Stand in front of the bar with your feet wide apart (depending on the morphology of the people, each one will find their ideal opening). Ideally, your elbows should be above your knees when you lower the bar. In the starting position, your feet should point slightly out.
- Grab the bar with the width of your shoulders. Some people are comfortable with a tighter grip as well.
- Start with the shins close to the bar. Squat down and lean your hips back (pull your buttocks back) and bend your knees.
- Take a breath and lift the weight off the ground. Strengthen by pushing your heels hard against the ground. Come to an upright position and finish the movement with your hips and knees locked. Remember to fully extend your hips at the bottom of the climb. Expel the air when you are up.
- Now, come down. Bend at the hips and knees to return the weight to the ground.
The sumo deadlift is an excellent exercise that works the hips, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and abductors. If you want to lift more weight in this exercise, use the mixed grip or "straps". You can also put magnesium on your hands. Normally, the weight should rest completely on the floor for each rep, although you can also try the "Romanian sumo deadlift" (holding the weight in the air without the plates ever touching the floor).
Bulgarian squats
There are several variations of the Bulgarian squat : with dumbbells, Bulgarian squats with kettlebells, with body weight, using a barbell, reverse Bulgarian squats... All these variations are glute exercises for the gym . You can use them to strengthen and enlarge the buttocks. We will explain the basic version of the Bulgarian squat .
This exercise is one of the best for glutes. Bulgarian squats offset body weight on one leg and reduce muscle tension in the lower back. The lift challenges the eccentric force of the gluteal region on the working leg. This allows you to achieve greater depth than in traditional squats or lunges.
How Bulgarian squats are performed:
- Put a bench, a chair, a box or another flat and resistant object against the wall. The platform must be at knee height.
- Stand two to three feet in front of the platform, with your back to the platform.
- Extend your right leg behind you and place the top of your foot on the platform. Put your hips and shoulders in a straight line and align them.
- Contract the abdomen and lower until the right thigh is parallel to the ground. Avoid leaning too far forward.
- Keep your weight on the entire length of your leg (don't land on your toes or roll on the outside of your feet).
- Push making force with the heel to return to the starting position.
- When you finish doing the work with one leg, do a series with the other leg. Alternate.
The Bulgarian squat is a simple movement that you should include in your table of exercises for glutes and legs in the gym . Why is it advisable to go to the gym to do this exercise? Because you will surely need a support to remove the bar from the height. If you don't have the support, you can practice these glute exercises at home using your own body weight or by grabbing some dumbbells.
Lunges
If you want to continue the routine with good exercises to tone the buttocks , do lunges . We recommend them above all to finish a hard leg workout. The easiest version of this exercise is with two dumbbells. You can also put a bar on your back, but it will take a lot of work to carry it up.
Learn to make glutes with strides:
To begin, we have to clarify that there are two ways to do the stride. You can perform static strides; that is, without moving from the site (advancing one foot and returning to the starting position). The other way to perform strides is to walk. For this, you will need your gym to have an area of several meters in length without obstacles. We like this version better, since the movement will be more natural (as if you were walking carrying heavy objects).
- Start by grabbing a dumbbell or weight with each hand. He tries to keep his arms straight during the exercise.
- Take a breath and take a long step with your left leg. At the same time, lower your hip and right leg until your knee touches or almost touches the ground.
- Go up and exhale the air. Immediately take a breath again and repeat the movement for the right leg (this time, you will lower the left knee to the ground). Alternate legs and take a multi-step walk. You can do a round trip. If you are going to do the static exercise, put one leg forward and then the other without moving from the spot.
There is another version of this exercise called the reverse lunge . In this case, the movement is always static (you don't have to move forward). To do it, you have to take a long step backwards with one leg. We will touch the ground with the tip of the foot and we will lower the knee until it almost touches the ground. When going down, the other leg will be bent at the knee and forming a 90º angle. After one repetition, we will stand up again. We will alternate both legs.
Put into practice these exercises to strengthen buttocks . Try the two versions of strides that we have explained to you.
The best exercise machines for glutes in the gym
So far, we have seen the best exercises to quickly fatten legs and buttocks . They are the free weight movements (which are done with bars, dumbbells and kettlebells). These are the most effective and important exercises. However, it is also convenient to do some specific work on the machines, especially if we train in a gym. Next, we will indicate which machines you should use to complement your buttocks routine in the gym . They are the best gadgets!
Lying Leg Curl on Machine
This machine's main objective is to work the hamstrings and hamstrings. However, the sensation of work that you will get in the buttocks is incredible. Remember to contract the gluteus well when you bring the roller towards your body.
To do the lying leg curl, follow these steps:
- Adjust the machine to your height so that you are comfortable. The roller should be above the ankle. Your knees should be at the end of the bench.
- Lie face down on the bench. Grasp the handles with your hands (if the bench has them). Use an appropriate weight for about 15 repetitions.
- Take a breath and, with an explosive movement, bend your legs to bring the roller closer to your buttocks. Contract the gluteus and hamstrings well at the end of the movement. Release the air.
- Return the weight to the starting position in a controlled manner. Don't let the weight plates collide with each other. Maintain tension throughout the exercise.
If you are able to contract well, the lying hamstring curl can be an excellent glute exercise . Include it in your routine as an accessory movement.
Glute kick on machine
There are specific devices to do the gluteal kick on a machine. However, if your gym doesn't have the device, don't worry; you can also do it on the multi-hip machine or even on a low pulley . We will explain the version of the exercise in the multi-hip machine, which is usually in all sports centers.
Do glute kicks on the multi-hip machine:
- Select a suitable weight and place the roller of the machine behind the knee joint.
- Start with your legs together. The leg that holds the roller (the one that works) must be slightly ahead of the other.
- Take a breath and give an explosive kick back. Release the air.
- Returns the roller to the starting position in a controlled manner.
- Alternate legs. Work one first and then the other.
We assure you that this is one of the most recommended exercises to get buttocks out . It is an isolation movement that specifically works the muscles of the buttocks. To do the low pulley variation, you need an ankle strap.
Do you want to do these buttock exercises at home ? You can work the buttocks with an elastic band . Place the elastic band around your legs, lean against a wall or object and simulate the movement of the glute kick by alternating legs. You can buy elastic training bands with different hardnesses.
Leg press with feet open, another glute exercise in the gym
We've all seen the leg press in the gym. It is a specific machine for quadriceps training. However, by doing the exercise properly, this machine can become an excellent buttock toner . As? You just have to do the usual movement, but placing your feet as high up and apart as possible on the platform.
Let's see how to do the press with open legs to strengthen the gluteus:
- Sit on the machine and place your feet on the upper area of the platform. Separate your feet as far as you can; take them to the corners of the platform.
- Take a breath and lower your legs until your knees almost touch your chest.
- Push the platform with an energetic and explosive movement. Do not lock the knees at the end of the movement to maintain tension. Release the air.
Try doing the leg press like this to see how your buttocks harden. Also, with this style of lifting, you can move a lot more weight, which we all like. TRUE?
Buttock hyperextensions
We have also seen a hyper extension bench in every gym. We always think that this bench is for strengthening the lower back, right? As with the leg press, there is a way to do the exercise to focus the work on the gluteus . Learn it with us!
How to do bench hyperextensions to work the gluteus:
- Situate yourself on the hyperextension bench, exactly as if you were going to do lumbar extensions. However, you should lower your head and tuck your chin to your body. You must curl up on yourself, as if you were a "ball".
- Take a breath and start lowering the body as much as your mobility allows.
- Raise the trunk until the back aligns with the legs. Release the air.
If you do the hyperextensions as we have told you, you will strengthen the gluteus more and not so much the lumbar. If you want to add difficulty to this exercise, you can hold a dumbbell between your arms.
These 10 gluteal exercises are the best out there. To finish, we would just like to tell you that you do not need to do absolutely all of them in your buttock routine. Choose 4 or 5 exercises and build your training. Do 3 or 4 sets of each exercise. Over time, you can vary the exercises and use the different versions: the reverse lunge, dumbbells, Russian weights, elastic bands... Finally, don't expect exercises to increase buttocks quickly.and no hard work. This is not a race! Building muscle takes time and you will need at least 6 months of constant training to see results. Another good thing is that these proposed exercises also burn a large amount of calories. If you are trying to lose weight and following a proper diet, they will come in handy. You will tone the muscles and help you lose fat at the same time.
