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Whether you’re growing your glutes for strength reasons or because you want a peachy-looking bum, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll help you learn how to increase the size and strength of your glutes by using a range of different exercises, from classic squats to glute bridges. Plus, you’ll find out how to recover after your booty-based workout and how your diet can help build your bum.
The largest muscle group in the body, your glutes include three different muscles: the gluteus minimus, the gluteus medius and the gluteus maximus.1 The latter of which is the biggest, but the gluteus medius is pretty big too.2 We use them for almost every movement - whether that’s sitting, standing, walking, running or jumping – so it’s safe to say they’re pretty important.
Want a bigger bum? From the recent trends in the online fitness world, it seems like a lot of others do too. Certain types of exercises may be helpful in increasing the strength and size of the gluteus maximus, like step-ups and bilateral movement, so, we’ll give you plenty examples of those below.
Thinking of adding some new exercises to your workout routine for targeting your glutes? We’ve got plenty for you to choose from, whether you like working out at the gym or from the comfort of your own home, below…
Starting off with a classic exercise, squats are one of the best for building your glutes as they help to activate all three glute muscles in one movement.3
Location: Gym or home
A regular move in Pilates workouts, glute bridges are another great exercise for helping to strengthen your bum. This one takes place on the floor so try to have an exercise mat ready for you to use.
Location: Gym or home
Despite the scary sounding name, deadlifts are actually pretty simple once you get the hang of them. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning published research which stated that deadlifts help to train the gluteus maximus, so we couldn’t leave them out of the round up. There are many different variations, but we’ll explain how to do a Romanian deadlift with dumbbells.
Location: Gym
Another Pilates posture, the clamshell is another great exercise to target the deep glute muscles – aka the gluteus minimus and medius. This move mimics the appearance of clams, moving your legs in a way that looks like a clamshell opening and closing.
Location: Gym or home
Lunges are a great way to build your booty, but if you add weights it provides further work for your upper leg muscles and glutes.
Location: Gym or home
Focusing on all three glute muscles, donkey kicks are great if you want to work to firm up your bum and not much more.
Location: Gym or home
This move requires you to have access to a resistance band that fits around your lower legs. A similar movement to squats, side steps are another glute-focused exercise that you can add to your workout routine.
Location: Gym or home
One scientific study from 2015 highlighted step ups (and their variations) as one of the best exercises for gluteus maximus activation.4 So we’ll take you through how to do a simple step up to get you started.
Location: Gym
The kettlebell swing is a fantastic way to work on your strength and cardio at the same time. Working your core and abs in addition to your glutes, you get a lot of bang for your buck with this move.
Location: Gym or home
After completing a mega glute workout, it’s important to prioritise recovery. Rest and good nutrition are key, so it’s good to make sure you get plenty of muscle recovery foods in your diet. In addition to this, it’s worth thinking about recovery before you even start your workout. For example, doing some static and dynamic stretches beforehand help to get your muscles warmed up before you get your pump on.
Using a foam roller may also be beneficial for muscle recovery as it can help prevent DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), so it may be something worth investing in! Another handy tool is an electric muscle stimulator, especially if you have muscular injuries that you’re working with.
When it comes to building muscle, protein is arguably the most important nutrient to include in your diet.5 But complex carbs, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables have an important role too as they can help to fuel your cells, reduce exercise-induced inflammation and enhance recovery.6,7,8
It goes without saying that every body is different, so try not to compare your own to anyone else’s. But we hope you’re feeling inspired to try these exercises to help you build a bigger booty and strengthen your glutes. Just remember to have patience and stay consistent as results can take a little longer to show than you might think. Interested in learning more about your muscles? Check out our complete guide to muscle health for a top-level overview.