Best Exercises to Build Glutes: The Ultimate Guide to a Stronger, Rounder Booty

Building strong, well-shaped glutes isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s essential for overall strength, stability, and injury prevention. Whether your goal is a rounder butt, stronger hips, or better athletic performance, glute exercises should be a key part of your workout routine.

In this guide, we’ll cover the best exercises to build glutes, explain how to activate your glutes properly, and share expert tips for glute growth.

Why Train Your Glutes?

Your glute muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus) play a crucial role in movements like squatting, running, and jumping. Weak glutes can lead to lower back pain, poor posture, and reduced athletic performance. The key to developing strong, well-defined glutes is progressive overload, muscle activation, and consistency.

Best Exercises for Glute Growth

1. Barbell Hip Thrusts

Why it works: The hip thrust is one of the most effective glute exercises, providing maximum glute activation compared to squats and deadlifts.

How to do it:

Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench.
Roll a loaded barbell over your hips and plant your feet shoulder-width apart.
Drive through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Squeeze your glutes at the top before lowering back down.

Reps & Sets: 4 sets of 10-12 reps

Reference: Bret Contreras, Ph.D., "The Glute Guy"

2. Bulgarian Split Squats

Why it works: This single-leg exercise isolates the glutes, improves balance, and reduces quad dominance.

How to do it:

Stand a few feet away from a bench, resting one foot behind you.
Lower into a squat while keeping your chest up and knee aligned over your toes.
Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.

Reps & Sets: 3 sets of 8-10 reps per leg

Reference: American Council on Exercise (ACE) on Glute Activation

3. Romanian Deadlifts

Why it works: This compound movement targets the glutes and hamstrings while improving hip mobility.

How to do it:

Hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of you with a slight knee bend.
Hinge at the hips while keeping your back straight and lower the weights to mid-shin level.
Squeeze your glutes to return to a standing position.

Reps & Sets: 4 sets of 8-12 reps

4. Glute Bridges

Why it works: Great for glute activation, especially for beginners.

How to do it:

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
Push through your heels and lift your hips, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Lower back down and repeat.

Reps & Sets: 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Reference: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

5. Cable Kickbacks

Why it works: Targets the gluteus maximus and helps shape the upper glutes.

How to do it:

Attach an ankle strap to a low cable machine.
Stand facing the machine and extend one leg back, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Control the movement back to the start.

Reps & Sets: 3 sets of 12-15 reps per leg

Reference: Strength and Conditioning Journal

Tips for Faster Glute Growth

Progressive Overload: Increase weights over time to continuously challenge your muscles. Mind-Muscle Connection: Focus on engaging your glutes rather than letting other muscles take over.
Train 2-3 Times per Week: Consistency is key for glute gains.
Optimize Nutrition: Eat enough protein and healthy fats to support muscle growth.