11 Glute Exercises You Can Do At Home

If you want a well-defined booty but don’t have the time to hit the gym, or are tired of paying for a gym membership that you never use, these glute exercises are for you.  Each of these can be done throughout your home while giving you a break from daily household activities like folding laundry or walking from room to room.

Strong glutes aren’t just for everyday activities like walking, running, and climbing stairs. They also help reduce lower back pain by working with your hips, pelvis, legs and torso while you move around.

So if you’re ready for a tight tush that turns heads without going to the gym, here’s 11 options you can do at home.

1. Squats
2. Sumo Squats
3. Clamshells
4. Standing Donkey Kicks
5. Glute Kickbacks
6. Glute Bridges
7. Lunges
8. Curtsy Lunges
9. Hip Thrusts
10. Frog Pumps
11. Fire Hydrants

Squats

During a squat your glutes help you stay balanced as you descend and stand back up.  And if you incorporate them into a cardio routine, you could release endorphins that help reduce your stress (source) and assist you with a better night’s sleep (source).

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Descend as if you're sitting in a chair.
3. Keep descending until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
4. Pause and then push through your heels to stand up. 
5. Squeeze your backside when you return to your starting stance.

If you struggle to find proper squat form or feel your glutes, try a glute-focused squat machine like ours.

Sumo Squats

Your gluteal muscles engage as you push through your heels, and again if you remember to squeeze your tush at the top of the movement.  The perfect time to do sumo squats is during a break between calls as they don’t take up much room and give you a nice stretch as you reach the squatting position. 

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointed outwards at a 45-degree angle.
2. Move your body downwards and bend your knees keeping them positioned outwards vs. caving in.
1. i.e. don't let your knees collapse inward, your knees should track along with your ankles.
3. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
4. Push through your heels to stand up.
5. Squeeze your behind when you return to your beginning stance..   

Clamshells

Clamshells use your backside to lift your upper leg simultaneously keeping your pelvis steady.  If you do these regularly, you’ll improve your hip function which helps to alleviate hip pain (source).  

Because clamshells are done laying down, and don’t require hand movements or torso motion, they’re the perfect glute exercise to do while watching tv, playing a video game, or just chatting on the phone with a friend.

1. Lie on your left side with your left forearm resting on the ground, and your legs bent at a 90-degree angle. 
2. Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee as high as possible without moving your pelvis.
3. Pause at the top of the movement for a second, squeezing your butt together.
4. Move your knee to the beginning stance.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Walking Glute Kickbacks

Your glutes are used to lift and maintain your leg in a stable, upright flow.  Not to mention they help you maintain your balance while swinging your legs backwards.  These are perfect if you have to make trips up and down a long hallway during the day. 

And if you get bored of doing the same movements over and over, walking kickbacks can easily be mixed with lunges and standing donkey kicks. 

1. Begin with your hands and knees on the pavement with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees directly under your hips.
2. Lift one leg off the ground and extend it behind you, keeping your foot flexed and your knee bent at a 90-degree angle. Your leg should be parallel to the ground.
3. Squeeze your buttocks to lift your extended leg towards the ceiling as high as possible.
4. Hold for a second or two at the movement's top.
5. Move forward a few steps on your hands and the opposite knee without descending your leg. Then, do another kickback with the same leg.
6. Continue moving forward with each repetition, alternating between legs.

Standing Donkey Kicks

When you lift your leg up and back, your bottom works hard to keep your hips steady and your leg extended.  Standing donkey kicks are ideal to do after you finish a row of the walking kickbacks above, or from a doorway while watching your kids play and nobody is behind you. 

1. Place a resistance band around your thighs.
2. Get close to a wall and place your right hand on it for support and put your left hand on your waist.
3. Stretch your right leg straight out and squeeze your rear.
4. Move your leg to the beginning stance.
5. Repeat with your left leg.

Curtsy Lunges

Curtsy lunges are not just for sculpting sexy legs, they’re amazing for glutes and agility too!  And once you get good at the movement, they can be turned into a challenge for yourself, or with friends. 

Use a timer to see how many you can complete in 1 or 2 minute intervals.  You’ll be burning calories while working your way to feeling confident in your favorite leggings. 

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
2. Step backward with your right foot, crossing it behind your left foot.
3. Bend both knees and descend your body towards the ground. Stop when your front thigh is parallel.
4. Push through your front heel to return to standing, returning your right foot to the beginning stance.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Glute Bridges

Glute bridges activate your booty from the start of the movement to the finish, and provide some extra burn at the peak when you hold and squeeze. And because they don’t require you to move over a distance, they’re perfect when you are having “me time”.  

Lay out a yoga mat and do a few sets while reading a book, or watching tv.  It’s an easy glute exercise that does not take much focus allowing you to enjoy your solitude while toning your tush.

1. Lie down with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.  Your feet should be hip-width apart, with your arms resting at your sides.
2. Squeeze your tush to lift your hips towards the ceiling, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Your feet should remain flat, and your knees should align with your feet.
3. Hold for a second or two at the top of the movement, then slowly move your hips to the starting position.

Pro-tip:  You can vary the width of your feet or the placement of your arms and target different muscles.

Lunges

When you perform lunges, your backend is activated as you step forward or backward and bend your knee.  Then they activate again to help you rise when pushing through your heel on the way back up. Lunges are perfect to mix in with other “up-and-down” the hallway exercises, and to get a cardio fix during a stressful day at work.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Take a big step forward with one foot, keeping your knee directly above your ankle and your other foot in place.
3. Descend, bending both knees until your back knee is just above the ground or as low as you can comfortably go.
4. Push off with your front foot, and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat on your other side by stepping forward with your other foot.
6. Continue to alternate legs.

Hip Thrusts

These aren’t just part of a dance routine with your favorite halloween “horror” movie, they activate and work your glutes, if you remember to squeeze. You can do it to the rhythm of your favorite song while cleaning around the house, or while using a standing desk during the work day.

1. Begin by sitting on the ground in front of a sturdy couch. Your spine should be against the front of the sofa with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground hip-width apart.
2. Lean against the couch, resting your shoulders on the edge of the seat cushion.
3. Push your heels into the ground while lifting your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
4. Squeeze your rear end at the movement's top and hold for a second or two.
5. Descend your hips down to the ground.

Frog Pumps

Frog pumps strengthen and sculpt your posterior as you pull your legs up.  They are similar to a glute bridge, but are going to target more the gluteus medius and minimus due to the external rotation of the thighs.  

1. Lie down and bring the soles of your feet together so your knees are out to the sides, forming a diamond shape with your legs.
2. Make fists with your hands, and keep your elbows on the ground with your forearms perpendicular to the ground.
3. Press your lower back into the floor.
4. Squeeze your posterior and lift your hips toward the ceiling as high as possible, keeping your feet together and your knees out to the sides.
5. Pause at the top, then slowly descend your hips to the starting position.

Fire Hydrants

When you raise your leg to the side, you engage your buttocks making fire hydrants one of the best glute exercises you can do at home.  Although it may be tempting to watch a show on your tablet while you workout at home, keep focused on form and the movement to help ensure you’re getting the glute workout you want.

1. Set out on your hands and knees on the floor with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
2. Keeping your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your right thigh up and out to the side as high as possible while flexing your right foot.
3. Pause at the top of the movement, then move your leg to the starting position.
4. Repeat the movement with the other leg, lifting and moving it to the side.
5. Continue alternating legs.

You don’t need a gym membership to get a toned tush.  You only need to modify some of your daily routines.  And this is easy now that you have 11 glute exercises you can do at home.