Glute workouts at home: the best exercises

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2014-05-16

It should be noted that this article will primarily be of interest to women. I will focus on them, but everything mentioned below applies equally to men. After all, both genders want to have good and well-defined glutes, as they are one of the most attractive parts of the body.

To get straight to the point, you can effectively build your glutes at home, using minimal equipment. Minimal means that some equipment will still be necessary.

Before we settle on exercises, we need to assess what equipment you have at home. I’ll be blunt: if you have absolutely nothing at home, you won't be able to effectively grow your glutes. Muscle growth requires additional load, not just your body weight. Of course, you can achieve some effect. But let’s discuss everything in order.

Exercises Without Sports Equipment

This exercise by itself is not very effective. It only provides value when performed in conjunction with other foundational exercises for the glutes. For example, those described below. To enhance its effectiveness, you can place some weight on your hips, such as a weight plate. It's best to rest your shoulders on a bench or some other support to increase the range of motion.

This exercise is quite similar in its effects to lunges. However, there’s no stress on the joints, making it completely safe. That said, the effectiveness is also quite low, and it should serve only as a supplementary exercise. You should ideally attach a weight around your ankles or use some kind of resistance.

There are plenty of glute exercises without specialized equipment. You can find all of them in the article: 100 exercises for glutes at home. If you have at least dumbbells, let’s move on. The first and most effective exercises for glutes will be done with dumbbells.

Exercises with Dumbbells

This is a fundamental exercise specifically targeting the glutes, but it also engages the thighs. Generally, the most effective exercises for the glutes also engage the legs. This is just how human biomechanics work.

To better target the glutes during this exercise, you should squat as low as possible. The effectiveness of this exercise is directly dependent on the depth of your squats. For beginner women, using 5 kg dumbbells is quite sufficient initially. Then, the weight should be progressively increased to 12-15 kg.

Another excellent exercise, suitable for those without knee issues. It involves alternating between one leg and the other. Start with 3-5 kg dumbbells and then gradually increase them to 10-12 kg.

It’s better to place your front foot on a small platform (10-20 cm high). This allows for a deeper drop, and the lower you go, the more your glutes will engage. Additionally, try to perform the required number of repetitions with one leg before switching to the other. And during the repetitions, avoid stepping; keep your feet firmly on the ground.

The recommendations remain the same: to better target the glutes, drop lower. To do that, step onto platforms—perhaps low stools. Start with 10 kg dumbbells, then increase to 20-25 kg.

In contrast to the previous exercises, this one trains the glutes and primarily targets the back. It’s ideal for those who are afraid of building their leg muscles. You should bend down until your back is parallel to the floor. Don’t go lower than that. Keep your knees slightly bent. The sharper the angle between your thigh and back, the more your glutes will stretch.

Exercises with a Barbell

So, the first, second, and fourth exercises with dumbbells can also be performed with a barbell:

Now let's discuss exercises that can only be performed with a barbell.

This exercise trains the glutes, the hamstrings, and the back. If you want to focus more on the glutes, bend your knees more. However, your hips should still be higher than your knees.

A key requirement for this exercise is to maintain a straight back. If you cannot keep your back straight, do not perform this exercise. Doing it with a curved back is very dangerous. For beginners, a 10 kg barbell is sufficient. After that, you can increase the weight to 20-30 kg. Since this exercise engages multiple muscle groups, it’s best to pair it with more glute-focused exercises.

This exercise not only targets the glutes but also teaches you to keep your back straight, thereby improving your posture. Start with about 15-20 kg for beginners, and for more experienced lifters, 30-40 kg. You should also squat quite deeply.

Conclusion

1. As you can see, specialized machines are not necessary for effective glute training. Just having dumbbells will suffice. However, without dumbbells, it's challenging to expect good results.

2. If you incorporate most of the foundational exercises outlined above for building your glutes, you will also be working your thighs and back simultaneously. That’s already 70% of your total muscle mass. But don’t forget to train other muscle groups too.

3. For noticeable effects, you will need reasonably heavy dumbbells. Using dumbbells of just 3-5 kg will clearly not be enough.

4. Don't limit yourself to just one or two exercises. Aim to do 4-5 different exercises for your glutes throughout the week. You can certainly do more, but 4-5 is perfectly sufficient.