My Favourite Glute Strengthening Exercises

With minimal equipment, these exercises can be done at the gym or at home - wherever you’re most comfortable! 

Here are some of my fave exercises to help strengthen and tone your glutes:

Banded Hip Thrusts

Equipment: Booty Band

How To:

1. Place a booty band around your thighs just above the knees.
2. Rest your upper back and shoulders on a bench. 
3. Position your feet so that your heels are close to your buttocks.
4. Drive your hips upwards by pressing your feet firmly to the floor and squeezing your buttocks at the top of the exercise (while avoiding overextending).
5. Gradually lower back to the starting position, ensuring that you maintain tension through your glute muscles.

Dumbbell  Hip Thrusts

Equipment: 1 x Dumbbell, Bench

How To:

1. Position the dumbbell across your hips above your pelvis comfortably. You can use a cushion or towel to make this more comfortable, especially as you increase the weight being lifted. 
2. Rest your upper back and shoulders on a bench.
3. Position your feet so that your heels are close to your buttocks.
4. Drive your hips upwards by pressing your feet firmly to the floor and squeezing your buttocks at the top of the exercise (while avoiding overextending).
5. Gradually lower the dumbbell back to the starting position, ensuring that you maintain tension through your glute muscles.

Bulgarian Split Lunges

Equipment: Bench

How To:

1. Start by standing in front of a bench.
2. Extend one leg behind you and secure it on the top of the bench.
3. With an upright torso, braced core and hips square to your body, descend down until your front thigh is almost horizontal, keeping your knee in line with your foot. The closer you stand to the bench, the more it will emphasize the quads.
4. Drive up through your front heel back to the starting position. This is one repetition.

Step-Ups (Weighted)

Equipment: 2 x Dumbbells, Bench

How To:

1. Grasp two dumbbells resting either side of your body.
2. Set up a stable bench at an appropriate height.
3. Step up into the centre of the box or step, leading with the right foot, then the left, bringing both feet completely onto the bench.
4. Stand up tall before stepping back down.
5. Return to the starting position by leading with the right foot to step down to the floor, then the left, before repeating on the left leg. Perform for the number of prescribed repetitions.

Let’s turn it into a workout. Ready? Let’s go!

5 ROUNDS

• 20 x Banded Hip Thrust
• 20 x Dumbbell Hip Thrust
• 20 x Bulgarian Split Lunge
• 20 x Weighted Step-Up

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Let me know below how you feel after this workout!

Join us at THE BOD for more heart-pumping exercises like this!