Butt Exercises

Looking to trim and tighten your buttocks? Follow these easy to understand butt exercises to get the results you want.

Your butt, or gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus, is used for more than just sitting on and looking good in a pair of jeans. The main function of the gluteus maximus is thigh extension. The hamstring also helps extend the thigh. For example, when standing upright, extension occurs when lifting the leg behind you. The gluteus medius and minimus help with leg adduction. These are the muscles that help bring the legs together.

The butt exercises that follow will mimic everyday activities that you use your glutes to complete, such as coming from a seated to a standing position. Think about the way you stand up from sitting in a chair. Do you use the edge of a table to push yourself up? Or hold onto the edges of the chair? Maybe you use momentum by swinging your body forward and pushing yourself up with your hands on your thighs. From here forward, try to use the daily act of getting up from a chair, as a way to fit a little more exercise into your day!

Of course, a few fun twists will be added to keep you motivated on the way to sculpting your perfect butt!

Most of these butt exercises can be done at home as well as the gym. So if you are not quite ready to show off your skills at the gym, take comfort that your home butt exercises will still be effective. Try to wear comfortable clothing that allows your knees to bend with ease. It is difficult to focus on a butt exercise when you have to constantly adjust your outfit!

Before starting these butt exercises, complete a quick warm-up for about 5 minutes to prepare your muscles for the work you are about to put them through.

Home Warm Up Ideas:

March in place. Stand nice and tall while swinging your arms and lifting your knees to hip height.
Jog in place.
Jumping Jacks. Stand with your feet together and arms by your sides. At the same time, jump and push your feet outwards while swinging your arms above your head. Return to start position and keep going!
Jump rope.
Side foot taps. Step to the right with your right foot, tap the left foot by your right heel. Step to the left with your left foot, tap the right foot by your left heel. Continue stepping side to side. Swing your arms out ward with each step to get your upper body moving as well.

Try just one technique, or make up different combinations to complete your 3-5 minute warm up. Don’t worry if you’re not the most coordinated person, just try to keep moving, even if you’re just walking in place.

Gym Warm-Up Ideas:

The Home Warm Up Ideas can also be used at the gym.
Walk or jog on the treadmill for 3-5 minutes. If possible, try to put on an incline of at least 2%. This will help burn a couple extra calories, get your heart rate going, and imitate a more realistic walking scenario of being outdoors.
Bike or elliptical machine. This is a great option for sore knees or joint issues because these machines reduce the impact on your joints. Stressing your body is important to build muscle and keep your bones strong, but we can accomplish that through weight training as well.

Once those muscles are warm and ready for activity, try to complete 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions for the butt exercises. Give yourself at least 20 seconds rest in between sets. Remember to keep your abs tight throughout each exercise to protect your back and also to help with balance.

Butt Exercise 1: Bench Squats (Beginner, Moderate, Difficult)

Bench squats can be done by all level of fitness ability. Beginner’s should start without added weight and focus on technique. You will be able to feel these without any weight! Once you have down the technique and can complete 12-15 repetitions confidently, grab extra weight to hold onto. As that becomes easier, increase the weight and try the squat without a chair or bench.

Stand in front of a chair or bench with feet shoulder width apart. Shoulder blades squeezed together so that your not slumping forward.
Place your hands on your hips. If you would like to make this more difficult, hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
Keep your abs tight!
Inhale as you push your butt back, keeping your weight on your heels. Do not let your knees go past your toes!
Lower your hips down until you are able to tap the bench or chair with your butt. Make sure you are not standing too far away from the bench so you don’t fall!
Squeeze your butt and exhale as you come back up to the standing position.
You should not feel any pain or pressure in your knees while squatting. If you do, make sure to push your butt back and keep your weight on your heels.

Butt Exercise 2: Bench One leg Squat Down (Beginner-Difficult)

The one leg squat is an even better way to improve strength and tone than a double leg squat (in my opinion). When using one leg, your balance will obviously become part of the exercise as your core must engage as well as more muscle fibers firing in your leg to help with the balance. If you have already mastered a two-leg squat, don’t be surprised if you need to lower your extra weight, or most likely, hold no extra weight at all with the one leg squat.

Stand in front of a bench or chair. Lift your left foot off the ground. It is usually most comfortable to hold the left leg in front of you, so that it doesn’t kick the bench as you go downwards.
Place your hands on your hips and keep your abs tight!
Slowly push your butt back as if you’re going to sit on the bench. At some point, your muscles will reach their limit and you will just plop onto the bench. This may not look very graceful, but try to go to slow and controlled on the way down for as long as you can.
Keep the your weight in your heels and don’t let your knee go over your toes.
Once you’ve come to the seated position, place both feet on the ground shoulder width apart, squeeze your butt and come up to standing.
To make this more difficult, as you are coming into the squat on one leg, lower yourself as low as you can, and hold that position for three seconds, and then you may plop down to the bench!
If you feel like all your doing is “plopping,” work at this slowly and try holding onto a sturdy railing as you squat backwards.

Butt Exercise 3: Kneeling Heel Kickbacks (All Levels)

This butt exercise is fantastic and extremely targeted to the glutes and hamstrings. You should start to feel this after about 8-10 repetitions. Aim to do 15-20 repetitions on each leg. No matter what fitness level you are, everyone will feel this exercise and tone their rear view!

Lower yourself down to ground, preferably to a mat. Kneel on your hands and knees. If this position bothers your back, come down onto your forearms to relieve any pressure you may feel.
Keep your abs tight. Keep your back flat! Fight the temptation to arch or sag your back. If your back is not flat, it may cause pain in your back while doing the exercise.
Lift your right knee slightly off the ground, so that your weight shifts onto your right knee and hands.
Flex your right foot so that the toes are pointing down to the ground. Keeping your foot flexed, push your right heel straight up into the air. Squeeze your right glutes as you push up and exhale.
Slowly bring your knee back to the start position as you inhale. Complete 15-20 repetitions on the right leg before switching to the left leg.

Butt Exercise 4: Kneeling Side Knee Push (All Levels)

This butt exercise is also performed on the floor and can be completed by any level. As you read through the description and look at the pictures, you may think that you should just be lifting the knee out to the side. This is easy to assume, but I want you to really work your butt, and want you to picture pushing an object away from you with the knee. This “pushing” action ensures activation of the muscle!

Lower yourself down to a mat and kneel on your hands and knees. If this bothers your back, come down onto your forearms, instead of your hands. This will relieve any pressure on your back.
Shift your weight to your hands and left knee.
Keep your abs tight and back flat. Flex your right foot, toes pointing downward.
Exhale and push your right knee out to the side as if pushing a ball away from you as quickly as possible.
Bring the knee back to center and inhale. Complete 15-20 repetitions on the right leg before switching to the left side.

Butt Exercise 5: Kneel to Standing (All Levels)

This will look like it is incredibly easy, but it is not. If you are a beginner, and feel like you need extra help or support, please stand next to a sturdy chair or railing. If you are advanced, and can complete 15 repetitions on each side with ease, try holding onto a weighted ball between 3-10 pounds.

This simulates an everyday activity, getting up from the ground to standing, especially if you’re a kid, or have kids, you even may come from kneeling to standing while holding a child (not as easy as it may seem)!

Start in a standing position. Please stand next to a railing in case you need extra help getting up.
Keep your abs tight.
Take a generous step back with your right foot. Stay on the ball of your foot and slowly lower your right knee down to the ground.
Bring your left foot behind you so it is next to your right foot and you are kneeling on both knees.
Bring your right foot in front of you so that your right knee is over your right ankle. Your knees should be at 90 degree angles at this point with your right thigh parallel to the ground.
Pick your left knee up off the ground and push yourself up to standing with the ball of your left foot. Bring your left foot together with your right so you are in the starting position.
Repeat this cycle with the right foot going back first 10-15 times before switching to the left side.
If if bothers your knees to come down to the ground, slow it down a bit to decrease the impact on your knee. You can also add a pad or pillow to soften the drop as well.

After you complete these butt exercises, it is helpful to stretch.

Glute Stretch

Lay on your back with feet flat on the floor, knees bent.
Bring your right ankle to your left knee.
Reach your hands behind your left thigh, and pull your left leg gently towards you, until you feel a stretch.
Hold the stretch for 20-40 seconds. Do not bounce your leg.
Lower your left leg slowly and switch legs.

Hamstring Stretch

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
Slowly reach toward the ground with your hands, until you feel a stretch in the back of your thighs.
Hold the stretch for 20-40 seconds and do not bounce.

Please consult with your physician before starting an exercise program.

Site Navigation:
Home Page: Obesity Corner
Lifetime Fitness Directory: Lifetime Fitness
Top of Page: Butt Exercises

footer for butt exercises page