Updated January 2024

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Did you know the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your entire body? We’re going to go over exactly what you need to do to get all the glute muscles in the best shape of your life. Here, you’ll find the five best glute-focused exercises to get the buns you’ve always wanted. Some use a machine, others you can do right at home.

Some of the best exercises for growing your glutes include barbell hip thrusts, sumo squats, sumo deadlifts, cable kickbacks, and the hip abduction machine. You also want to ensure you are eating enough protein and getting at least seven hours of sleep every night for optimal muscle growth.

Keep reading to discover the juicy details of the top five tips to grow those glutes in no time!

5 Exercises You Have to Include in Your Booty Routine

1. Barbell Hip Thrusts

The barbell hip thrust is an exercise that can truly maximize your glute gains. And if you're brave, you can even try a single-leg hip thrust! For this movement, you will need a bench and a weighted barbell.

Place weights onto a barbell (affiliate link) you can manage for at least 2 sets of 6 repetitions. Then, place that barbell parallel to the bench.
Sit on the floor, resting your back against the bench.
Slowly roll the barbell over your hips till it rests in your hip crease.
Lift your hips slightly off the ground while squeezing your glutes. Throughout the entire exercise, keep the bottom of your shoulder blades against the bench and your chin tucked.
Keep your glutes squeezed as you lift your hips toward the ceiling for full hip extension. Pause for 2-3 seconds.
Slowly bend your hips until you’ve returned to the starting position.

Repeat for 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions.

2. Sumo Squats

The sumo squat is a variation of the regular squat. It uses a wider stance than hip-width apart. Squeeze your glutes, lower your body, and then stand straight up again.

Stand with your feet just a bit wider than shoulder-width apart, and rotate your feet out at a 45-degree angle.
Keep your shoulders directly in line with your hips throughout the entire exercise.
Place your arms by your sides and keep your pelvis slightly tucked. Push your hips back a little while bending your knees.
Sink down low enough that your legs are parallel to the floor or as close to parallel as possible.
Pause for a moment.
Squeeze your glutes and slowly begin to stand back up. Gradually straighten your knees, and let your hips move forward a little.
Your shoulders should be directly in line with your hips as you complete each repetition.

Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 repetitions.

3. Sumo Deadlifts

This deadlift focuses on your glutes and lower back, and it’s a favorite competitive event with powerlifters.

Similar to the sumo squat, stand with your legs wider than shoulder-width apart. Your feet should be angled to the side, but not as far as in a sumo squat.
Inhale as you bend down and place your hands close together on the bar. Use an overhand position.
Brace your back to keep it as vertical as possible. Drop your bottom slightly enough that your knees stay in line with your feet.
Lift the bar until you’re standing straight. Keep it close to your body the entire time.
Lower the bar to your knees, then gently lower it back down to the ground from there.

Complete 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 20 reps.

4. Cable Kickbacks

Cable kickbacks use a machine to target your glutes even better than squats do!

Place the ankle cuff (affiliate link) around your ankle. Set the machine to bear an appropriate amount of weight.
Bend at the waist, keeping your back as parallel to the floor as you can.
Bend your cuffed leg slightly and squeeze your glutes.
Slowly lift your leg back and up as far as you can.
Squeeze your glutes again as you lower your leg back down to the ground.

Do 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

5. Hip Abduction Machine

Step into the machine and place your feet on the pegs.
Set the machine to the weight you want to lift.
Sit with your back against the pad. Keep your spine neutral.
Release the handle on the seat’s sides to release your legs into the starting position.
Keep your chin up and your chest high.
While holding on to the handles, push out through your knees to your widest range of motion.
Gradually close your knees, bringing you back to the starting position.
When you’ve completed all reps, release the handle. This will open the leg pads for you.

Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

5 Essentials For Efficiently Growing Your Glutes

We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” It’s as true today as it was way back in the day. No matter how much or how hard you exercise, what you eat will always play a bigger role in achieving your dream physique.

The 80/20 rule states that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. Both components are important for helping you build muscle, burn body fat, and achieve your dream body composition, but diet does play the biggest role. Read on to find out how you can combine a healthy diet, exercise, and proper rest to improve your rearview.

Eat Enough Calories

In order to build muscle, you need to be in a slight caloric surplus. The National Academy of Sports Medicine advises a caloric surplus instead of maintenance calories or a caloric deficit to increase muscle mass. In other words, your muscles need fuel to improve their size and strength.

However, if you’re worried about gaining weight while being in a surplus, don’t stress! It’s alright to gain a little fat while building a lot of muscle as long as you’re lifting correctly, and health experts recommend staying in a calorie surplus for only about four to six months. You can always shred down after you’ve gained a good amount of muscle to let your improved body shape show through!

Prioritize Protein

Protein contains amino acids, and amino acids are the building blocks of muscle. So, if you’re not getting enough protein, your glutes aren’t either. While you still want to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates and healthy fats, it is ideal that you maximize your protein intake. To be successful with this, follow this simple rule: You need one gram of protein for every pound you weigh. Here are a few high-protein sources:

Omnivores can enjoy salmon, chicken breast, tuna, pork, and ground turkey.
Vegetarians might include some eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and low-fat cheeses.
Vegans can get lots of protein from hemp seeds, oats, cauliflower, beans, lentils, and chickpeas.

Focus On All Three Muscles

Your glutes are comprised of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus keeps us standing upright, and that’s the one we sit on the most. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles work together to help us maintain good balance by stabilizing our hips.

All three muscles need to be targeted equally for your booty to have a better look. We all have our own body structure, so not everyone can have J.Lo’s backside. Just work with what you’ve got for your body, and everything will be fine in the end!

Do the Right Kind of Cardio

Surprise! Doing cardio like running or sweating on the elliptical trainer will actually make your glutes smaller (or not change them at all). Why? You’re not really strengthening the lower body. All that leg movement just burns fat throughout your body.

If you’re looking to tone or grow your glutes, then stairs, incline walking, and sprints are the way to go. Stairs work your gluteus maximus and gluteus medius. Sprints cause the muscle fibers in your glutes to get bigger. Incline walking stimulates your glutes and promotes their growth.

Get Enough Rest

You’ve probably heard how important it is to stretch before and after workouts, but how often do you stretch your glutes? They should be targeted two to three times a week. Any more or less won’t get the results you’re looking for.

Did you know sleep is one of your best allies in building muscle? During sleep, our bodies produce the growth hormone (GH). When it’s released, our muscles grow. When we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies don’t make enough GH for our muscles to benefit.

Remember the amino acids we were talking about a few minutes ago? Sleep helps muscles release them into the bloodstream at an increased rate. This helps them grow bigger and stronger!

Final Thoughts

Thank goodness you don't have to bust your butt at the gym (literally or figuratively) to get great glutes. Add a dash of nutritional know-how to adequate sleep and a realistic workout routine that includes a variety of butt exercises, and you’ve got a well-rounded booty transformation program.

Keep in mind that there are other important reasons to keep those muscles in shape besides appearance. They reduce back pain, especially in your lower back, and they can also help with knee pain. If your hips are out of balance, it can put too much force on your knees.

Glutes are also responsible for power during exercise. You use them when you jump and lift heavy weights that target multiple muscle groups. They’re also used when you want to accelerate, just like when you sprint.