Are you wondering what the best exercises are to get your glutes toned and fit? This post will discuss specific factors which you should consider before deciding on a glute workout routine. Yes, strong, well-rounded, and nicely-toned glutes always make a statement. As a matter of fact, there are numerous butt-sculpting exercises to redefine your butts.
Equipment at the gym can also be helpful. But when all you’ve got is your body and your home space, you can positively
transform plain glutes into high towers of respect. So, in this post, we show you the
best exercises to tighten buttocks and thighs. Further, we’ve come up with
glutes exercises which you can do without weights. Keep reading to learn more about
how to build magnificent glutes.
Why should You Care About Exercises for Glutes?
Do you know why tighter and firmer glutes matter so much? Activities such as jumping and climbing which require powerful moves and strength become easier when you have strong glutes. When you engage in the right exercises to build the three
muscles in your glutes, you ultimately achieve those nice-looking glutes results. Now, did you also know that big and solid glutes provide support for your
lower back? Your lower body becomes well-defined overtime and you get more empowered to carry out tough tasks.
How do Your Glute Muscles Work?
Your glutes comprise three major muscles generally called:
- Gluteus minimus
- Gluteus medius
- Gluteus maximus
All three gluteal muscles are functional for the hips and thighs. Your pelvic are and upper leg require strong movement to enable you carry out moving performances such as walking, staying straight, and swinging. Now, let’s discuss each muscle.
The Gluteus Minimus
The gluteus minimus is known as the smallest gluteal muscle. It stabilizes your hip so that you don’t fall or slip when you walk, jog or run. Also, it is right beneath the gluteus medius. Let’s find out what that muscle does.
The Gluteus Medius
The second most important gluteal muscle is the gluteus medius. It supports your weight whenever you stand on either your left or right leg alone. Think about climbing the stairs or doing one-leg exercises. Your gluteus muscle ensures that your pelvis remains in place and move when necessary. Apparently, the gluteus mimimus and gluteus medius work together.
The Gluteus Maximus
The gluteus maximum is popularly known as the largest muscle in the human body. In fact, it is the strongest muscle which keeps the body straight. In essence, without your gluteus maximus, your upper body will struggle to stay upright. And when this occurs, one develops a poor physique. Another remarkable thing about the gluteus maximus is its location. It’s the topmost muscle in the thigh which provides support when you swing your leg forward or backward. Now, the best way to expand your glutes is to
perform exercises which affect each of these three muscles in different ways. In essence, when each gluteal muscle is well worked, your glutes will ultimately produce more muscle tissue.
What Factors Should You Consider Before Engaging in Exercises for Glutes?
Do you feel convinced that including the best exercises for glutes in your workouts will improve your butt shape and strength? These are some steps you need to take:
- Adjust your eating habits so that each of your meal comprises at least 30 grams of protein. The perk of this is that the right exercise will boost your metabolic rate and speed up the activity of proteins in shaping your gluteal muscles.
- In addition, when aiming for flexibility, dedicate 5-10 minutes to stretching. Stretching exercises such as leg or arm extensions can help to increase body flexibility and wrap up these butt exercises accurately.
- When working on your glutes, never neglect your upper and middle body and legs. The right sets of reps of cardio workouts will improve your core and overall strength as you extend the focus from your glutes to other key body areas.
- Again, your choice of weights is as important as building muscles. Whether you choose barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells or elevated benches, the goal must always be to challenge your muscles. Mini resistance bands can also come in handy when targeting your gluteus medius in compound lifts such as lunges or squats.
- Ensure that the exercises for glutes which you choose for your workout are customized to fit your specific hip and glute anatomy.
Best 7 Butt-Sculpting Exercises
You can personalize the following
butt exercises so that you achieve amazing round-shaped and firm glutes:
When you do clamshells, your upper body doesn’t do any work. The active muscle here is your gluteus medius and it works in line with the largest muscle to improve thigh rotation. To get the best of this workout, lie on your side and bend your knees forward slightly. Support your head with your folded arm and place your other arm in front of your chest with the palm on the floor. Now, lock your heels together so that they are parallel to
your butt. Then open your thighs and extend the upper knee backward until it can no longer move. As always, keep your back straight. Bring your knee down after a three count.
- Hip Squats with Resistance Band
The hip abduction squats make squats even more productive. Why? Placing resistance bands around your thighs (close to your knees) helps to keep your knees straight so that you don’t develop any tears. And since it focuses on improving gluteus medius/minimus, you can enjoy more balance during all weighted or non-weighted squats.
- Lateral Walk with Resistance Band
Even though this exercise looks awkward, it works your glutes to a large extent. By shuffling the funny sideway movements with a resistance band around your ankles, you send some tension into your glutes. When you alter the movement, from right leg to left leg, you challenge your gluteal muscles.
- Downward Facing Hamstring Curl
The hamstring curl is one of the easiest glute exercises to do. Why? It doesn’t require any weights. Plus, you simply have to lie facing downward and fold your knees backward. At the top of this movement, squeeze your glutes and tighten your muscles. Next, lift your legs at the same time and hold your feet closely together. Avoid moving other parts of your body so that the tension can increase in your glutes and hamstrings.
This is one of
the best exercises for glutes which improves your gluteal muscles while also strengthening your hamstrings. Interestingly too, gaining good balance is an essential part of this glute workout. Thus, you may want to start without weights. Stand with your right leg being slightly behind your left leg. Bend your right knee slightly and pin your toes into the floor. Then tighten the muscles of this leg and raise it backward until it can no longer extend. Next, bend your chest so that it faces the floor in a straight position and arch your lower back a bit. Apply the same movements if you’re using barbells or dumbbells.
All exercises such as squats and lunges that target the lower body depend on your ability to hinge your hips. Keep your spine in its normal position while you bend your waist and widen your feet. Next, bend your knees partially and touch the tip of your fingers to the floor. Also align your head with your shoulder and your hip so that there is hardly any movement around your hip. Stand up carefully after 5 seconds and repeat.
To get the best out of this form of squat, you need to patiently bend your knees and hold the dumbbell in position. Start by standing with your feet apart. Ensure that you widen your legs so that your feet are wider than your shoulders. Lower your upper body and keep it straight as you bend your knees with your arms gripping the dumbbell firmly. Go down with a four count and come back up after a three count. You can also do these glute workouts:
- Kettlebell Swings
- Deadlifts
- Step Ups
- Hip Thrusts (and its variants)
- Cable Kickbacks
Finally, remember to always do reps of several glutes exercises so that all your muscles can develop simultaneously.
Final Words
What you’ve read above proves that it’s possible to transform a flat bum into a big, bold butt. But the results you see, whether you’re a man or woman, depends on how well you maximize the best glute exercises. If you keep your glutes healthy and strong, you would enjoy higher levels of flexibility, strength, and balance. Hence, get started with your hip hinges, hip thrusts, step ups, clamshells, and lots more. We hope you had a great time learning the secrets of well-rounded butts and firmer glutes. For more information about muscle building, read this
post.
