Seems like the booty is more popular than ever. Everyone is wanting to have that killer booty that is round and juicy and makes the opposite sex crumble.
It’s gonna take more than some silly 30-day squat challenge to get it done but it can be done. So get ready to put in the work and you will soon be able to kiss that sloppy pancake butt goodbye.
Here are our top 5 exercises to get you that killer booty. Incorporate these into your workouts or try the Unlock Your Glutes training program designed to give you the best butt possible.
What Are The Glute Muscles?
Well, the gluteus maximus isn’t just an impressive name; it’s also the largest muscle in your body. And it doesn’t work alone. It’s part of a trio that includes the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
These three amigos work in concert to help you in various aspects of daily life and athletic performance.
What Is The Function Of The Glutes?
Beyond filling out a pair of jeans nicely, these muscles have several functions. They help with things like extending and rotating your hips and giving stability around the hip area. Basically, they’re involved in everyday actions like standing up and climbing stairs, as well as keeping your posture upright.
Now, let’s talk about working out. Whether your goal is athletic performance or just looking good, you’ll want to target these muscles. The key is adding resistance to exercises that engage the glutes. For example, you’ll get better results in activities that involve a lot of hip extension.
Why does this matter in real-world scenarios? Consider this: when you’re sprinting, the power your glutes generate during hip extension helps you take your next step more quickly, covering more distance in less time. Or think about Olympic lifting, where a strong hip extension can make all the difference in executing a successful snatch, helping propel the bar upwards. So yeah, glutes are a big deal, not just for weightlifters but for anyone who moves.
How To Grow Yout Butt
Building up your glutes isn’t all that different from working on any other muscle group. A balanced workout routine should definitely include some glute-focused exercises.
When it comes to packing on muscle, hypertrophy and increased training volume are your best friends. These goals can be achieved through resistance training. And if you’re not a fan of weights or don’t have access to them, don’t worry. There are plenty of effective bodyweight exercises for the glutes you can try out.
Now, considering that your glutes are among the largest and strongest muscles in your body, you’ll want to give them the attention they deserve. This means applying enough load and volume, but in a way that’s safe, to encourage muscle growth.
Reps and Sets For Great Glutes
Knowing the top exercises for glute growth is crucial, but that’s only part of the story. You also need a game plan for how you’ll manipulate your reps and sets to maximize those booty gains.
Mixing up your rep ranges and load is a smart move. Start off with heavier weights for lower reps to build your overall strength. Then switch to lighter weights with higher reps to stimulate muscle growth.
When it comes to building pure strength, you’re looking at performing around 3 to 5 reps using 89% to 94% of your one-rep max (1RM).
For hypertrophy, or muscle growth, a rep range of 8 to 12 with 60% to 80% of your 1RM is generally your sweet spot.
Top 5 Exercises for a Great Butt:
Hit these 5 exercises at the gym and you will turn some serious heads.
1) Squats
There is a reason people talk about having a squat booty….it’s cause you get one from doing squats. And we aren’t talking about any wimpy half squats either, we are talking ass-to-grass squats.
The further down you go the more glute activation you will have. Lower the weight if you need to, and go lower. If back squats aren’t your thing you can try goblet squats, hack squats, air squats ect. Find a squat that works for you and get to it, your booty will thank you for it!
2) Hip Thrust
We strongly considered putting the hip thrust in first place, it is certainly worthy of the spot without question. Don’t be shy about adding a weighted barbell to your hip thrusts or raising your feet as well to get a better workout.
And also don’t be afraid that you look like you are humping the air in the gym either, only the idiots will think anything of it and who cares what they think. Besides, once you have that perfect booty it won’t be the air that you are humping anymore;)
3) Lunges
If you have never done lunges before be prepared to have a sore booty the next day. This exercise is a booty killer. Whether you do them with weights, walking, front, step back or to the side, lunges area straight up glute assassin. They also work the quads and hamstrings too.
Whatever you do in your booty training do not forget to include these, just do a couple of sets of deep lunges and then you will know what we mean.
4) Glute Bridge
Glute bridge is an awesome booty shaper that also hits the hamstrings. It is similar to the hip thrust except your torso is not elevated with this one.
It is good for helping with glute activation (Along with the hip thrust) which people who work at a job where they sit all day really need, those glutes are stretched all day in the seated position and need to be worked and tightened. If you are more advanced add weight or do it with one leg.
Deadlifts are a cornerstone for hitting those muscles in the back of your body, especially targeting your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles.
When done with the right form, deadlifts let you add a good amount of weight, engaging both your upper and lower body. This makes it a stellar exercise for building strength, power, and muscle size.
Aside from targeting your posterior chain, deadlifts offer some extra perks. They help improve your posture and boost your grip strength, skills that you can apply to other exercises and daily activities.
If you’re a fan of the sumo deadlift, you’ll be pleased to know that studies show no significant difference i
n glute activation between sumo and traditional deadlifts, as long as you’re lifting at your 12-rep max.
Conclusion
There you have it, five exercises for a great butt. Do these and your behind will be so good they will write songs about it. You don’t need to go totally apeshit and do all five in one session though, pick three of them and hit them hard and that should have you well on your way to Bootietopia.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and lifelong fitness fanatic. He has run half marathons, done mud runs, placed in body transformation contests, coached wrestling, and now coaches girls’ soccer. Not to mention he has also tried literally hundreds of supplements over the years and has a vast and thorough supplement knowledge. He has written for Muscle & Strength, Testosterone Junkie, The Sport Review and other publications. He is also the editor-in-chief of this website and has over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry. Feel free to connect with him on his LinkedIn page below.
