Some of us are born with a curvaceous backside, and some of us…well, aren’t so lucky.
The good news is, not only can everyone build up their derriere, but they should do so for reasons other than just aesthetics. Although that’s nice, too.
The glutes are immensely important for overall physical health and daily functional movement, especially in females.
That’s why in this post, we’re covering 5 of the best butt exercises for women to build a perky, strong backside.
What Exactly Are Glutes?
The glutes contain the largest muscle group in the human body and are composed of 3 parts:
Gluteus Maximus: The strongest of the three muscles, giving the butt its shape.
Gluteus Medius: On the side of your hips, important for stability during glute exercises.
Gluteus Minimus: The smallest of the glute muscles, positioned beneath the medius, where it helps control hip and thigh motion.
We use our glutes for everyday movements like walking, running, squatting, standing, and jumping.
Gluteal muscles are also key to maintaining a stable core and back. However, when these muscles are weakened, they can lead to poor posture and lower back pain.
Women tend to have wider hips than men, which can place more stress on the hips, knees, and lower back. Not to mention the challenges pregnancy and postpartum may bring.
Exercising your glutes helps keep your body aligned and strong through all these stages of life.
Why Building Up Glutes Can Be Hard
One of the main reasons you’re not seeing bigger glutes, even with exercise, is that you’re either not working out enough or not properly activating your butt muscles.
When we sit too long, our glutes weaken and become inactive, making it tough to build them up.
If our glutes lack the strength needed for various actions, we overuse other muscle groups like the hamstrings, quads, and lower back.
These muscles will get stronger as a result, but at the expense of our glutes.
Engaging the wrong muscles can also increase the risk of injury and put extra strain on our joints.
How to Train Your Butt
To grow a bigger, perkier butt, you need to target each muscle group.
The gluteus maximus will be your primary focus because it’s the largest muscle and plays the biggest role in overall shape and glute strength.
To train this area effectively, consider compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts.
These exercises engage multiple joints and muscle groups and are foundational in most glute workouts.
These moves will assist in maximizing the strength and size of the gluteus maximus.
With that said, we can’t forget about the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus since they enhance mobility and contribute to a more well-rounded butt.
Hip-dominant movements such as leg raises, side planks, and hip abductions will help grow and define this area while also supporting overall glute strength.
As you think about which butt exercises to add to your routine, try to include all three movement patterns so each glute muscle gets attention:
Forward & Back Movements: these extend and push the femur behind your torso. (i.e.,- single leg RDL)
Side-to-side Movements: consider exercises that angle the leg away from your torso. (i.e.,- lateral lunge)
Twisting Movements: twisting exercises rotate the leg away from the torso. (i.e.,- hip abduction)
Butt Exercises for Women
Here are 5 of the best butt exercises for women that you can do at home, at the gym, or anywhere you like.
Master proper form first, then add weights to challenge your glutes safely.
Once you’re ready, use the heaviest weight you can manage and perform 5 to 6 reps perfectly.
The goal is to push yourself, though not to the point of injury.
This is important.
Muscles grow through a process called progressive overload, which means lifting enough to feel challenged in your workouts.
Overloading your muscles allows them to break down in order to rebuild stronger and larger. However, do not push yourself to the point of pain!
If you’re struggling too much, stop before hitting your max. For example, if you can perform 6 reps, stop at 4 or 5 to be safe.
Or, do 4 reps, take a short rest, and then complete the reps. If you only have light weights to work with, especially when exercising at home, simply increase the number of reps.
You may need to perform 12 to 20 reps or more if you don’t feel challenged. The same rules apply: do not push yourself to the point of pain!
With that firm warning in place, here are 5 butt exercises for women.
Bulgarian Split Squat
The Bulgarian Split Squat is one of the most effective butt exercises for building bigger glutes and strong legs.
This movement primarily targets the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, making it an ideal exercise for leg day.
As a unilateral exercise, it keeps your rear leg supported, allowing you to use heavier weights and achieve better results.
How to Perform Bulgarian Split Squats
Secure a bench, box, or chair in place, ensuring it’s stable and level with the middle of your knee when upright.
Standing about 2 to 3 feet from the bench, lift your rear leg and rest it on the surface with the shoelaces facing down.
Keep the core tight and the spine straight.
Slowly drive your rear knee down toward the floor. To hit the glutes, drive your front knee forward over the ankle, so the shin sits diagonally instead of at a straight 90-degree angle.
Maintain a wider stance between your front foot and the bench. Lean your torso closer to your thigh to activate more of the butt muscles.
Push through your front heel to stand and repeat for reps.
Remember to maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise. Once you have this down, you can add weight.
This is a regular Bulgarian split squat. This will work the glutes but is more quad-dominant. To focus more on the glutes, hinge your hips back and lean your torso toward the thigh.
Romanian Deadlifts (RDL) Kickstand
The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is an incredible exercise that strengthens the glutes and hamstrings while also improving glute strength for a perkier backside.
Incorporating a kickstand against the wall can make this an even more effective home workout.
Just like the traditional RDL, this variation uses a hip-hinge pattern to work your lower back and strengthen the entire posterior chain, which is key for a stronger and more defined backside.
Plus, the wall helps you stabilize and perfect your form.
How to Perform Romanian Deadlifts
Stand hip-width apart, holding your weights in front of your thighs.
Place your heel against the wall to form a kickstand for stability.
With straight arms, push your butt behind you and lower the weights down towards your shins (or until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings).
Keep the back straight, core tight, and chest up throughout the movement.
Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to stand and continue for reps.
You can also try this move with your foot on the floor if the wall is too challenging. It’s the same movement, just place your foot behind the other.
Cossack Squat
The Cossack Squat may not be the most well-known exercise, but it definitely belongs in your workout routine.
This powerful lower-body movement strengthens the glutes while targeting the inner thighs, quads, and hamstrings, making it a great addition to any balanced leg day.
It involves a deep lateral lunge, where you shift your weight from one leg to the other, allowing the extended leg to stretch to the side.
This improves hip and ankle mobility while building strength and stability.
How to Perform Cossack Squats
Place your hands on your hips, and take a wide stance so your legs form a triangle with the floor.
Shift your weight to one side and bend that knee, keeping the other leg extended.
Hinge at the hips and lower down to that one side. Keep the heel of your bent leg on the ground, and the toes of your extended leg pointing to the ceiling.
Keep an upright torso and your spine neutral.
Push up back up to the center position, before shifting to the other side, and repeat the process for reps.
Once you have this down, you can add weight.
Clamshells
Next up is the clamshell. This exercise does a great job of targeting the glutes, hips, thighs, and core.
It gets its name from the opening and closing movement pattern that mimics a clamshell.
Excellent for the gluteus medius and overall hip stability, this is a key glute activation exercise.
It can also be performed traditionally without any resistance or intensified with the use of a resistance band.
How to Perform Clamshells
Lie on your side with your knees bent towards your chest and your feet together. Ensure that your heels are aligned with your heels, hips, and shoulders.
Rest your head on your arm or prop yourself up on your elbow for support. Place your other hand on your hip or on the floor in front of you. ,
Keep your back straight and core tight.
Raise your top knee as high as you can, keeping your feet stacked.
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then lower your knee back down slowly and continue for reps.
Bonus: Hip Thrusts
Here’s a bonus glute exercise that will help grow your butt.
The hip thrust is a hinge movement that specifically targets the gluteus maximus, making it a highly effective move
The beauty of this move is that you can use a chair or a bench for support to promote gluteal activation and build lower-body strength.
It’s the perfect staple to any perky butt workout routine.
How to Perform Hip Thrusts
Secure a chair or bench against a wall to prevent movement. Sit on the floor with your upper back against the edge of the chair or bench.
Bend your knees and plant your feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
Push through the heels to drive your hips toward the ceiling, making sure to squeeze your glutes at the top.
Keep a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Your core should be tight and your back in a neutral position.
Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position with control, and repeat for reps.
What to Eat for a Bigger Butt
Working out is only half the battle. To build a perky, strong butt, you also need to eat right and get enough rest. We’ll cover rest in a moment, but first, let’s focus on nutrition.
What you put in your body plays a big role in growing and shaping your glutes. When eating for muscle growth, there are a few key steps to follow.
First, calculate your macros.
Macronutrients are the three main nutrients your body needs in large amounts to function at its best: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
You can learn how to calculate your macros here, or try a macro calculator for a helpful starting point.
Tracking your macros gives you a clear idea of how much of each nutrient to eat to hit your fitness goals and maintain an appropriate calorie range.
Next, focus on a healthy, balanced diet packed with vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
This type of eating helps keep you full, fuels your workouts, and supplies the macro- and micronutrients your body needs to build muscle and stay strong.
Protein is extremely important for glute growth. It builds and repairs muscle, so aim for around 35% of your daily calories from protein.
If getting enough protein from food is challenging, low-sugar protein drinks can be a helpful supplement.
Don’t forget leafy greens, as they support muscle function, improve recovery, and can help manage calorie intake.
Finally, avoid ultra-processed foods like chips, cookies, and frozen convenience meals. Whole, nutrient-dense foods are always the better choice for building strong, healthy muscles.
Rest & Recovery for a Bigger Butt
Since we talked about the specific exercises and nutrition needed to grow a bigger butt, we now need to discuss rest and recovery.
These two steps are crucial elements to the muscle-building process and cannot be overlooked if you expect to reap any fitness gains.
During exercise, your muscles suffer micro tears from progressive overload.
When your body goes through rest periods (like on a rest day), it repairs those micro tears, allowing your muscles to grow stronger.
Many people believe that muscle growth happens while exercising, maybe because of the exercise bump you can get from a challenging workout session.
But in reality, hypertrophy or muscle growth takes place on your off days.
The body needs this time to recover from the physical stress of training so you can come back stronger and more capable for next time.
It can be difficult to know how much rest time you need; this is up to you.
You can take one to two days off or more, depending on factors like your fitness level, workout intensity, and the amount of strain on your body.
Make sure to also get plenty of sleep, as this can also impact your gains. You should aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night for muscle growth.
Related Posts You May Like
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Start Your Perky Butt Journey Today!
You now have 5 (well, 6 with the bonus) of the best butt exercises for women to strengthen and lift your glutes.
Add them to your current routine or combine them into a dedicated glute workout. Remember: consistency, proper nutrition, and rest are the keys to a perky backside.
Just keep these few things in mind for a bigger butt:
Exercise consistently ( at least twice a week)
Get enough nutrients, especially protein (here’s a post on what to eat before and after your workouts)
Don’t skip rest days (active rest days count, too)
The exercises chosen above are proven and will produce results. You may even start seeing progress within the month.
Now, go get that bubble butt!
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