This post discusses 5 of the best perky butt exercises for women!
Some of us are born with a curvacious 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 exploring 5 of the best perky butt exercises for women.
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: Located along the sides of the buttocks, attached to your hip ligaments.
Gluteus Minimus: The smallest muscle in the butt, situated beneath the gluteus medius.
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 largely be your primary focus because it’s what most people think about when it comes to butt size.
Therefore, to train this area, consider compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts which engage multiple joints and muscle groups.
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 burning excess fat.
As you think about the butt exercises you want to include in a single workout, try to focus on three movement patterns to work each muscle group:
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
The butt exercises below can be done anywhere, however, it’s imperative to master the proper form before adding weights.
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 best exercises for building bigger glutes.
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 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-angle 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 for hitting the glutes and hamstrings.
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 Cossak Squat may not be the most well-known exercise, but it definitely belongs in your workout routine.
Cossack squats primarily target the inner thighs, glutes, quads, and hamstrings, providing an all-around leg-day experience.
This exercise 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 enhances hip and ankle mobility while promoting strength and balance.
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 building strength and mobility in the lower body, the clamshell also enhances overall hip stability.
It can be performed traditionally without any resistance or intensified with the use of a resistance band.
How to Perform Clamshells
Lie on your side with 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 exercise that will grow your butt is the hip thrust, as it specifically targets the gluteus maximus.
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. You also want to make sure you’re eating right and getting enough rest. We’ll talk more about the last one in a moment.
For now, let’s discuss what to put in your stomach to grow that ideal perky butt we’re after.
We know nutrition is important to our overall health, however when eating for muscle mass you need to do a couple of things.
First, calculate your macros.
Macronutrients are three nutrients the body needs in large quantities to function at its best.
These are carbs, proteins, and fats. You can learn how to calculate your macros here. Or if you prefer to use a macro calculator, click here.
They may not be perfect but they’re a good starting point.
This will give you a good idea of how much macros of each macro you need to consume to hit your goal and provide a calorie range to stay within.
Next, start a healthy nutritional diet filled with vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
A diet like this one will help keep you full and supply all the macro- and micronutrients you need to stay healthy while achieving your fitness goals.
For muscle growth, focus on getting sufficient amounts of lean protein. Protein builds and repairs muscle. Experts suggest around 35% of your daily calories should come from proteins.
If you struggle to get enough protein, you could also consider low-sugar protein drinks. Remember to include leafy greens in your diet.
They help build stronger muscles, improve muscular function, and cut down your calorie intake. Lastly, avoid ultra-processed food like chips, cookies, and fast and microwaveable foods.
Whole foods are better than processed foods any day of the week.
Rest & Recovery for a Bigger Butt
Since we’ve talked about the specific exercises and nutrition needed to grow a bigger butt, we now have 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.
Start Your Perky Butt Journey Today!
There you have it, 5 of the best perky butt exercises for women. Well, technically 6 but who’s counting?
You can add them to an existing fitness routine or group them into one bootylicious workout session.
Do them at home, in the park, at the gym—or wherever. 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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