Doing butt exercises at home isn’t as easy as hitting the gym, but it certainly pays off, especially if you know the best butt exercises for toning and shaping your glutes. By using your furniture at home and practising bodyweight movements, you won’t need to register for a gym membership just to get your butt into shape. Most of the best butt exercises can be done in the comfort of your living room. Squats, for example, are one of the best butt exercises out there and require zero equipment.
You may want to buy a few small products to keep at home to help you perform the best butt exercises and maximize your results. This includes items such as a weighted kettlebell, dumbbells, and booty bands (resistance bands). Below are 15 of the best butt exercises to do at home:
1. Single-Leg Deadlift with Kettlebell
The bodyweight single-leg deadlift is a challenging exercise that engages the hamstrings, glutes and core muscles. In a standing position, hold a weighted kettlebell in the opposite arm as your standing leg. Keeping your back as straight as possible and your shoulders as relaxed as you can, slowly lower your arm toward the floor as one leg kicks back behind you, and until your chest is perpendicular to the floor. Slowly return to the starting position, using the muscles in your standing leg to balance, and squeeze your glutes.
2. Goblet Squat
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed straight ahead or slightly outward, and hold a weight parallel to the floor in front of your chest, with elbows pointing toward the floor. Push your hips back and bend your knees until your upper legs are almost parallel to the floor. Push yourself back up to start. That was one rep. Try to do at least 25 of these as part of your at-home butt workout routine.
3. Walking Lunges
Perform a walking lunge by standing with hands on the hips and turning the feet slightly outward. Step forward with one leg, lowering your body as far as possible before returning to the starting position. Repeat for 10-12 reps on each leg. The walking lunge is excellent for improving your lower body’s stability. It will also help improve hip mobility, build gluteal muscles, strengthen the quads, reduce the risk of injury, relieve pain that comes after running, and help to prevent injuries during your squat workouts.
4. Deadlift to Double-Down Lunge
Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a barbell in front of you at shoulder level with your palms facing forward. Keep your back straight and your abs tight. Bend at the hips until your upper body is close to parallel to the floor; then slowly lower the barbell to the floor. Return to standing by pushing up on your heels. Repeat, making sure to alternate legs each time.
5. Bench Up-and-Overs With Dumbbell
This is a simple exercise that’s less than a minute long. If you stand on an exercise step with your arms extended in front of you, step one foot onto the step and then switch sides, stepping your other foot onto the step, continuing to alternate quickly until the minute ends. Perform the up-and-over for 30 seconds, doing as many reps as you can of the exercise. Keep strict form.
6. High Knees
The High Knees Exercise targets your glutes. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, and lean your torso forward slightly. Engage your core muscles and keep a neutral spine position. Drive one knee towards the chest, followed by the other knee towards the chest as you squeeze your glutes on each side. Keep alternating from left to right as quickly as you can for 30 seconds.
7. Alternating Kettlebell Swing
Start with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and round your upper body forward, bringing the kettlebell between your legs (your arm should form approximately a 90-degree angle when it is overhead). From this position, swing the kettlebell up to shoulder level in one big motion. Repeat for several reps or sets of 10 to 12, then switch hands. The kettlebell swing is an exercise where you alternately bring a kettlebell up to shoulder level using your hips and butt muscles. It’s a great whole-body exercise that will work out your butt, abs, shoulders, arms—even your core.
8. Weighted Side Lunge
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Tighten your core and keep your head aligned with your spine. Lunge by stepping out to the right with your right foot, lowering the dumbbells to the outside of your right leg at knee level. Pause at the bottom, then push back up through your heel to return to starting position. Repeat on the other side. Do eight to 10 reps per side, resting 30 seconds between sets.
9. Lunge to Shoulder Press
Begin in a standing position with feet together. Position your right foot approximately 1 to 2 feet in front of the left. Slowly lower yourself into a lunge while simultaneously sliding your right knee over your right ankle and lowering your left hip directly over your left knee. As you descend into the lunge, squeeze the muscles in your butt, then return to the standing position by pushing back up to a full extension with arms overhead. Perform 10 to 12 repetitions on each side.
10. Wall-Sit Knee Extension
The wall-sit knee extension is an exercise that will not only challenge your balance but also comprehensively work the muscles in your legs, butt, and shoulders. The wall-sit knee extension is done by standing with your back against a wall and slowly squatting down to the floor. Keep your knees together and push your knees out to the sides while bending your elbows out to the sides at shoulder level. Then bring your knees back together and quickly push them apart again.
11. Step-Ups
You will need a bench or stair to complete this move. Stand with your hands at your waist and your feet under your hips, then step your right leg onto the bench or stair. Pull your left knee up toward your chest, then slowly lower down the heel of your left foot back to the floor. Repeat 15 repetitions on each side, then take a one-minute break before hurrying into the next exercise. Repeat three more times for four total rounds.
12. Squat to Calf Raise
Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Focus on keeping a straight back and engaging your core muscles. With a weight in each hand, slowly lower yourself down into a squat, making sure to get your butt as close to parallel to the floor as possible. Then use your butt muscles to push through your heels and lift your body, rising onto the balls of your feet. Lower into a squat once again and repeat for 10 to 12 reps before switching sides.
13. Squat to Wood Chop
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding one dumbbell in each hand. Push your knees out to the sides as you lower into a squat. Your left knee should be tracking over your left foot and your right knee over your right. Squeeze your butt to push back up to standing. Lift one arm, then the other, rotating to the right side before returning to centre, then twist to the left side. Do 10 to 12 reps, then repeat on the opposite side.
14. Glute Bridge March
Lie with your back flat on the floor. Bend both knees, keeping them hip-width apart. Engage your core, then flatten your feet to the floor while squeezing your glutes. Raise hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Lift your right knee toward your chest, pause for three seconds, then lower it back to the floor while keeping your core engaged. Repeat with the other leg. That is one rep.
15. Jump Squat
The jump squat is a compound exercise ranked as one of the top exercises for building up the lower body. To do this, you do a squat and then use your strength to spring back up. It will help shape and tone the backside of your body as well as make your legs stronger.
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