Exercise library

Exercises for glutes

242 exercises that train glutes, primary or secondary. Tap for technique and tips.

The glutes drive hip extension – the movement that propels you forward when sprinting, getting out of a chair, or clearing an obstacle. They're your body's most powerful muscle group, yet among the most neglected.

With 242 exercises in the arsenal, there's room to tailor your training regardless of equipment and experience. Barbells dominate with 83 exercises, but strong alternatives exist with kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, and bodyweight alone.

The foundation stays the same no matter what you choose: move through a full range of motion, control the bottom position, and prioritize form over weight.

The exercises that deliver most

Barbell hip thrusts are unbeaten for direct glute activation – the hips move without compensation from the knees or spine. Barbell deadlifts and deep barbell squats add greater total load and train the glutes alongside the hamstrings and lower back. Walking lunges with a barbell and step-ups train single-leg stability as well, which pays dividends in everything from running to daily movement.

For variation and movement-specific strength, good mornings with a band are underrated – they load the glutes and hamstrings through a long range and work beautifully as a complement or warm-up. Advanced variations like the kettlebell windmill and atlas stones demand coordination and total-body strength but deliver broader muscle activation.

Adapt by equipment

No barbell? Kettlebell variations and bodyweight exercises work just as well to learn the hip hinge pattern and build a foundation:

Kettlebell (24 exercises): Alternating kettlebell swings and advanced kettlebell windmills provide dynamic loading.
Bodyweight (22 exercises): Box jumps, box sprints, and glute bridges for activation and coordination.
Machine (27 exercises): Excellent for isolation and technique focus, especially if rehab or new to training.
Resistance band (5 exercises): Good mornings with a band and similar movements work well as warm-up or finishers.

Rotating equipment from week to week keeps training fresh and targets the muscle group from multiple angles.

Structure your session right

Warm up with foam rolling and light activation exercises like glute bridges or box squats before loading heavy. Then follow a logical order: begin with heavy compound movements – hip thrusts, deadlifts, squats – while you're fresh. Finish with volume work and isolation.

Progression determines results. Choose a weight where the last reps demand effort without form breaking down, and increase gradually. Changing exercises every three to four weeks prevents plateaus and ensures the glutes are hit from different angles – which over time builds both stronger and more resilient hips.

glutes by equipment

barbell 83 other equipment 39 machine 27 kettlebell 24 bodyweight 22 dumbbells 13 resistance bands 5 exercise ball 5

Advanced Kettlebell Windmillkettlebellintermediate Alternate Leg Diagonal Boundbeginner Alternating Hang Cleankettlebellintermediate Ankle On The Kneebeginner Atlas Stone Trainerother equipmentintermediate Atlas Stonesother equipmentadvanced Axle Deadliftother equipmentintermediate Backward Dragother equipmentbeginner Ball Leg Curlexercise ballbeginner Band Good Morningresistance bandsbeginner Band Good Morning (Pull Through)resistance bandsbeginner Barbell Deadliftbarbellintermediate Barbell Full Squatbarbellintermediate Barbell Glute Bridgebarbellintermediate Barbell Hip Thrustbarbellintermediate Barbell Lungebarbellintermediate Barbell Rollout from Benchbarbellintermediate Barbell Squatbarbellbeginner Barbell Squat To A Benchbarbelladvanced Barbell Step Upsbarbellintermediate Barbell Walking Lungebarbellbeginner Bear Crawl Sled Dragsother equipmentbeginner Bench Jumpbodyweightintermediate Bench Sprintother equipmentbeginner Bent Presskettlebelladvanced Bicyclingother equipmentbeginner Bicycling, Stationarymachinebeginner Bodyweight Squatbodyweightbeginner Bodyweight Walking Lungebeginner Box Jump (Multiple Response)other equipmentbeginner Box Skipother equipmentbeginner Box Squatbarbellintermediate Box Squat with Bandsbarbelladvanced Box Squat with Chainsbarbelladvanced Butt Lift (Bridge)bodyweightbeginner Cable Deadliftscablebeginner Car Deadliftother equipmentintermediate Carioca Quick Stepbeginner Chair Squatmachinebeginner Child's Posebeginner Circus Bellother equipmentadvanced Cleanbarbellintermediate Clean and Jerkbarbelladvanced Clean and Pressbarbellintermediate Clean Deadliftbarbellbeginner Clean from Blocksbarbellintermediate Clean Pullbarbellintermediate Crossover Reverse Lungeintermediate Dancer's Stretchbeginner Deadlift with Bandsbarbelladvanced Deadlift with Chainsbarbelladvanced Deficit Deadliftbarbellintermediate Depth Jump Leapother equipmentbeginner Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Cleankettlebellintermediate Double Kettlebell Snatchkettlebelladvanced Double Kettlebell Windmillkettlebellintermediate Double Leg Butt Kickbodyweightbeginner Downward Facing Balanceexercise ballintermediate Dumbbell Cleandumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Lungesdumbbellsbeginner Dumbbell Rear Lungedumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Seated Box Jumpdumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Squatdumbbellsbeginner Dumbbell Squat To A Benchdumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Step Upsdumbbellsintermediate Elevated Back Lungebarbellintermediate Elliptical Trainermachineintermediate Farmer's Walkother equipmentintermediate Fast Skippingbodyweightbeginner Floor Glute-Ham Raiseintermediate Flutter Kicksbodyweightbeginner Forward Drag with Pressother equipmentintermediate Frankenstein Squatbarbellintermediate Freehand Jump Squatbodyweightintermediate Frog Hopsintermediate Front Barbell Squatbarbelladvanced Front Barbell Squat To A Benchbarbelladvanced Front Box Jumpother equipmentbeginner Front Cone Hops (or hurdle hops)other equipmentbeginner Front Squat (Clean Grip)barbellintermediate Front Squats With Two Kettlebellskettlebellintermediate Glute Ham Raisemachineintermediate Glute Kickbackbodyweightbeginner Goblet Squatkettlebellbeginner Good Morningbarbellintermediate Good Morning off Pinsbarbellintermediate Hack Squatmachinebeginner Hang Cleanbarbellintermediate Hang Clean - Below the Kneesbarbellintermediate Hang Snatchbarbelladvanced Hang Snatch - Below Kneesbarbelladvanced Hanging Bar Good Morningbarbellintermediate Heaving Snatch Balancebarbellintermediate Hip Extension with Bandsresistance bandsbeginner Hip Lift with Bandresistance bandsbeginner Hug A Ballexercise ballbeginner Hug Knees To Chestbeginner Hurdle Hopsother equipmentbeginner Hyperextensions (Back Extensions)other equipmentbeginner Hyperextensions With No Hyperextension Benchbodyweightintermediate Iron Crossdumbbellsintermediate Jefferson Squatsbarbellintermediate Jerk Balancebarbellintermediate Jogging, Treadmillmachinebeginner Keg Loadother equipmentintermediate Kettlebell Dead Cleankettlebellintermediate Kettlebell Hang Cleankettlebellintermediate Kettlebell One-Legged Deadliftkettlebellintermediate Kettlebell Pass Between The Legskettlebellintermediate Kettlebell Pistol Squatkettlebelladvanced Kettlebell Sumo High Pullkettlebellintermediate Kettlebell Windmillkettlebellintermediate Knee Across The Bodybeginner Knee Tuck Jumpbodyweightbeginner Kneeling Jump Squatbarbelladvanced Kneeling Squatbarbellintermediate Landmine 180'sbarbellbeginner Lateral Boundbodyweightbeginner Lateral Box Jumpother equipmentbeginner Lateral Cone Hopsother equipmentbeginner Leg Liftbodyweightbeginner Leg Pressmachinebeginner Leverage Deadliftmachinebeginner Linear Acceleration Wall Drillbeginner Linear Depth Jumpother equipmentintermediate Log Liftother equipmentintermediate Lunge Pass Throughkettlebellintermediate Lunge Sprintmachineintermediate Lying Glutebodyweightadvanced Lying Machine Squatmachineintermediate Muscle Snatchbarbellintermediate Narrow Stance Hack Squatsmachineintermediate Narrow Stance Leg Pressmachineintermediate Narrow Stance Squatsbarbellintermediate Natural Glute Ham Raisebodyweightintermediate Olympic Squatbarbellintermediate One Knee To Chestbeginner One Leg Barbell Squatbarbelladvanced One-Arm Kettlebell Cleankettlebellintermediate One-Arm Kettlebell Snatchkettlebelladvanced One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerkkettlebellintermediate One-Arm Kettlebell Swingskettlebellintermediate One-Arm Open Palm Kettlebell Cleankettlebellintermediate One-Arm Overhead Kettlebell Squatskettlebelladvanced One-Arm Side Deadliftbarbelladvanced One-Legged Cable Kickbackcableintermediate Open Palm Kettlebell Cleankettlebelladvanced Overhead Squatbarbelladvanced Physioball Hip Bridgeexercise ballbeginner Piriformis-SMRfoam rollerintermediate Platform Hamstring Slidesother equipmentbeginner Plie Dumbbell Squatdumbbellsbeginner Power Cleanbarbellintermediate Power Jerkbarbelladvanced Power Snatchbarbelladvanced Power Snatch from Blocksbarbellintermediate Power Stairsother equipmentintermediate Prowler Sprintother equipmentbeginner Pull Throughcablebeginner Rack Pull with Bandsbarbellintermediate Rack Pullsbarbellintermediate Recumbent Bikemachinebeginner Reverse Band Box Squatbarbellintermediate Reverse Band Deadliftbarbelladvanced Reverse Band Power Squatbarbelladvanced Reverse Band Sumo Deadliftbarbelladvanced Reverse Hyperextensionmachineintermediate Rickshaw Carryother equipmentintermediate Rickshaw Deadliftother equipmentintermediate Romanian Deadliftbarbellintermediate Romanian Deadlift from Deficitbarbellintermediate Rowing, Stationarymachineintermediate Running, Treadmillmachinebeginner Sandbag Loadother equipmentbeginner Scissors Jumpbodyweightbeginner Seated Glutebodyweightadvanced Seated Good Morningsbarbellintermediate Side Standing Long Jumpbeginner Single Leg Glute Bridgebodyweightbeginner Single-Cone Sprint Drillother equipmentbeginner Single-Leg High Box Squatother equipmentbeginner Sit Squatsbeginner Skatingother equipmentintermediate Sled Drag - Harnessother equipmentbeginner Sled Pushother equipmentbeginner Smith Machine Hang Power Cleanmachineintermediate Smith Machine Leg Pressmachineintermediate Smith Machine Pistol Squatmachineintermediate Smith Machine Squatmachinebeginner Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadliftmachinebeginner Smith Single-Leg Split Squatmachinebeginner Snatchbarbellintermediate Snatch Balancebarbellintermediate Snatch Deadliftbarbellintermediate Snatch from Blocksbarbelladvanced Snatch Pullbarbellintermediate Speed Box Squatbarbellintermediate Speed Squatsbarbelladvanced Spell Casterdumbbellsbeginner Split Cleanbarbellintermediate Split Jerkbarbellintermediate Split Jumpbodyweightbeginner Split Snatchbarbelladvanced Split Squat with Dumbbellsdumbbellsbeginner Split Squatsintermediate Squat Jerkbarbelladvanced Squat with Bandsbarbellintermediate Squat with Chainsbarbellintermediate Squat with Plate Moversbarbellintermediate Squats - With Bandsresistance bandsbeginner Stairmastermachineintermediate Standing Long Jumpbodyweightbeginner Standing Pelvic Tiltbeginner Star Jumpbodyweightbeginner Step Millmachineintermediate Step-up with Knee Raisebodyweightbeginner Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morningbarbellbeginner Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadliftbarbellintermediate Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadliftdumbbellsbeginner Sumo Deadliftbarbellintermediate Sumo Deadlift with Bandsbarbellintermediate Sumo Deadlift with Chainsbarbellintermediate Supermanbodyweightbeginner Suspended Split Squatother equipmentintermediate Thigh Abductormachinebeginner Thigh Adductormachinebeginner Tire Flipother equipmentintermediate Trail Running/Walkingbeginner Trap Bar Deadliftother equipmentbeginner Two-Arm Kettlebell Cleankettlebellintermediate Vertical Swingdumbbellsbeginner Walking, Treadmillmachinebeginner Weighted Ball Hyperextensionexercise ballintermediate Weighted Jump Squatbarbellintermediate Weighted Sissy Squatbarbelladvanced Weighted Squatother equipmentintermediate Wide Stance Barbell Squatbarbellintermediate Wide Stance Stiff Legsbarbellintermediate Windmillsintermediate World's Greatest Stretchintermediate Yoke Walkother equipmentintermediate Zercher Squatsbarbelladvanced