7 Bodyweight Glute Exercises for Your Butt and Hips
Learn about the importance of bodyweight glute exercises and discover the moves recommended by physical therapists to strengthen your glutes and hips.
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Your glute muscles — which include the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus — are the powerhouses of your lower body. Located on and around your buttocks and hips, each plays a uniquely important role in your stability, supporting your lower back, hips, and pelvis. For healthy movement and to prevent and manage pain, incorporating bodyweight glute exercises into your routine can make a big difference.
The best part? You don’t need a gym or fancy equipment to build stronger glutes. These glute exercises at home are simple, effective, and designed to fit into your day wherever you are.
Read on to explore seven exercises for a glute workout with no equipment that you can start today, recommended by our Hinge Health physical therapists.
Interested in getting a personalized exercise therapy plan? Learn more about Hinge Health’s digital physical therapy program and see if you’re eligible.
Revisado por nuestros expertos clínicos y médicos
Nikki Bond, PT, DPT
Claire Morrow, PT, DPT
7 Bodyweight Glute Exercises
In this exercise, your glutes play a key role in stabilizing the femoral head within your hip joint. “It activates the gluteus maximus — the large muscle at the back of your buttocks — while also engaging the gluteus medius and minimus as you move your leg away from your body's midline,” explains Nikki Bond, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health.
How to do it:
Stand sideways next to a step. Place the foot closest to the step on top of it, keeping your knee bent. Your other foot should remain on the floor with your knee mostly straight.
Lean your chest slightly forward by hinging at your hips.
Push through the leg on the step, straightening your knee to lift your other foot off the floor.
Slowly lower your foot back to the floor to return to the starting position.
Get more information on how to do a lateral step up.
2. Single Leg RDL (Romanian Deadlift)
¿Quieres atención de expertos? Consulta si estás cubierto por nuestro programa gratuito →This move is a great one if you’re doing a glute workout with no equipment, as it strengthens your glutes, core, and balance. If you’re new to this exercise, you can do a traditional RDL and keep both feet on the ground.
How to do it:
Start by standing with your feet a comfortable distance apart.
Move your chest toward the floor by hinging at your hips.
Lift one leg off the floor behind you and up toward the ceiling. Your knee can be slightly bent as you hinge.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Hip thrusts are great bodyweight glute exercises. They activate your core and glutes simultaneously. For an added challenge, try looping a resistance band around your knees or doing the exercise on one leg.
How to do it:
Sit on the floor with your back leaning against a sturdy couch. Position the bottom of your shoulder blades near the top edge of the couch cushion.
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
Push through your feet to lift your hips off the floor.
Lower your butt down to the floor.
Get more information on how to do a hip thrust.
Split squats target your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core while also challenging your balance. Dr. Bond advises leaning forward slightly when doing split squats. “This activates your back muscles less and your glute muscles more,” she says.
How to do it:
Take a large step forward with one foot, allowing your back heel to rise off the floor.
Bend both knees and lower your back knee toward the floor. Your front knee should stay positioned over your ankle.
Push through both feet and straighten both legs to return to the starting position.
Get more information on how to do a split squat.
Physical therapy (PT) is for more than just recovering from surgery or injury. It’s one of the top treatments for joint and muscle pain. It helps build strength, improve mobility, and reduce pain. And it doesn't always need to be in person.
Hinge Health members can conveniently access customized plans or chat with their care team at home or on the go — and experience an average 68% reduction in pain* within the first 12 weeks of their program. Learn more*.
Sumo squats are excellent for targeting all three glute muscles while also helping to strengthen the arches of your feet, which play a key role in balance and stability during movement.
How to do it:
Step your feet into a wide stance with your toes pointing out at 45-degree angles.
Push your hips back and lower them into a squat position.
Squeeze your inner thighs together to stand tall.
Get more information on how to do a sumo squat.
“This is a nice exercise for your entire lower body, and it works on balance, too,” says Dr. Bond. While calf raises might seem like just a lower-leg exercise, they engage your glutes as well by rotating your legs slightly at your hips.
How to do it:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart with one hand on a table for balance.
Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels off the floor. Focus on squeezing your calf muscles as you hold this position.
Relax your heels back to the floor.
Get more information on how to do a calf raise.