Glute workout from home: Exercises that give results

A lot of women in the fitness world want bigger, more sculpted glutes.

Contrary to what you might have heard, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Aesthetic goals are a completely valid motivation to train. And along with that “I want my butt to look better in leggings” motivation, you also get a whole list of bonus benefits — stronger glutes improve your posture, stability, reduce your risk of injury, and help you move better in everyday life.

This article will help you understand why variety in your glute exercises matters so much. The video, on the other hand, is there to help you actually reach those goals, including shape and definition.

Why is it important to train your glutes?

First and most important: strong glutes are not just about looks (even though that can be a great motivator).

If you struggle with consistency or motivation in general, this article on how to get motivated to work out might help you get started.

Your gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus play a key role in stabilising your entire body.

Just like good core exercises, strong glutes can improve your posture. They can also help prevent lower back pain and boost your performance in everyday activities like walking, running, climbing stairs and in more demanding sessions like a full-body workout for beginners.

From my experience working with clients, I actually see low back issues more often in men.

Of course, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions — that’s purely anecdotal. Plus, men often do more physically demanding jobs, spend more time sitting, and throw themselves into activities where it’s easier to get hurt.

Still, it might not be a coincidence that many women, motivated by this very specific “glute aesthetic”, end up with stronger muscular support around the hips and pelvis. I’ll let you decide what you think.

Believe it or not, your gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body by mass. Your gluteus medius and minimus work together to stabilise your hips and control movement.

When you train these muscles properly, you get much more than just a “meatier” look. You get functional strength that supports you in every movement you make throughout the day.

Video: Glute workout you can follow

Now that you understand why glute training matters, it’s time to take action.

Above this text, you’ll find a video you can follow step by step. Here’s the direct YouTube glute workout link in case you prefer to save it for later.

No complicated equipment, just your own bodyweight and a bit of willpower. This workout will help you tone and strengthen your entire glute area while also activating your core and hamstrings.

What you can expect:

• A full-body warm-up
• A workout designed for all levels, with a focus on slower, controlled movements
• Activation of your entire lower body — glutes, hips, core, and hamstrings
• Quick, effective exercises you can do at home, no equipment needed

24 exercises for training the buttocks from the video

In the video, we focus on activating different parts of the gluteus, including:

1. Neck / Hip / Torso Rolls – Circular movements through the neck, hips, and torso help release tension and improve mobility.
2. Child Pose Lunges – From child’s pose into a lunge to stretch your hips and lower back.
3. Low Lunge Twist – From a low lunge, you rotate through the torso to open the spine and hips.
4. Child to Cobra – Moving from child’s pose into cobra to open your chest and stretch the lower back.
5. Squat to Hamstring Stretch – From a squat into a hamstring stretch, combining strength and flexibility.
6. Squat Twists – Adding torso rotations in a squat to activate your core and increase mobility.
7. Donkey Kicks – A classic glute move that strengthens the back of your body with controlled kicks.
8. Glute Kickbacks – From standing, you press one leg back to hit the glutes and hamstrings.
9. Diagonal Leg Lifts – Lifting the leg diagonally to activate the side of the hips and glutes.
10. Kicking Fire Hydrant – A fire hydrant variation that targets the glutes and side hip muscles.
11. Single-Leg Bridge Lift – Lifting the hips with one foot on the floor to strengthen your glutes and lower body.
12. Single-Leg Hip Thrust Kick – From a bridge/hip thrust, you extend the other leg to increase glute activation.
13. Split Squat – A lunge variation that builds strength and stability in the legs and glutes.
14. Reverse Lunge – Stepping back into a lunge to strengthen the quads, glutes, and balance.
15. Squat Holds with Toe Taps – Holding a squat while tapping your toes to fire up your quads and lower body.
16. Kneeling Squat – From a kneeling position up into a squat, targeting glutes and quads.
17. Good Mornings – Hinging forward to stretch the hamstrings and lower back while strengthening the posterior chain.
18. Single-Leg RDL – A single-leg Romanian deadlift variation that targets the glutes and hamstrings.
19. Romanian Deadlift – A classic hinge movement to strengthen hamstrings and glutes with controlled reps.
20. Bulgarian Split Squat – Rear-foot elevated lunge that hits quads and glutes with a big focus on stability.
21. Single-Leg Deadlift – A single-leg deadlift pattern that strengthens glutes, hamstrings, and stabilisers.
22. Sumo Squat – A wider-stance squat that activates inner thighs and glutes.
23. Side Lunges – Lateral lunges that strengthen glutes and inner thighs and improve stability.
24. Forward Lunges – Stepping forward into lunges to build stronger quads, glutes, and balance.

With these exercises, you’re hitting different parts of your glutes to make sure you get full activation and development across all muscle fibres.

How to increase glute workout intensity

Unlike classic set-and-rep schemes with heavy weights, bodyweight glute training relies more on variations and smart progression.

Here are a few tricks to make your glute workouts more challenging:

• Increase reps: More repetitions mean longer time under tension.
• Add holds: Pausing at the top of the movement (for example in a glute bridge) increases intensity and muscle activation.
• Slow down the lowering phase: Slower negatives — the part where you return to the starting position — can massively increase muscle engagement.

If you love bodyweight training, you might also like this bodyweight training for muscle growth guide, where I go deeper into how to structure these workouts.

Nutrition for building muscle mass

Don’t forget that training is only half the story. Your meal plan is crucial for building and shaping muscle.

To build glute muscle, you need enough protein to support recovery and growth. A good general guideline is around 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

By choosing high-quality protein sources like chicken, fish, eggs, and beans, you give your body what it needs to grow. Add in enough healthy fats and carbohydrates so you actually have energy for your workouts.

I explain all of this in more detail in my article on nutrition and training, and if you want structure around food, you can also start with a personalised meal plan.

How often should you train your glutes?

To see results, it is recommended to train your glutes 2 times a week in addition to other workouts.

The key is to give your muscles enough time to recover so they can repair and grow. If you train too often without rest, you risk overtraining — and that can actually slow your progress instead of speeding it up.

If your goal is overall muscle gain, pair your glute days with smart full-body or leg-focused sessions, supported with good nutrition. Again, this article on nutrition and training breaks down how to align your food and workouts.

Extra tips for shaping your glutes

In addition to training, there are other ways you can improve your results:

• Mobility training: A regular mobility routine helps reduce tension and increase flexibility.
• Foam rolling muscle recovery routine: It will help you reduce muscle tightness and improve circulation.
• Change things up: Don’t just stick to the same 5–6 exercises forever. Combine leg and glute training, include core exercises, and explore new ideas in this exercise corner.
• Train legs and glutes together: A legs and glutes workout can be a great way to hit everything in one go and get more out of your sessions.
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Last words

Building and shaping your glutes takes time and effort — but with the right training and nutrition, results are inevitable.

My follow-along glute workout video can help you get started in the right direction. Combine it with mobility work, structured legs and glutes sessions, and smart core exercises you can find in the exercise corner, and you’ll be well on your way to strong, toned, and powerful glutes.

Track your progress, stay consistent. Your glutes will definitely thank you. 🧡