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What are the best exercises for butt and thighs?

We know that no one likes doing endless amounts of squats. There are better exercises that help to target the outer glutes! In just 30 minutes, the best glute workout routine is one that features compound exercises to challenge not just strength, but mobility, flexibility, and balance at the same time! Strengthening the muscles of your glutes is ideal for runners because it helps to strengthen and stabilize the pelvis while running, which can place undue stress on the knees and ankles. A stronger butt and glutes (as well as a stronger lower back!) also helps with running mechanics and power in each stride!

Beginner friendly Butt workout:

These glute-focused exercises are perfect for a beginner workout at home and can easily be made more difficult by adding in resistance bands or dumbbells. Start by performing these exercises with just your bodyweight and increase from there!

See our full workout series here.

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30-Minute Booty Workout for your best butt + glutes

Suggested:

5-10 Minute Warmup + cool down of your choice.

Tip:

The goal of each exercise is to challenge the glutes to feel an intense burn. Focus on moving slowly through each rep and not speed!

Increase the difficulty!

Any of these glute exercises can be made more challenging by adding a mini resistance band over the knees!

Need a modification?

Start by using bodyweight only and focus on full range of motion before moving on to using any resistance. Mobility is just as important when gaining strength!

Exercise List:

Round 1:

Low Lunge Pulse

How-to: Start at the bottom of the lunge, with one foot in front and the rear leg at 90 degrees. Make sure that your knees do not extend over your ankles. If so, widen the stance of your lunge. Squeeze your glutes to rotate your pelvis forward and pressing into both feet, lift your back knee two inches above the ground. Control the movement back down. Repeat all reps on one side before switching.

Form tip: Keeping the pelvis tilted forward is critical in making sure that the glutes stay engaged throughout the entire movement. Squeeze the glutes at the top and lower back down.

Bear Plank Leg Lift

How-to: Start in a quadruped position with back flat, shoulders directly over wrists and hips stacked over knees. Keep the core tight, press into both hands to raise your knees off the ground. Extend one leg long and lift, making sure to squeeze the glutes at the top. Bring the knee back in line with the opposite knee and return the knees to the mat. Repeat all reps on one side before switching to the opposite side.

Form tip: Engage the core throughout the entire movement to prevent arching in the back. This movement should cause a good burn in the glute and quads.

Modification: For sensitive wrists, keep the opposite knee on the mat and focus on balance and avoid “tipping” into the opposite hand when you extend the leg.

Donkey Kick Crossover

How-to: Staying in the same quadruped position, return both knees to the mat. Start by flexing the foot of the working leg and engaging the core and squeezing the glutes. Press the bottom of the foot towards the ceiling, keeping the 90 degree bend at the knee. Take the lifted leg and cross the knee over the opposite leg, trying to touch the knee to the mat. Bring the knee back into the donkey kick before returning to meet the other knee. Repeat all reps on one side before switching to the opposite side.

Form tip: Avoid arching the back by squeezing the glutes and keeping the core active. The movement should originate in the glutes and you should feel the burn!

Modification: For sensitive wrists or to prevent twisting in the back, drop down to your forearms.

Challenge: For an added challenge, add a light weight or dumbbell behind the knee to activate and engage the hamstring into a more challenging exercise.

Round 2:

Perform all exercises on the same size before switching to the opposite side.

Lying Forward Leg Lift

How-to: Lying down on your side, hand underneath the neck for support, place your opposite hand in front of your chest to stabilize. Bring the knees forward to 90 degrees and extend the top leg directly in front of you. Slowly lift and lower the leg without allowing the top leg to touch the bottom knee.

Form tip: The toe of the lifted leg will want to turn towards the ground due to weakness in the glute medius. Make sure to rotate the leg so that the foot is parallel with the ground to keep the work in the side glute.

Challenge: Add a mini band over the knees for added resistance and increased difficulty.

Hamstring Leg Press

How-to: Keep the same lying position as the previous exercise. The bottom knee remains in front of you at 90 degree. Take the top leg and extend it long and press the foot out and away from your core, extending the leg behind you. Return the knee in line with your bottom knee.

Form tip: Don’t let your back twist behind you as you extend the leg. Avoid twisting through the core by pressing into your hand for stabilization.

Challenge: Add a mini band over the knees for added resistance and increased difficulty.

Oblique Lift + Clamshell

How-to: In a side lying position, lift up onto your forearm and make a fist with your hand. Make sure that the shoulder stays stacked directly over the elbow and press up into a side oblique plank. At the top of the oblique lift, open the hip into a clamshell. Close the knees and set the hip back to the mat. Do not allow your hips to twist backwards.

Form tip: Make sure that the body remains stacked as you press up into the side plank. If your hip is twisting backwards, rotate the pelvis to keep the hips, knees and shoulders stacked. This exercise targets the gluteus medius and is great for building strength in the hip stabilizing muscles.

Modification: For sensitive wrists or difficulty maintaining the balance of the oblique lift, keep the bottom hip on the mat and focus on the clamshell only.

Challenge: Add a mini band over the knees for added resistance and increased difficulty.

Round 3:

Frog Leg Lift

How-to: Lying down on your stomach, hands underneath the forehead to support. Open your knees as wide as your mat, heels together, toes pointed away in a V-position. Squeeze through the glutes and press the feet towards the sky.

Form tip: This exercise focuses on strength all of the muscles of the butt. The movement comes from the glutes so focus on squeezing the glutes before pressing upwards to avoid using the lower back.

Challenge: Add a mini band over the knees for added resistance and increased difficulty.

Reverse Leg Lift

How-to: Lying down on your stomach, extend the legs long, keeping the hands underneath the head for support. Lift the quads from the mat using the muscles of the lower back. This is a great stabilization exercise and ideal to help strengthen the lower back for mobility and flexibility.

Form tip: Don’t focus on the height of the legs from the mat. Instead focus on the engagement of the lower back as you lift the legs.

Challenge: Add a mini band over the knees for added resistance and increased difficulty.

Reverse Plank Glute Bridge

How-to: Start by sitting on your butt, arms behind you in line with your hips, fingertips turned towards your core, knees bent and feet flat into the mat. Squeeze the glutes as you press through the hands to bring your body up into a bridge. Hold for one second and return the glutes to the mat.

Form tip: At the top of the bridge, focus on bringing the hips and core into one line from shoulder to knee. If your hips are dipping, engage the glutes by squeezing.

Modification: For sensitive wrists, drop to your forearms. If this movement bothers your shoulders, perform a traditional glute bridge on your back and squeeze the glutes at the top.

Challenge: For an added tricep exercise, as you bring the hips to the mat, bend the elbows to activate the triceps.