15 Best Butt Exercises for Strong Glutes [For Men]

Best Butt Exercises For Strong Glutes For Men

Growing and strengthening your butt is simple science. Yet, most people do not know which exercises to perform to get the most out of their leg and butt day. 

Working on all three areas of the glutes is essential for a stronger butt. For the best 15 butt strengthening exercises for men, see below:

The 15 Best Butt Exercises for Strong Glutes

Strengthening your glutes is most attainable when using a range of butt exercises. A combination of the following 15 moves,  from weighted squats, lunges, thrusts, and deadlifts, are most effective at growing your muscles.

Do not forget to warm-up and stretch before and after executing the following workouts:

1 – Hip Thrust

Hip thrusts are a useful exercise to start a workout. They activate the glutes for maximum results during training.

  1. Using an exercise bench, chair, or supportive equipment, lean your back against the surface and lift your glutes to tabletop position
  2. Place a weight (barbell, plate, kettlebell, or dumbbell) on your low abs and lower your butt down to the floor
  3. Raise your butt up and repeat the steps

Tip: if you do not have weights or prefer to use bodyweight, perform this exercise without weight.

2 – Goblet Squat

To strengthen the butt, firing up the glutes is essential. Goblet squats are deep-set squats that rely on the glutes to repeat the steps. 

  1. Begin with both feet apart, around shoulder-width, and hold a dumbbell with both hands
  2. Perform a low squat by lowering your butt to the floor, as far as comfortable
  3. Push back up using your glutes and repeat the steps

3 – Cossack Squat

Strengthening the butt is not just about working on the top and middle of the glutes. Creating tension on the outsides of the glutes is ideal for creating more shape and stronger muscles.

  1. Stand with your feet wide and as far as comfortable, with a dumbbell securely in both hands
  2. Lean your body over to the right-hand side while performing a squat, keep your left leg straight while lowering down
  3. Return to center and repeat the steps on both sides

4 – Bulgarian Split Squat

Lunge variations are beneficial for toning the legs while strengthening the glutes. Bulgarian split squats require the glutes to return to standing, which is ideal for exercising two areas at once. 

  1. Choose two dumbbells and hold one in each hand.
  2. Using an exercise bench, step, or a chair, rest one foot on the top and face away from the chair. 
  3. Slightly shuffle your opposite leg further in front of you until comfortable.
  4. Lower your resting legs knee down to the floor and push back up to straight legs using your glute
  5. To complete the exercise, repeat the steps and perform on both sides.

5 – Front Squat

Front squats are often easier for those with lower back pain or issues, as they cause less tension for the back. They also work your quads and hamstrings when pressing down into a squat position.

  1. Find a barbell of choice and rest this on your chest with elbows pointing in front of you
  2. With your legs shoulder-width apart and back straight, lower your glutes down to the floor
  3. Push back to standing using your glutes and repeat the steps

6 – Back Squat 

To increase the weight of your squats, back squats are the most comfortable option. The shoulders can hold more weight than other areas of the body.

  1. Find a barbell of choice and rest this on your shoulders with elbows pointing outwards

7 – Single-Leg Deadlift

Single-leg deadlifts target your glutes during the whole movement. When standing, your glutes activate. Then, when you lower down, the glute is squeezed. 

  1. Stand with a barbell in both hands or a dumbbell in each hand and legs apart
  2. Keep both legs straight and lower the weight down to the floor, lifting one leg behind you.
  3. Use your glutes to push back to the starting position and repeat on both sides.

8 – Romanian Deadlift 

During Romanian deadlifts, the glutes stretch, which causes resistance to grow muscle. This movement also activates the hamstrings. 

  1. Prepare a barbell and hold it with both hands, around hip-width apart.
  2. Create a stance with your feet wider than your hips and pointing outwards.
  3. Lower the barbell to the floor, bending your knees and lowering as far as possible
  4. Use the full strength of your glutes to push back up to standing, lifting the barbell.

9 – Cable Kickback 

Cable kickbacks target all glute muscles: maximum, medius, and minimus. Hold the kickback position for a few seconds for maximum results.

  1. Loop the cable around the back of your ankle, hold onto a steady surface or your hips and add a slight bend to the stationary knee
  2. Lift the working leg behind you, squeezing your glute
  3. Lower this leg back down and repeat before performing the same steps on the opposite leg

Tip: if you do not have access to a cable machine, you can use resistance bands and anchor one end to a chair leg or pole.

10 – Walking Dumbell Lunge

Holding a low squat position promotes butt strength by conditioning the muscles. Walking dumbbell lunges will burn your legs but also help strengthen your butt. 

  1. Grasp a weight in each hand and stand straight.
  2. Step one leg forward and lower the back leg to perform a lunge
  3. Stand and straighten both legs before stepping the back leg forward and repeat the steps.

11 – Back Extension  

Back extensions are an ideal exercise for targeting the top glute muscle, the gluteus maximus. Not only will this strengthen the butt, but it can improve posture by strengthening the lower back.

  1. Position yourself on the back extension machine (sometimes referred to as the Roman machine) and lower your upper body, and position your hands behind your head
  2. Lift your upper body, squeezing your gluteus maximus
  3. To intensify the position, hold it for a few seconds before releasing. 

12 – Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell swings are a full-body movement, which requires strength and power from the glutes. During this exercise, the glutes will stretch and tense, creating a muscle building movement. 

  1. Holding a kettlebell with both hands, stand with your legs shoulder-width apart 
  2. Lower your chest towards the floor and swing the kettlebell in between your legs
  3. Push the kettlebell forward and out in front of you using your glutes
  4. Repeat the kettlebell swings using these steps

13 – Mini-Band Walk

Again, a squat holding position is great for firing up and growing the glutes. A mini-band walk is useful as a movement to begin a workout, to activate the butt muscles. 

  1. Position a mini resistance band around your thighs and lower yourself into a squat position, with your legs shoulder-width apart
  2. Keep the resistance band tight by keeping your legs apart and walk forwards.
  3. Repeat the steps backward and forwards to complete the exercise

14 – Clamshell

It is essential not to forget about the outer butt muscles when it’s leg and butt day. Clamshells work your inner thighs and gluteus minimus. 

  1. Lie down on your left side and knees bent 
  2. Keeping your feet together, open your knees by lifting your right knee to a clam shape and hold for a few seconds
  3. Lower the right knee and repeat the steps on both sides

15 – Dumbbell Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Working on single-leg movements is an easy way to intensify an exercise. Single-leg hip thrusts work the inner thigh, gluteus maximum, and gluteus medius. They require the glutes to repeat the steps. 

  1. Lie down on a mat and make a bend in your knees by bringing your heels towards your glutes
  2. Put the left  ankle on top of your right knee and point your knee outwards
  3. Position weight on your lower abs and lift your hips towards the ceiling, keeping your left ankle on your right knee
  4. Lower back down and repeat the steps on both sides

In a training session, use a range of these 15 exercises to grow your glutes and strengthen your butt. It is most useful to use a range of movements to target all glute muscles. 

If you want some exercises for the full-body, discover our full-body workout plan to lose weight.

Strengthening the butt comes with a little more work than just exercise:


What exercises are most effective for working the glutes?

Any exercise that requires your gluteus maximum and gluteus medius to resist and return to the starting position will work your glutes. The best practices are squat and lunge variations. Intensifying these exercises is simple by adding weights or holding them in between reps.

How many squats should I do a day to grow my butt?

The more squats you perform, the more your glutes will grow. Ideally, three or four sets of 20 or more per day will effectively boost your butt muscles. Increasing quantity instead of weight is the most effective. 

What is the fastest way to build glutes?

It is best to use a range of exercises for this. Regular butt workouts that consist of squats, lunges, thrusts, and deadlifts will effectively target all butt muscles and grow your glutes.

What foods go to your butt?

Protein-rich foods feed your muscles, which leads to muscle repair and growth. The following food sources are high in protein: fatty fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, and wholegrain rice. A balanced diet is equally as crucial as an exercise to grow muscle.

Can I train glutes every day?

It is safe to train the glutes every day. But, you may decrease results and the efficacy of butt exercises. In time, the muscles can deplete due to overworking them. Also, muscles become used to specific movements and may not respond when performing them every day.

Below is our conclusive view on how to strengthen your butt using glute exercises:

To attain the most from a workout, it is crucial to use a range of movement. The strongest butt will require challenging exercises. Of which, should target the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. 

Consuming protein-rich foods is essential to replenish worked muscles. Rest is also necessary for the glute muscles to repair for the next training session. 

More questions or personal comments are welcome. Feel free to leave them below.

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