Also known as the glute-ham tie-in, lower glute exercises don't just leave you with a shapely butt, but a strong one too. These exercises can be done at home with minimal equipment and in a time crunch.
They're a handful of glute isolation exercises that are made into an underbutt workout to help reduce back pain and get stronger.
These lower glute exercises are ones I use with every one of my clients and in my signature workout program SMASH Fit For Life.
Get the best butt lift and reap the benefits of strong glutes with these exercises.
This underbutt workout was designed with one thing in mind: to lift and tone your lower glutes!
As a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, I live by the fact that “glutes solve life problems”.
As one of the largest muscles in the body, you’d be silly to overlook training them.
What Is The Underbutt
Though not technically a muscle, the underbutt is exactly what it sounds like: the area under the butt.
This is where the hamstrings and glutes connect and form a crease. It can be called the lower glutes as well as the glute-ham tie-in depending on who you're talking to.
Some people are more prone to a crease than others (due to genetics and body type) but everyone can strengthen and lift this area to some extent.
Benefits Of Training Lower Glutes
The gluteus maximus plays a key role in all of the following:
- Alleviate back pain
- Improve posture
- Boost sports performance
- Protect the knee
You can learn more about the daily benefits of strong glutes here.
The Best Lower Glute Exercises
- Hip thrusts
- Glute bridges (and glute bridge variations)
- Glute focused Romanian Deadlift
- Deficit lunge
- Kickbacks
- Reverse hyperextensions
- Step ups
- Bulgarian split squats
- Glute squats
Basically, all gluteus maximus exercises are lower glute exercises.
The Underbutt Workout
The following workout uses some of the best lower glute exercises to strengthen and tone your lower glutes (and this blog post teaches you how to do an upper glute workout to balance out your training).
Before you get started, make sure you know how to engage your glutes or you’ll get nowhere. Then, make sure you can do a proper glute bridge.This workout can be done at home with a set of dumbbells and a mini band which is something I recommend to all of my clients. Especially those in the SMASH workout program and my Glute Guide For Moms to beat the squish.
| Dumbbell Hip Thrust With Isometric Hold | 15 thrusts + 10s Pause on last rep |
| Deficit Lunge | 8/leg |
| Rest | 30 seconds |
| Single Leg Bridge | 12/leg |
| Quadruped Hip Extension | 15/leg |
| Reverse Hyperextension | 20 |
| Rest | 30 seconds |
How to perform it: Perform the first two exercises back to back without rest. Take 30 seconds after the lunges and then repeat for a total of three times through.
Then, move on to the next three exercises and perform them back to back. Rest after the hyperextensions for 30 seconds and repeat for a total of three rounds.
You can do this mini underbutt workout 2-4 times per week to see the best glute results.
Lower Glute Exercise Tips
Below are a few tips on how to perform the common lower glute exercises that you see in the underbutt workout.
Remember, the ONLY way to truly target your glute muscles is to ensure that you are engaging them properly (learn how to engage glutes). Take your time on the exercises and really feel the muscles working.
Hip Thrusts
To perform:
- Place your back against the bench while sitting on the floor. Keep the knees bent and bring them into your chest keeping the feet flat and shoulder-width apart as you lift your back onto the bench.
- Hips should be hovering over the floor and the strap of your bra should on the bench. Push through the heels, squeeze the gluteus maximus, and lift the hips towards the ceiling.
- Keep your eyes facing forward so that the upper back is slightly rounded and not extended over the bench!
- Squeeze the glutes to lockout. Then release the tension and bring your hips towards the floor (the starting position).
Learn more about how to hip thrust to boost your glute muscles here and watch this video for form tips.
Deficit Lunge
- Using a bottom step or yoga blocks, stand upright, chest lifted, on the step.
- Step the left foot back onto the floor and begin bringing the knee down towards the floor as you hinge the upper body forward slightly.
- Pause at the bottom and then reverse the movement and pull up your body with the right leg (don't push off the left foot!), extending the hips back into the standing starting position.
Single Leg Bridge
- Lying on your back, bend your knees and bring your heels close to your bum feet flat on the floor. Raise the left leg.
- Push through your heel of the right leg and lift your hips by squeezing the glutes. Do not excessively arch the lower back.
- Pause at the top for three seconds with a maximum glute squeeze before releasing the tension and bringing the hips back to the starting position.
Perform all repetitions on one leg before you switch legs.
Quadruped Hip Extensions
- Come into a tabletop position on all fours. Place a mini loop around the leg below the knees.
- Keeping the core strong and engaged (you need to have mastered bird dogs for this), move through the hip as your raise the foot towards the floor.
- Do not let the low back drop. Return the knee to the floor by releasing the tension in the glute.
Hack: you can do this with a dumbbell on the back of your knee too but here is a video of a mini loop hip extension.
Reverse Hyperextension
Don't be fooled by the intense equipment! The reverse hyperextensions can be done on a couch or table, you don’t NEED to have the swiss ball. Peek this reverse hyperextension video to see how to do them anywhere and know they're a wicked way to build glutes which is why they'r in the glute hypertrophy workout.
- Lay belly down on a bench with the end of the bench at your hips (legs hanging off).
- You can do this with straight legs or bent knees. Squeeze your glutes so that your legs raise up and your hips extend (go from bent to open). Pause and return the feet to the floor.
More glute training tips you need
- Glute isolation exercises
- gluteus minimus exercises
- Awesome glute exercises with weights
- Best at home glute exercises
- How to strengthen glutes with just 3 exercises
- Workout finishers for strong glutes
- How glutes help alleviate back pain
- Glutes exercises to help in pregnancy and postpartum
- The best glute activation exercises
- How to grow your glutes
- The best dumbbell exercises for your booty
Stronger glutes = less back pain, better posture, more power.
This no-gym workout plan builds serious strength in just minutes a day.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Underbutt
The glutes respond well to variety. This means that because you're not going heavy in every glute workout, you can train lower glutes multiple times per week. A good place to start it working gluteus maximus exercises into four workout days per week.
You want to use a variety of hip extension glute exercises like the glute bridge and hip thrust. Those two exercises can be done unilaterally (with one leg), with resistance, pauses, etc. Use multiple variations of those exercises and progressively load them (add tension) to really target your lower glutes.
It could be a combination of things but the number one mistake females make when growing their glutes is that they’re not eating enough. That and that they focus too much on the gluteus Maximus and not enough on the other glutes. Likewise, to build glutes you need to us a progressive overload approach to your glute training.
Dixie says
The underbutt area has always been a trouble spot for me, but these exercises seem promising. I'm on day 7 of incorporating these exercises into my routine, and I already feel the soreness in all the right places. Can't wait to see the results!
fitasamamabear says
Yay!! I so love hearing this! Keep at it.
Jhai says
Lower glutes are a trouble spot for me, so I'm excited to try out this workout routine. The structured routine makes it easy to follow. Time to crush these lower glutes!
fitasamamabear says
Go crush them!
Kimmy says
Finally, I found the best exercise to improve myself! To be honest I lost my self-confidence so I tried different things to improve it using exercise because I feel like I gain a lot because of Christmas and New Year's.
Do you know what I mean right now I want to be fit again so I tried this method last 3 days ago and so far I love the results so I keep on doing this daily to see more results using your method, thank you for sharing this ❤️️
fitasamamabear says
This makes my heart happy, glad to help bring your confidence back! if you have any questions don't hesitate to shoot them over!
Joana says
Finally, a home-friendly routine that doesn't require a PhD in fitness! No need for fancy gym equipment – just a commitment to a few sessions per week at home. The isolation exercises really target that butt crease – you'll feel the burn. My butt is thanking me (and maybe a bit sore!) but totally worth it!
fitasamamabear says
Haha I try to keep it as simple as possible! Glad it worked!
Giangi Townsend says
You got me inspired to exercise, I so need to start a routine, and your workout, the gluts, is best for me. Easy to follow and do and I am starting to see some great results. Thank you.
fitasamamabear says
Glutes are always a fun one to train! Glad you're diving in.