9 BEST Gluteus Maximus Exercises

Strengthen and sculpt the buttocks, hips, and legs by using these gluteus maximus exercises. As the largest gluteus muscle, these glute exercises will challenge your gluteus maximus in the best of ways.

Skip the squats and start making strategic choices in your glute training. These glute max exercises each have their own variations and equipment options but all of them are effective in growing the glutes and can be done at home.

What Is The Gluteus Maximus

The gluteus maximus muscle is the biggest muscle in the human body. And essentially, it is your buttocks. Specifically the squishy part of your bum you sit on.

Most people will mention "weak glutes" in an assessment. However, as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, I can tell you that they're not always weak so much as underutilized.

This movement is crucial in any glute training program to build the gluteus maximus, and is the base for most glute training.

To perform a glute bridge:

1. Lying on your back, bring your heels close to your bum and keep the knees bent. Feet shoulder-width apart roughly.
2. Push through your heels and lift your hips by squeezing the glutes. Do not excessively arch the lower back.
3. Pause at the top for maximum glute squeeze before releasing the tension and bring the hips back to the starting position.

Perform anywhere from 8-30 repetitions depending on your training goals. The glute bridge also comes with a handful of variations you can use to progress your training.

Bridge Variations

• Single leg bridge
• Resistance band bridge
• Elevated bridge

For a full list of bridge variations check out this video.

Exercise #3: Reverse Hyperextensions

This is a great exercise for the gluteus maximus because it’s done lying on your tummy. Though many people believe you need a fancy machine for this, you can actually perform a reverse hyperextension at home.

To Perform:

1. Lay belly down on a bench with the end of the bench at your hips (legs hanging off).
2. 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.

Perform 10-30 repetitions.

Variations:

• Straddle legs
• Froggy reverse hyperextensions
• Reverse hypers with a band
• With a dumbbell between the feet

Exercise #4: Curtsy Lunge

A lunge variation that places an extra emphasis on the gluteus maximus due to a bit of a twist (literally!)

To Perform:

1. Standing upright with your feet together, step the right leg back and to the side of the left foot.
2. Hinge slightly at the hips and bend the knees toward the floor making sure the front knee isn’t caving inward.
3. Push through the front foot and return to the starting position.

Perform 8-12 repetitions

Variations:

• Dumbbell curtsy lunge
• Deficit curtsy lunges
• Resistance band lunges

Exercise #5: Quadruped Hip extensions

This exercise is performed in a tabletop position either on your hands or elbows.

To perform:

1. Come into a tabletop position on all fours. Place a dumbbell (a light-ish one) on the back of one knee.
2. 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.
3. Do not let the low back drop. Return the knee to the floor by releasing the tension in the glute.

Perform 8-15 repetitions on each leg.

Variations:

• Dumbbell hip extensions
• Mini loop hip extensions
• Strength band extensions

Exercise #6: Deficit Lunge

Take lunges to a deeper level to get more out of your glute muscles!

To perform:

1. Using a bottom step or yoga blocks, stand upright, chest lifted, on the step.
2. 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.
3. 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 a standing position.

Perform 8-12 repetitions per leg

Exercise #7 Bulgarian Split Squats

Bulgarian split squats can be performed in a variety of ways.

The way in which you do them can place more focus on the quadriceps or more focus on the gluteus maximus (though the gluteus medius and minimus are still very present).

To perform:

1. Set up in lunge position with the left leg elevated on the bench and the right knee over the heel.
2. Hold the dumbbells either by your sides or use one dumbbell in the "goblet" position.
3. Hinge forward with the hips bringing the chest down (to create more tension on the back of the body: glutes) as you push backward and drop the left knee towards the floor while keeping the right knee facing forwards.
4. Squeeze the glute of the right leg as you push through the heel to reverse the movement and extend the hips to the starting position.
5. Perform all repetitions on the right leg before moving on to the next.

Perform 9-10 repetitions or opt to go for time (30 seconds) per leg.

Exercise #8 Quadruped Hip Extensions

This glute max exercise can be done with ankle weights or a resistance band to make it more intense.

1. Come into a tabletop position on all fours.
2. Keeping the knee of the working leg flexed 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.
3. Do not let the low back drop and make sure to keep the knee bent. Return the knee towards the floor by releasing the tension in the glute.
4. Perform for 8-12 repetitions per leg.