Best Glute Exercises12 Picks, Ranked
Your glutes are the muscles of your buttocks, led by the gluteus maximus, one of the largest muscles in the body. Its main job is to extend the hip, driving it forward as you stand up from a squat, climb stairs or sprint. It also helps rotate the thigh outward. Moves that make you finish hip extension against resistance, like bridges, hip thrusts and kickbacks, put the glutes in charge, which is why they lead this list.
- Weekly working sets
- 4–16
- The weekly range KasMaker measures glutes volume against. Fewer is a light week; more is past what most lifters recover from.
- Recovery window
- ~72 hours
- The base time KasMaker's recovery map allows for glutes to recover, scaled up or down by how much you did.
The list
The list mixes barbell, cable, band and bodyweight options. Pick one or two from the top as staples, such as Barbell Hip Thrust or Barbell Glute Bridge. Then add a variant that works one side at a time or uses a cable, like Single Leg Glute Bridge or Pull Through. Squats, lunges and deadlifts also train your glutes, so count that work as well. Pause briefly at the top of each rep and progress the load gradually over the weeks.
Covers: Gluteus maximus, with the gluteus medius and minimus higher on the side of the hip.
Barbell Hip Thrust
Highest glute EMG activation of any exercise (Contreras et al.). Has become a mainstream gym staple over the last decade. The most researched glute-specific movement.
Barbell Glute Bridge
Weighted glute bridge with barbell for progressive overload. Simpler setup than hip thrust. The go-to loaded bridge variation.
Glute Kickback
Isolation for glute max. Cable or machine versions both work. Very popular in glute-focused programs.
Pull Through
Hip hinge with constant cable tension. Great for teaching the hip hinge pattern. Intense glute squeeze at top.
Butt Lift (Bridge)
Bodyweight glute bridge — foundational activation and warm-up. Natural progression step before adding barbell load.
Single Leg Glute Bridge
Unilateral glute work that addresses imbalances. Bodyweight, no equipment needed.
Step-up with Knee Raise
Functional single-leg glute work. Higher box = more glute emphasis. Simple, effective, scales with load.
One-Legged Cable Kickback
Cable kickback isolates each glute independently. Constant cable tension through the full range of motion.
Hip Extension with Bands
Band-resisted hip extension for glute activation. Portable and effective for warm-ups or home training.
Flutter Kicks
Bodyweight glute and hip flexor exercise. High-rep endurance work that also engages the core.
Kneeling Squat
Barbell kneeling squat isolates the glutes by removing quad involvement. Unique movement for glute-specific loading.
Physioball Hip Bridge
Exercise ball hip bridge adds instability for increased glute and core engagement. Great for home training.
Other muscle groups
See how much each muscle is getting
KasMaker colors every muscle on a body map by how much you've trained it, so you can tell at a glance whether your glutes got enough work this week. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
