Best Booty-Building Exercises (That Aren’t Squats)

It seems like everywhere you look for fitness advice, one of the most common recommendations for building well-developed glutes is to “just squat.” While squats are a fantastic functional exercise and should be used for improving balance, mobility and overall lower body development, they are not the best exercise for directly targeting and growing your glute muscles.

Your “booty” is comprised of a group of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. In order to build a perky, round and toned tush (without growing your quads or hamstrings too much), you must focus on targeting these three muscles.

If you are looking to grow your glutes but refrain from growing your legs, try the following exercises:

Barbell Hip Thrusts

Hip thrusts are one of the most important exercises for growing your glutes. When done properly, they will improve your glute strength, shape and size. This 2015 study, done by Bret Contreras (also known as “the glute guy”), explains how barbell hip thrusts activate the gluteus maximus more than barbell back squats when using estimated 10-rep max loads for each exercise. Hip thrusts use the gluteus maximus and the gluteus medius as well as the quadriceps and hamstrings.

How to Perform

1. Begin by putting padding around the barbell to prevent it from digging into your hips while doing the exercise.
2. Roll the barbell up onto your hips and place your upper back onto the bench.
3. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, planted firmly on the ground at 90 degrees directly under your knees.
4. Drive your hips upward while engaging your core.
5. Squeeze for one count at the top of the movement and slowly lower into the starting position.

Hip Abductor Machine

Hip abductors are a completely underutilized exercise in the gym. When used as an accessory movement to larger, more compound exercises such as deadlifts and hip thrusts, they will create a stronger, more well-developed gluteus medius and abductor group— creating a rounder “top shelf” of the booty and a better hourglass shape.

How to Perform

1. Sit down on machine and place kneepads on outer sides of knees.
2. Keep your toes straight and hold on to grips on the side of the machine.
3. Drive your knees out and extend your range of motion as far as possible while maintaining a neutral spine.
4. Hold at the top of the exercise for a count of one and slowly return back to the starting position.

Cable Pull-Throughs

Cable pull-throughs are an excellent exercise to help increase hip, glute and hamstring development. By performing these on a regular basis, you will also improve your other compound lifts such as deadlifts, squats and hip thrusts by increasing strength and endurance without increasing spinal loading. The main muscles worked in this exercise are the gluteus maximus, hamstrings and the lower back muscles.

How to Perform

1. Use rope attachment on the cable machine and set the cable height to the lowest level.
2. Begin by standing 2-3 feet away from the cable machine. Face away from the machine with your feet set just past shoulder-width apart.
3. Grab the cable attachment through your legs and straddle the cable.
4. While holding the attachment, reach through your legs, hinging at the hips.
5. Keep your knees slightly bent, arms straight and spine neutral.
6. Extend through the hips and thrust forward to stand straight.
7. Hold at the top position for a count of one and slowly lower into starting position. 

Back Extensions 

Contrary to the name of this exercise, this type of back extension isn’t for your back— they are for your backside. When performed properly, back extensions will work your hamstrings, gluteus maximus and hip adductors— making for a rounder and more well-developed booty.

How to Perform

1. Adjust back extension machine so the hip pads sit directly on hip bones.
2. Place your feet on platform and point your toes outward so they are at a 45-degree angle.
3. Cross your hands over chest (bodyweight) or hold a 5-10 pound plate (weighted) at chest and hinge at your hips to go into the lowered position.
4. Keeping your spine neutral, focus on squeezing your glutes to bring your upper body back into the starting position.
5. Hold for a count and repeat.

Banded Fire Hydrants

I think we can all guess where the name for this exercise came from. While it is one of the more awkward exercises to do in the gym, it is also one of the most effective for strengthening the gluteus medius and tightening your core. Having a well-developed gluteus medius will help give overall strength and shape to your glutes and will help you achieve the “upper shelf” look that so many women strive for.

How to Perform

1. Place a medium to high resistance booty band around your legs, just above your knees.
2. Go on all fours and place your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
3. Keep your knees in a bent position and move your knee away from the midline of the body.
4. Hold for one count at the top of the motion and slowly lower into starting position.
5. Repeat on opposite side.

Booty-Building Workout

Warm up: Walking on treadmill at incline 12 at 3.5 mph for 10 minutes.

Barbell Hip Thrusts

Hip Abductors

Cable Pull-Throughs

Back Extensions

Banded Fire Hydrants

FitnessRX for Women