Did you know one of the most common areas we work out are our abs? Occasionally we’ll do a leg or arm workout too, but there’s one area that can totally get neglected: The good old booty. Butt exercises can do wonders for your behind—it can tighten, tone, and lift that rear like you never have before.
We like big butt workouts and we cannot lie—and so do personal trainers. In fact, a range of trainers were willing to share their best moves to get your gluteus maximus to new heights.
So what are you waiting for? Get your butt to the gym—literally—and try these moves.
Deadlifts, Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott of Tone It Up
The creators of popular fitness emporium Tone It Up will always recommended a deadlift to tone the booty. On top of the glutes, deadlifts also activate the hamstrings and your lower back.
How to do it: Grab a barbell or two dumbbells and hold them in head hand in each hand and stand with your feet hips-width apart. Lower at the hips down your legs, with the weight in your hands, keeping your core engaged and your back straight. When you hit right below your knees, come back up to the starting position and engage your glutes.
Dumbbell side lunge, by celeb personal trainer Ashley Borden
This move targets the glutes by putting weight on the muscles in your legs. You also feel it in your inner thighs, another hard-to-tone area!
How to do it: Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length at your sides. Using your right foot, step to your right, dropping your hips backward and bending your right knee. After a quick pause, push yourself back to the starting position. Do this again on the other side.
Dumbbell step-up, by BJ Gaddour, certified strength training and conditioning specialist
This move activates the hips tighten the glutes by putting more stress on the muscles.
How to do it: Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length at your sides behind a bench or step. Place one foot on the step, pushing your body up until you’re standing with one leg on the bench with the leg straight. Your other leg should be elevated. Then lower you body back. Switch legs.
Hip raises, by John Romaniello, owner of RomanFitnessSystems.com
Romaniello says that this move uses what’s called flexion of the hip joint, which creates a nicely toned booty.
How to do it: Lay on your back on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips up to the ceiling, keeping your body in a straight line. Pause for a few second sin the air, and then come back down. Repeat.
Banded Glute Bridge, by Kira Stokes, celebrity trainer and creator of the Stoked Method
Glute bridges with a band can not only activate the glutes, but also protects the back. This move specifically targets the glute medius, a muscle on the side of your rear.
How to do it: Lie on your back with your hands at your sides. Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Place a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees. Lift your hips a few inches off the floor so that your body is in a straight line, and squeeze those glutes. Step your legs out and back several times, maintaining tension in the band.