Glute Exercises At The Gym

Fancy a change of scenery or just train better with other people around? Then head to the gym.

The great news is that all of your home-based backside exercises work just as well here, though you’ll need to sub in a weights bench for your set of stairs or kitchen chair.

Split Squats

While squats are generally considered a more quadriceps focused exercise, single leg squats will torch your glutes due to the extra stabilization and balance needed.

Stand two to three foot in front of a weights bench and place your left foot on it. Just your toes or laces should be in contact with the bench. With your right foot planted firmly on the floor, squat down by bending both knees until your left knee is an inch or two from the floor, then push back up to your starting position. Aim to keep your right shin vertical the whole time and use a steady, controlled tempo. Once you can do three sets of 10 reps either side, hold a dumbbell in either hand.

Gym Ball Leg Curls

This big blow up balls aren’t just for doing crunches on you know.

Lie on your back in a similar position to the start of the glute bridge raise. Lift your legs up and put your heels on the Swiss ball, raise your hips off the floor then pull the ball in towards your butt by bending your knees and squeezing your glutes. Bring it in as far as you can, then straighten your legs slowly.

Reverse Lunges

You can do reverse lunges at home using just your own body-weight, but to really make them challenging and fry your backside, you’ll probably need weights.

Stand with your feet together and either a dumbbell in either hand, or a barbell across your back. Step backwards with your left leg as far as you can and bend both knees until the left one is just above the floor. This should look similar to the bottom position of the split squat, only without a bench. Push back up forcefully. You can either alternate legs or do all your reps on one side first, then complete the other side. Once you can do 10 reps with one set of dumbbells or a certain amount of weight on the bar, it’s time to go heavier.

Glute Machines

If you’re lucky, your gym may have specialized glute training machines to isolate the muscles. The instructions for these should be on the machine itself, or you can ask an instructor or trainer if you need extra assistance.

The only downsides to machines is they’re very much “one size fits all” so may not work with your body shape. One of the main roles of your glute muscles is also to stabilize and provide support, which means that free-weight and body-weight moves are generally superior to machines.