Top 5 Best at Home Booty Exercises
Feb 28, 2019
A solid booty may just be the pinnacle of a fit physique. But there are so many more reasons to build a strong rump outside of having hot rear-view gym selfies to post on Instagram.
If you're looking for exercises that will fire up your glutes, look no further than your own living room. You don't need to go to the gym or even pick up a weight to get a butt workout that will have you feeling the burn. All you need is your bodyweight to target those powerful posterior muscles.
If you have a job that has you sitting down all day, you might even be neglecting your glutes without realizing it. When you sit all day, your hip flexors tighten up, which causes the butt muscles on the other side of the hip joint to lengthen and stretch. Over time, this lengthening desensitizes the neurons that signal the gluteal muscle fibers to contract, so they don't generate as much force when you try to engage them. The result is that other muscles in your back and legs compensate for the weakness, which can lead to lower-back or lower-body pain and injury.
So how do you build a stronger backside? Here are 5 butt exercises that you can do with your body weight or a resistance band. Get ready to make your booty burn!
1. Glute Bridge
Glute bridges are one of the most efficient ways to target your glutes. You'll work your glutes, hamstrings, back, and abdominals with this move. Bridges also improve balance!
How to: (a) Lie on back with bent knees hip distance apart, and feet flat on mat stacked under the knees. (b) Engage the core and squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips to a bridge. Hold, squeezing tight and return to mat with control. Repeat for desired number of reps.
2. Squats
Whether you love or hate ‘em, squats are one of the best butt exercises for strengthening your backside. Experts say that if you want to run faster, jump higher and lift heavier, squatting low is the way to go. They might look easy, but prepare to work when you add a barbell, slam ball or heel raise to the mix. These squat variations not only add some power to your jumps and kicks, but they also help improve your knee stability and range of motion. So how low can you go?
How to: Stand tall with your feet wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed out about 15 degrees. Keeping your back straight, lower your butt as close as you can to the ground without losing your balance. Return to start for 1 rep. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
3. Lunges
Lunges are a quintessential exercise; you can do them anywhere and the effects can be seen in no time, in the form of shapely, toned legs and backside (just in time for bikini season!). Learn how to do a perfect Lunge with workout tips from Nutrakey Certified Personal Trainer, Kendall Strampel. Get the booty you’ve always wanted with this bubble butt workout. The walking dumbbell lunge is a great leg workout that will engage the quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
How to: (a) Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up (pick a point to stare at in front of you so you don't keep looking down). Always engage your core. (b) Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your other knee doesn't touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position.
4. Hip Thrusts
Calling all folks looking for a firm and fierce booty! Meet your new best friend, hip thrusts. This move is touted by fitness pros for its butt-lifting and strengthening abilities. Yes, you can do this at home without any equipment. Start with the basic Floor Hip Thrust - this warms up your glutes and hamstrings before attempting more advanced movements, “Remember to engage your core!”
How to: Start by lying on your back with your feet hip-width apart and your heels about six inches from your fingertips (a). Lift your hips upward by squeezing your glutes so you’re balancing on your shoulder blades and feet. Hold for two seconds and then release back down (b). Do two sets of 10 reps.
5. Butt Kick-Back With Band
This move hits your glutes and hamstrings (back of thighs).
How to: (a) Sit on the floor and place the band around your toes as shown. Then flip onto your hands and knees with hands under shoulders and knees underneath hips, back flat and head down. (b) Extend your right leg all the way back, kicking it into the air for 1 rep. Do 15 reps, switch sides, and repeat. Do 3 sets.
