7 Exercises to Strengthen Your Glutes

September 23, 2025

Strengthening these muscles can help your entire body move more easily.

Sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs: most of your forward movement is powered by your hips. Strengthening your hip muscles can protect your back and hips, improve your posture, and enhance your athletic performance.

Muscle imbalances, poor posture, and repetitive movements that don't adequately work the hips, such as running, can also contribute to weakness.

The following exercises can help you strengthen all three hip muscles. During each exercise, make sure you can feel them engaged with each repetition. If it feels like another muscle, such as your quadriceps, is doing most of the work, pause and slow the movement until you feel it's engaging properly.

Duration: Approximately 40 minutes

Intensity: Medium

Two sets of dumbbells of varying weights.

What You Need

One pair of light dumbbells (5 to 10 pounds)

One pair of medium-heavy dumbbells (15 to 25 pounds)

A box or bench

Train your glutes twice a week. You can perform all of these exercises as standalone workouts, or if you already have a full-body strength-training routine, you can break them up and add some exercises to your existing routine.

Start with light weights to ensure you're moving with proper form and can feel your glutes engaged. Mr. Gary says that by the end of your set, you should feel like you can do three more repetitions before your form breaks down. He adds that as you progress, work up to one or two more repetitions, pushing you away from failure.

Romanian Deadlift

Targets: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, lower back

Repetitions: Two to three sets of 6 to 12 reps per side

Romanian Deadlift: You've Never Done It Right?! - Zhihu

Glute Bridge

Targets: Gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hamstrings

Repetitions: Two to three sets of 6 to 12 repetitions

7 Bridge Exercises: Stabilize Your Hips, Run Farther, Faster, and Avoid Injuries | Don1don

Side Lunge

Targets: Gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, hamstrings, quadriceps

Repetitions: Two to three sets, 6 to 12 repetitions per side

Ideal for side lunges and variations. Nike TW

Bulgarian Split Squat

Targets: Gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, quadriceps, hamstrings

Repetitions: Two to three sets, 6 to 12 repetitions per side

The Bulgarian split squat isn't for training your legs; it's for training your will to survive. The chair behind you isn't there for you to rest your feet; it's there to be carried away if you lose consciousness.