Everyone loves a good lower-body, booty building workout, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. It's always a good idea to focus on compound movements when trying to build muscle, especially your glutes.
Try these 6 moves on your next leg day. You'll be feeling the burn for days to come.
GOBLET SQUATS - 4 SETS OF 12 REPS
- Grab a kettlebell or dumbbell and hold it against your chest
- If you are using a dumbbell, hold the weight vertically with your hands cupping the top end
- Stand with your toes pointed slightly outwards, feet shoulder-width apart
- Bend your knees and lower your body as close to the ground as possible, keeping your arms close to your chest and elbows pointed down
- Pause at the bottom of the squat and stand back up, driving through your glutes, legs and heels
BARBELL BACK SQUATS - 4 SETS OF 10 REPS
- Begin standing tall with your hands at your hips or outstretched overhead
- Take a controlled step backward with your left foot
- Bend your right knee 90-degrees and lower your hips until your bent leg is parallel to the floor
- Be sure to keep your right knee positioned directly over your ankle
- Let your left heel lift as you bring your hips lower and lower
- Return to the starting position by pressing your right heel into the floor and bringing your left leg forward for one rep
- Alternate legs and complete the exercise on the other side
BARBELL HIP THRUSTS - 4 SETS OF 15 REPS
- Begin sitting on the ground with a barbell resting on your lap, below your hips with a bench directly behind your back
- Slowly lean back, pressing your shoulders against the bench as you position the bar just above your hips
- Drive your hips upward, lifting the bar until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and your body forms a straight line from your shoulder to your knees
- Pause at the top of the movement to squeeze your glutes before lowering your hips slowly back to the starting position for one rep
REVERSE LUNGES - 4 SETS OF 12 REPS
- Begin standing tall with your hands at your hips or outstretched overhead
- Take a controlled step backward with your left foot
- Bend your right knee 90-degrees and lower your hips until your bent leg is parallel to the floor
- Be sure to keep your right knee positioned directly over your ankle
- Let your left heel lift as you bring your hips lower and lower
- Return to the starting position by pressing your right heel into the floor and bringing your left leg forward for one rep
- Alternate legs and complete the exercise on the other side
ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS - 3 SETS OF 10 REPS
- Bring the bar down to the lowest position on the squat rack, then load the barbell with weight plates
- Grip the bar with hands shoulder-width apart and brace your core before lifting it from the rack to a standing position
- Step back from the rack and stand with your feet planted hip-width apart
- Push your hips back and lower the bar downward while keeping your head in a neutral position and your chest open
- Once the bar touches your shins, begin driving through your feet to move the weight back to a standing position
- Keep your core braced through the movement and your shoulders blades locked in place as you perform this exercise
DUMBBELL BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS - 3 SETS OF 8 REPS PER SIDE
- Grab a bench and place one foot out in front of you and the other behind you on the bench
- Inhale and slowly lower your torso towards the ground by bending your front knee
- Try to keep your back knee as straight as possible, only allowing a bend if necessary
- Pause briefly once your front thigh is parallel to the ground, then exhale and push up through your front heel to return to the starting position for one rep