Glutes exercises
Extends the hip (maximus), and abducts and stabilises it (medius and minimus). The strongest single muscle group in the body.
What loads it, and how many ways
36PRIME-MOVER LIFTS
77 more work the glutes as a synergist or stabiliser — real volume, and it counts toward your weekly total. 5 of the 36 need no equipment at all.
Anatomy: Gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. Hip thrusts load the top of the range hardest; squats and lunges load the stretched position hardest. Both belong in a programme.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·PRIME MOVER ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How the glutes list is built
- Start from the joint action, not the sensation. A muscle is credited when the action it produces is the one being resisted.
- Credit exactly one role per exercise: prime mover, or synergist and stabiliser. Nothing is listed twice.
- Rank by technical demand on a 1–5 scale — how much practice the movement needs to be done safely, not how hard the set feels.
- Attach the published MET category so the energy figure on every card traces back to the same table.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Every glutes lift, easiest first
Ranked by technical demand, not by quality. If the movement is new to you, start at the top of the column and earn your way down it.
| Exercise | Equipment | Pattern | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banded Lateral Walk | Resistance band | Isolation | Isolation | Beginner |
| Cable Glute Kickback | Cable machine | Hinge | Isolation | Beginner |
| Cable Pull-Through | Cable machine | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Clamshell | Bodyweight + Resistance band | Isolation | Isolation | Beginner |
| Dumbbell Deadlift | Dumbbells | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Frog Pump | Bodyweight | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Glute Bridge | Bodyweight | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Hip Abduction Machine | Machine | Isolation | Isolation | Beginner |
| Kettlebell Deadlift | Kettlebell | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Machine Hip Thrust | Machine | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Quadruped Hip Extension | Bodyweight | Hinge | Isolation | Beginner |
| Resistance Band Glute Bridge | Resistance band + Bodyweight | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Resistance Band Kickback | Resistance band | Hinge | Isolation | Beginner |
| 45-Degree Back Extension | Machine | Hinge | Isolation | Beginner |
| Cable Hip Abduction | Cable machine | Isolation | Isolation | Beginner |
| Curtsy Lunge | Bodyweight + Dumbbells | Lunge | Compound | Beginner |
| Dumbbell Hip Thrust | Dumbbells + Bench | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Lateral Step-Up | Bodyweight + Box or step | Lunge | Compound | Beginner |
| Reverse Hyperextension | Machine | Hinge | Isolation | Beginner |
| Single-Leg Glute Bridge | Bodyweight | Hinge | Compound | Beginner |
| Skater Hop | Bodyweight | Squat | Explosive | Beginner |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Barbell + Bench | Hinge | Compound | Intermediate |
| Dumbbell Swing | Dumbbells | Hinge | Explosive | Intermediate |
| High Step-Up | Bodyweight + Box or step | Lunge | Compound | Intermediate |
| Kettlebell Clean | Kettlebell | Hinge | Explosive | Intermediate |
| Kettlebell Swing | Kettlebell | Hinge | Explosive | Intermediate |
| Single-Leg Hip Thrust | Bodyweight + Bench | Hinge | Compound | Intermediate |
| Conventional Deadlift | Barbell | Hinge | Compound | Advanced |
| Dumbbell Snatch | Dumbbells | Hinge | Explosive | Advanced |
| Hang Clean | Barbell | Hinge | Explosive | Advanced |
| Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing | Kettlebell | Hinge | Explosive | Advanced |
| Sumo Deadlift | Barbell | Hinge | Compound | Advanced |
| Deficit Deadlift | Barbell + Weight plate | Hinge | Compound | Advanced |
| Kettlebell Snatch | Kettlebell | Hinge | Explosive | Advanced |
| Paused Deadlift | Barbell | Hinge | Compound | Advanced |
| Power Clean | Barbell | Hinge | Explosive | Advanced |
Glutes at home, with nothing at all
No equipment, no gym, no excuse — 5 movements that train this muscle with bodyweight alone.
Also works the glutes as a synergist
These do not have it as the prime mover, but it contributes real work. That matters when you are counting weekly volume.
53 more not shown. Browse the full list of 365 exercises.
How to train it
Extends the hip (maximus), and abducts and stabilises it (medius and minimus). The strongest single muscle group in the body. Hip thrusts load the top of the range hardest; squats and lunges load the stretched position hardest. Both belong in a programme.
Volume is what drives growth: roughly ten to twenty hard sets per muscle group per week suits most people, spread over at least two sessions rather than crammed into one. Beyond that, the honest advice is unglamorous — pick two or three exercises, add weight or reps over time, and keep the technique the same as the load climbs.
The glutes appears in 4 of the 9 movement patterns on this site: isolation, hinge, lunge, squat. Training more than one of them is how you avoid a muscle that is strong in exactly one position.
The questions that come up on the floor
What is the best exercise for the glutes?
There is no single best exercise, but the glutes is the prime mover in 36 movements on this site, across 4 movement patterns. A sensible programme picks one heavy compound movement and one isolation movement rather than collecting ten variations of the same thing. 18 of these are compound and 9 are isolation exercises.
How do I train the glutes at home?
5 of the 36 exercises here need no equipment at all — starting with the frog pump. A further 17 need only home-scale kit such as dumbbells or a resistance band. Progress at home comes from harder variations, slower tempo and single-limb versions rather than from adding plates.
Can I lose fat from the glutes area by training it?
No. Spot reduction does not work — training a muscle does not remove the fat that sits over it. Direct work builds the glutes; fat loss happens across the whole body in response to an overall calorie deficit, and where it comes off first is largely genetic.
What does the glutes actually do?
Extends the hip (maximus), and abducts and stabilises it (medius and minimus). The strongest single muscle group in the body. Hip thrusts load the top of the range hardest; squats and lunges load the stretched position hardest. Both belong in a programme.
Muscle roles follow standard kinesiology references and are described by joint action rather than by gym convention — see how this site is built. Energy figures are derived from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every reference is named and dated on the sources page. General information only — not medical or coaching advice. Load, form and progression should be adjusted to your own experience and any injury history. When in doubt, get coached in person.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
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