references
ACE Fitness: "Forward Lunge"
ExRx.net: "Lever Bent-Over Hip Extension"
ACE Fitness: "5 Moves for a Better Butt"
ACE Fitness: "How Many Reps Should You Be Doing?"
Bulgarian split squats are a great exercise to increase butt size.
Image Credit: Kanawa_Studio/E+/GettyImages
Image Credit: Kanawa_Studio/E+/GettyImages
Skill Level
All Levels
Region
Lower Body
Duck under the bar and position yourself so that it rests high on the back of your upper shoulders. Make sure the bar rests on the meaty party of your shoulders, not on your neck, and grasp it on either side for stability. Stand up beneath the bar to take its weight on your legs. Step back into the squat rack/squat cage so that the bar will clear the racking pins, and set your feet shoulder-width apart. Adjust your position, if necessary, so that you’re stable and balanced. Bend your knees as you move your hips back and down, as if you were sitting in a chair placed behind you. Keep your chest up, your back straight and your knees over your toes. Lower until your thighs are parallel with the ground (or as low as you can comfortably squat while maintaining good form). Press through your feet to reverse the motion and return to standing.
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Skill Level
All Levels
Region
Lower Body
For squats to increase butt size, you have to make sure you’re engaging the glute muscles. Concentrate on squeezing the glute muscles and driving down with your heels as you come up from the squatting position. You must also drop your thighs to parallel or below if your knees are healthy to get your butt to activate. Partial squats, or squats in which you put most of your weight into the balls of your feet, will develop your quadriceps more than your glutes.
You must also drop your thighs to parallel or below if your knees are healthy to get your butt to activate. Partial squats, or squats in which you put most of your weight into the balls of your feet, will develop your quadriceps more than your glutes.
12 Essential Squat Variations to Try
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Take a big step forward with your right foot. Bend both your knees to about 90 degrees, with your back knee hovering just above the ground. Press through your front foot to rise back to your starting position. Do a set on one side, then switch to the other.
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For walking lunges, continue in a forward motion, doing a lunge with your right foot forward, then stepping forward and lunging with your left foot. For side lunges, take a big step out to the side with your right foot. Bend the right knee to squat down but keep the left leg straight. Step back to center and repeat on the other side. And just like with squats, you can add weight with a barbell across the backs of your shoulders or by holding dumbbells at your sides.
For side lunges, take a big step out to the side with your right foot. Bend the right knee to squat down but keep the left leg straight. Step back to center and repeat on the other side.
And just like with squats, you can add weight with a barbell across the backs of your shoulders or by holding dumbbells at your sides.
Skill Level
Beginner
Body Part
Butt
Start on all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Extend your right leg back with the knee bent to 90 degrees and the sole of the foot pointing toward the ceiling. Raise your leg until your thigh is parallel with the floor. Pause, then lower your leg. Do a set on one side, then switch legs.
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Skill Level
Beginner
Body Part
Butt
Skill Level
Intermediate
Region
Lower Body
Stand in front of a chair or bench. Step up with your right foot, transferring your body weight into your right leg and leaving the left leg passive. Extend your hips all the way at the top, then lower back down with control. Repeat, then switch sides.
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Skill Level
Intermediate
Region
Lower Body
Add weight by holding a dumbbell at each side. You can also progress to a higher step to increase how hard your glutes work during each rep.
Skill Level
Intermediate
Body Part
Butt
Sit on the long edge of a weight bench. Walk your feet out until your upper back only is resting on the edge of the bench. Lower your hips down and keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. From this starting position, raise your hips up until they’re in line with your knees. Pause for a second, then return to the starting position.
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Skill Level
Intermediate
Body Part
Butt
Hip Thrusts vs. Deadlifts: Which One Is Better for Stronger Glutes?
Skill Level
Advanced
Activity
Body-Weight Workout
Region
Lower Body
Stand in front of a bench or step that’s about knee-high. Lift your back foot and rest it on the bench behind you. Place your front foot about 3 feet in front of the bench. Lower your body until your front thigh is nearly horizontal, taking care to keep your front knee behind or in line with your toes. Using your glute muscles, push back up to the starting position. Do all your reps on one side before switching legs.
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Skill Level
Advanced
Activity
Body-Weight Workout
Region
Lower Body
Start the exercise with just your body weight while you learn the form. As you progress, you can add dumbbells or a barbell to increase the difficulty of the move and get a bigger butt. Doing the Bulgarian split squat with poor lifting mechanics will not only compromise your size gains, but it’ll also increase your chances for injury. The exercise is advanced so it’s important to pay attention to detail. Always move through a full range of motion, never use momentum and keep your body in correct alignment.
Doing the Bulgarian split squat with poor lifting mechanics will not only compromise your size gains, but it’ll also increase your chances for injury. The exercise is advanced so it’s important to pay attention to detail. Always move through a full range of motion, never use momentum and keep your body in correct alignment.
5 of the Hardest Glute Exercises You Can Do at Home
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Barbell Workout
Region
Lower Body
Stand tall, keeping a neutral back and holding a barbell against your thighs. Your knees should be slightly bent and shoulder blades should be in a down and back position. Without allowing your low back or shoulders to round and without locking out your knees, hinge forward at your hips as you control the weight bar as it lowers down to the floor. When you feel the tension increasing in the hamstring muscles in the back of your thighs, pause for a second or two before returning to the starting position by pushing your heels into the floor and thrusting your butt forward. At the top of the motion, your back should stay neutral and your shoulder blades should remain in the set position.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Barbell Workout
Region
Lower Body
Begin with a lighter weight and only progress when you are able to comfortably complete the exercise with proper form.
ACE Fitness: "Forward Lunge"
ExRx.net: "Lever Bent-Over Hip Extension"
ACE Fitness: "5 Moves for a Better Butt"
ACE Fitness: "How Many Reps Should You Be Doing?"
