Your BBL Dreams: The Best Exercises to Grow Your Glutes

Are you ready to grow your glutes? With the right exercises, you can sculpt the strong, lifted glutes of your dreams. But building a firm rear offers more than just visual appeal; stronger glutes can help improve posture and enhance athletic performance.

In this blog, we’ll explore the best exercises to target your glutes, offer variations for different fitness levels and share tips for incorporating them into your workout routine. Ready to sculpt your booty? Let’s explore the top exercises to help you achieve your BBL dreams!

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• What are Your Glutes
• The Importance of Training Your Glutes
• Exercises for Building Your Upper Glutes
• Exercises for Building Your Lower Glutes
• EōS Booty Builder Lab

Estimated reading time: 12 Minutes

WHAT ARE YOUR GLUTES?

Understanding your glute anatomy is essential for targeting them effectively during workouts. The gluteal muscles are divided into the upper and lower glutes, each with distinct functions that contribute to the shape, strength and stability of your lower body. Let’s break down these key components.

The upper glute muscles are crucial for stabilizing your pelvis, preventing hip drops and aiding in movements that involve lifting the leg to the side, such as lateral leg raises and clamshells.

Upper Glute Muscles

The upper glute muscles are crucial for stabilizing your pelvis, preventing hip drops and aiding in movements that involve lifting the leg to the side, such as lateral leg raises and clamshells.

• Gluteus Medius: Located on the outer surface of the pelvis, your gluteus medius is responsible for hip abduction and stabilizing the pelvis during activities like walking and running. A strong gluteus medius helps maintain balance and prevent injuries by ensuring proper alignment of the hips and knees.
• Upper Gluteus Maximus: The upper portion of your gluteus maximus contributes significantly to the shape and lift of your glutes. This part of the muscle activates during exercises, like squats and lunges, creating a fuller, more lifted appearance.

Lower Glute Muscles

The lower glute muscles are essential for hip extension and external rotation movements and contribute to the buttocks’ rounded and firm appearance.

• Lower Gluteus Maximus: The lower section of your gluteus maximus plays a vital role in extending the hip and providing power in movements like sprinting and climbing. Strengthening this muscle helps improve athletic performance and enhances the overall aesthetics of your glutes.
• Gluteus Minimus: The smallest of the three gluteal muscles, the gluteus minimus, is beneath the gluteus medius. It assists in hip stabilization and abduction, keeping the pelvis level during movement and adding to the firmness of your glutes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING YOUR GLUTES

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a firm, toned backside? A well-defined posterior enhances your overall physique, giving you that balanced, attractive look. But well-developed glutes aren’t just about aesthetics—your glutes are the powerhouse of your lower body. Whether running, jumping or lifting, your glutes are hard at work.

Beyond physical activity, strong glutes are crucial for your functional fitness. They help maintain proper posture, providing essential support for your lower back. When your glutes are weaker, other muscles overcompensate to maintain your alignment, often resulting in lower back pain. By strengthening your glutes, you can enhance your pelvic stability to reduce lower back discomfort.

3 BEST EXERCISES FOR BUILDING YOUR UPPER GLUTES

At EōS Fitness, we’re all about helping you achieve your fitness dreams with effective, targeted workouts. Want to know the secret recipe for growing your upper glutes? We’ve got you covered. Each exercise below comes with step-by-step instructions, variations to suit a more advanced fitness level and tips to help you progress at your own pace.

#1 SIDE-LYING HIP ABDUCTIONS

Side-lying hip abductions are a fantastic way to target your upper glutes, especially your gluteus medius. This exercise helps improve hip stability and strength, which is essential for various athletic movements.

How to Perform:

1. Lie on your side with your legs stacked and your head resting on your arm.
2. Lift your top leg towards the ceiling, keeping it straight and your foot flexed.
3. Lower your leg back down with control.

Increased Difficulty: Hold a dumbbell on your outer thigh for additional resistance.

Tips to Perform Hip Abductions:

• Keep your core engaged to maintain stability.
• Avoid rotating your hips; keep them stacked throughout the movement.

#2 CLAMSHELLS

Clamshells are excellent for activating your gluteus medius and minimus. They help improve hip stability and are particularly beneficial for runners and athletes who need solid and stable hips.

How to Perform:

1. Lie on your side with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet together.
2. Keep your feet touching and lift your top knee as high as possible without rotating your pelvis.
3. At the same time, raise your hip off the ground slightly to enhance the engagement of your glutes.
4. Lower your knee back down to the starting position.

Increased Difficulty: Add a small ankle weight to your top leg for an extra challenge.

Tips to Perform Clamshells:

• Focus on squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
• Maintain a slow and controlled pace to maximize muscle engagement.

#3 BANDED LATERAL WALKS

Banded lateral walks are perfect for targeting your upper glutes and engaging your lower body. This exercise helps improve hip stability, strength and coordination.

How to Perform:

1. Place a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly into a half-squat position.
3. Step to the side, followed by your other foot, keeping tension on the band.
4. Continue stepping side to side for the desired number of repetitions.

Increased Difficulty: Use a stronger resistance band and hold a weight at your chest.

Tips to Perform Lateral Walks:

• Keep your steps controlled and avoid letting your feet touch.
• Maintain a low squat position throughout the exercise to engage your glutes fully.

3 BEST EXERICES FOR BUILIDNG YOUR LOWER GLUTES

We’re here to bring you the best techniques for sculpting your dream glutes! To achieve a well-rounded and firm backside, focusing on exercises that target your lower glutes is essential. Here are three of the most effective exercises for building your lower glutes, complete with detailed instructions, variations to increase the difficulty and best of all, tips, tips, tips!

#1 KICKBACKS

Kickbacks are a fantastic exercise for isolating your lower glutes and improving overall glute strength and tone.

How to Perform:

1. Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Keep your knee bent at 90 degrees and lift one leg towards the ceiling.
3. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
4. Lower your leg back to the starting position without touching the ground and repeat.

Increased Difficulty:  Use ankle weights or a cable machine for added resistance.

Tips to Perform a Kickback:

• Keep your core engaged to prevent your back from sagging.
• Focus on squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement for maximum activation.

#2 FROG PUMPS

Frog pumps are excellent for targeting your lower glutes and your inner thighs. This exercise helps shape and tone your glutes while also engaging your hips.

How to Perform:

1. Lie flat on your back on an exercise mat.
2. Bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to fall outward.
3. Position your feet close to your glutes, with your knees bent at about a 45-degree angle.
4. Press the soles of your feet together and push through your feet to lift your hips off the ground, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.

Increased Difficulty: Hold weights on your hips to increase the resistance of lifting your hips.

Tips to Perform a Frog Pump:

• Rest your hands on your hips for added stability.
• Tighten your core to stabilize your torso.
• Keep your head, neck and shoulders relaxed on the floor.

#3 CURTSY LUNGES

Curtsy lunges are an effective lower glute exercise that engages your inner thighs and improves balance and coordination.

How to Perform:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Step one leg behind and across the other leg, bending both knees to lower into a lunge.
3. Push through the front heel to return to the starting position and switch legs.

Increased Difficulty:  Add a lateral leg lift after each lunge for extra glute activation.

Tips to Perform a Cursty Lunge:

• Keep your chest up and your core engaged throughout the movement.
• Ensure your front knee stays aligned with your front foot to avoid strain.

BOOTY BUILDER LAB AT EōS FITNESS

Our newest innovative space, the Booty Builder Lab (BBL), now offers workouts designed to lift, tighten and shape your glutes using the specialized eight-piece Booty Builder® strength equipment line. In addition to the visible results, you can help reduce knee and back pain, stabilize your hips and enhance your overall power and fitness performance.

Whether you’re a beginner looking to start your fitness journey or an advanced athlete aiming to refine your lower body, the Booty Builder Lab has something for everyone! Find a Booty Builder Lab near you.

Do you want to try before you buy? No problem! Check out the at-home booty-building workout for an intense glute-growing fitness session or start slower following this quick booty-builder video.

ACHIEVING YOUR BBL DREAMS WITH EōS FITNESS

At EōS Fitness, you know we have your back (wink, wink)! We’re dedicated to providing the best tools and support to achieve your fitness goals. With dedication and the right support, your BBL dreams are within reach. Join us to experience the difference that personalized attention, expert instruction and a supportive community can make in reaching your dream booty!