Exercises To Build A Butt In Time For Summer

Wondering about Exercises To Build A Butt In Time For Summer? The great news is that you don’t need a strict routine or expensive gym equipment to sculpt the butt you’ve always dreamed of – as most glute exercises can be done with body weight alone.

There are three distinct muscles located in your butt. The gluteus maximus is the strongest, most visible butt muscle, while the two smaller glute muscles work to stabilise the hips.

When these muscles are trained together, they can help to stabilise your pelvis, improve your posture, and improve back pain.

Below we have listed our favourite at-home workouts that will help you build your butt right in time for summer.

Traditional Squats

Ah, the squat… This ol’ reliable booty builder has remained so popular due to the simple fact that it works wonders.

How To Traditional Squat:

1. Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart, bracing your core.
2. Lower your hips down while pushing your knees out slightly at the bottom.
3. Exhale and squeeze your glutes as you stand back up to the starting position.
4. Try not to lock your knees at the top of the squat, instead try and squeeze your glutes to create tension.
5. If you want to increase resistance, try holding weights or adding a resistance band around your knees.

You can shop our resistance bands by clicking here.

Sumo Squats

This exercise will strengthen your lower body and force your core to engage while improving your balance. If you want to make this more difficult, try holding a medicine ball using the arm that isn’t extended.

How To Sumo Squats:

1. Start in a wide stance, feet turned out 45 degrees.
2. Bend at your knees and hips to lower into a sumo squat. Keep your torso upright.
3. As you stand, extend one leg and the opposite arm. Hold and pulse your leg up 2 to 3 inches three times.
4. Put your leg back down to start position and repeat.
5. Alternate sides for 12 reps.

Hip Thrusts

Hip thrusters are considered to be one of the greatest exercises when it comes to building your butt as they activate the muscles in the glute family more so than any other exercise.

How To Hip Thrusts:

1. Begin by lying on the floor in a sit-up position.
2. Push through your heels, driving your hips upwards while increasing tension on the glutes as you rise your hips up.
3. Try using controlled movements to lower your hips back down to the starting position.
4. If you want to increase difficulty, you can add weights to your hips or you can use a resistance bands around your knees. You can also try elevating one leg as you drive your hips upwards.

You can also do this exercise by putting your back on an elevated surface such as a bench or couch to increase the range of motion of the movement.

Single-Leg Stand-Ups

As with hip thrusts and traditional squats, single-leg stand-up exercises can be a really great exercise for powerful, full-range glute activation. This is due to the fact this motion requires extra work to balance and stabilise the movement.

How To Single-Leg Stand-Ups:

1. Start by placing one leg down at a 90-degree angle and extend the other leg out in front of you. Your arms should also be extended out straight ahead
2. Stand up and sit back down slowly and controlled so as not to crash into the bench.
3. You can alter this exercise by putting your heel on the floor rather than out straight – still keeping it in front of the bent leg.
4. If you need more of a challenge, hold a weight with the hand that’s on the same side as your bent leg.

A Lateral Lunge Into A Curtsy Lunge

This easy exercise targets your legs and butt while giving you a really deep stretch in all of the right places.

How To Lateral Lunge Into A Curtsy Lunge:

1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Step your left foot to the left and squat down, keep your left leg straight.
3. Hold for a moment and push through your left foot, lunging back diagonally and crossing it behind your right leg. This is one rep.
4. Complete 10 reps on each side.

Glute Raise Plank

This lovely little stretch combines isometric core work with glute activation for full-body stability and strength.

How To Glute Raise Plank:

1. Begin this exercise on your hands and knees.
2. Walk your feet back to lower into a forearm plank.
3. Ensure your hips are low and that your spine is in a neutral position.
4. Slowly lift one leg, upwards and slightly outwards. Keep the leg straight and hips facing the floor.
5. If holding a full plank is proving too difficult, you can also perform this exercise from a tabletop position (on your hands and knees) to activate the glutes without over straining core and spine.

Tabletop Kickback

This exercise will activate your glutes while helping to promote and improve stability.

How To Tabletop Kickback:

1. Begin on your hands and knees in the tabletop position.
2. Reach your left leg back, without arching your back. Try to keep a parallel alignment.
3. Keep your hips even, pointing them down towards the floor.
4. Tao your left toe down to the floor, and re-lift the leg back up.
5. Squeeze your glutes each time you lift your leg to its starting position – keep resisting the urge to arch your back.

To Sum It Up

Whether you are looking to switch up your current routine, or if you’re starting from scratch, these butt workouts will be a great addition to your workout.

It is important to make sure you keep resistance low until you have mastered the technique, or start with a modified version of an exercise to build strength safely, and progressively.

If you are still unsure of where to begin, try booking a session with a personal trainer or healthcare provider. They will be able to better guide you through the right movement while ensuring you feel the burn in all the right places.

You can also read our last blog on butt exercises here.