How to: Tone Your Booty
The secret to actually toning your glutes is not just doing more squats. It is hitting those muscles from multiple angles so every part of the glute has to work. Here are 10 exercises that do exactly that.
Aim for 12 to 15 reps per leg and repeat each exercise 2 to 3 times. Do this routine 3 to 4 times per week for best results.
All Fours Work
These moves start on hands and knees and are some of the most effective exercises for isolating the glutes. Do not rush them. Control every rep.
Kneeling Hip Extension
Start on all fours. Keep your leg bent at 90 degrees with foot flexed, then press your leg up until your knee is in line with your hip and parallel to the floor. Reverse to return to start.
Tip: Add a light dumbbell in the crease of your knee or wear ankle weights to increase the burn.
Fire Hydrant
Same starting position as the hip extension but instead of pressing up, move your leg straight out to the side. Try to get your leg in line with your hips at the top.
Fire Hydrant Kickback
Take the Fire Hydrant one step further. Keep your leg lifted and pull it in like you are trying to tap your elbow, then extend all the way out. This combo hits the side of your glutes and your obliques at the same time.
Fire Hydrant Rainbow
Start on all fours. Open one leg to the side, then arc it up and over in a rainbow motion. Keep your abs engaged throughout. The supporting side glute should be firing the entire time.
Kneeling Leg Lift
To finish the all fours series, do a full leg lift keeping your leg as straight as possible. Slow and controlled is better than fast and sloppy here.
Standing Moves
Hip Circle
Stand tall with feet hip width apart. Pull your right knee up until it is parallel with the floor, then pull the knee out to open up the hip. Return to start and repeat on the other side.
Floor Work
Double Leg Hip Thrust
Start with feet flat on the ground shoulder width apart, back and head flat on the floor. Drive up through your heels and push your hips as high as you can until you feel an intense contraction at the top. Hold for a count then lower back down.
Single Leg Hip Thrust
Same as the double leg version but hold the opposite leg at a 45 degree angle up in the air. This forces each glute to work independently and significantly increases the challenge.
Lunges and Hinges
Low Lunge One Leg Tap Up
Stay as low as possible and walk your back foot forward and backward while keeping your front knee bent and stable. Take at least three steps forward and three steps backward. The key is keeping that front knee in the same bent position the entire time.
Deadlift
Bend at the hips and knees and lower your torso until it is almost parallel with the floor. Let your arms hang down in front of your knees. Keep your back neutral and do not round it. Lower slowly and in control, then drive back up to standing without changing the shape of your back.
Booty Drop
Follow the deadlift movement but instead of hinging back up from the bottom, bend your knees and drop your hips all the way down into a low squat while keeping your weight in your heels. Then drive back up to standing. If you keep the weight in your heels and push your hips back, you will feel an intense burn through the glutes.
The Routine
Here is how to put it all together:
- →12 to 15 reps per leg on each exercise
- →Repeat each exercise 2 to 3 times
- →Do this routine 3 to 4 times per week
- →Add ankle weights or a dumbbell to increase difficulty as you get stronger
The key is hitting the glutes from multiple angles every session. Each of these exercises targets a different part of the muscle. That is what creates the tone and lift you are after.
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