5 Glute Exercises Every Woman Should Know

By Jill Johnson-Dim, Founder & CEO of Glute Studio

Your glutes are the biggest, strongest muscles in your body. When they are strong, everything gets easier: walking up stairs, picking up your kids, carrying groceries, and even sitting at a desk without low back pain. That is why we start every Strength & Sculpt class with glute activation, the G in our G.L.U.T.E. Method.

Here are five moves we teach every woman who walks through our doors.

1. Glute Bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Press through your heels and lift your hips until your body makes a straight line from shoulders to knees. Squeeze at the top, then lower slowly. This is the best way to wake up your glutes before any workout.

2. Hip Thrust

The bigger sister of the bridge. Rest your upper back on a bench, drive your hips up, and pause at the top. In the studio, we load this with a barbell or use our Peach Builder machines so you can build real strength safely.

3. Romanian Deadlift

Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs. With a soft bend in your knees, push your hips back as the weights travel down your legs, then squeeze your glutes to stand tall. You should feel it in your hamstrings and glutes, not your lower back.

4. Step Up

Step onto a sturdy bench or box with your whole foot, drive through your heel, and stand all the way up. Step down with control. Step ups build strength one leg at a time, which helps with balance and evens out a stronger side.

5. Banded Lateral Walk

Place a resistance band just above your knees, sit back slightly, and take small steps to the side. This targets the side of your glutes that helps keep your hips and knees stable.

Form first, always

Start light and focus on feeling the right muscles work. If you are new to strength training, the easiest way to learn these moves safely is with a coach watching your form. Every class at Glute Studio is coach led, and every move is scaled to you.