You don’t need a squat rack or a full hour to build a stronger booty.
A few bodyweight moves at home can do the job just fine.
Today’s full glute workout will walk you through 10 beginner-friendly exercises that fire up every angle of your glutes.
This glute workout routine takes just 15 minutes—no equipment needed. So just grab your mat and follow along!
Sumo Squats with Pulse
Let’s start this full glute workout with a classic move that’s got an extra kick.
For this one, you’ll drop into a wide squat, add a pulse at the bottom, then stand back up—but here’s the key: don’t thrust your hips forward when you come up.
Keep that tension on your glutes the whole time.
How to perform:
- Stand with your feet positioned wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Angle your toes outward so they point away from your body.
- Lower your hips down into a squat position while keeping your chest lifted.
- Perform a small pulse at the bottom of the movement.
- Press through your heels to stand back up to the starting position.
- Keep your upper body leaning slightly forward, but avoid hinging your hips too far forward.
- Maintain tension on your glutes throughout the entire movement.
Curtsy Lunges
This is one of those at home exercises for glutes that really targets your outer booty.
You’ll step one leg behind you on a diagonal and sink deep into the front heel.
If you’re pushing through that supporting heel properly, you’ll definitely feel it in those outer glutes!
How to perform:
- Start from a standing position and prepare to alternate legs.
- Step one foot behind you on a diagonal line, crossing behind your standing leg.
- Lower your hips down until your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Focus on sitting deep into the heel of your front, supporting leg.
- Press firmly through that front heel to push yourself back up to the center.
- Switch legs and repeat the movement on the other side.
- Ensure you feel the engagement in your outer glutes by pushing through the heel.
Side Lunges
Time to work one side at a time with some side-to-side lunges.
The secret here? Sit back into your heel—don’t let your chest drop too much.
And when you return to center, try to keep the tension on your glute instead of letting your hip go forward.
How to perform:
- Take a stance that is nice and wide to prepare for the movement.
- Shift your weight to one side, bending that knee while keeping the other leg straight.
- Sit your hips back into the heel of the bending leg.
- Keep your chest lifted high; do not let your upper body drop too low.
- Press firmly through the heel of the bent leg to push yourself back up to the center.
- Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other.
- When returning to center, keep tension on the glute and avoid thrusting your hips forward.
Glute Bridges
Here’s a simple movement, but don’t underestimate it.
For this one, you’ll press your lower back into the floor between each rep.
This protects your back and keeps the work exactly where you want it—in your glutes, not your lower back.
Try lifting your toes off the floor to force your weight into those heels.
How to perform:
- Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat.
- Press your lower back firmly into the floor to engage your core and protect your spine.
- Lift your toes slightly off the floor to force your weight into your heels.
- Press your hips up toward the ceiling as high as possible.
- Squeeze your glutes tightly at the top of the movement.
- Lower your hips back down, resetting your lower back against the floor between reps.
Glute Bridge with Abduction
Same setup as the regular bridge, but now you’re adding an abduction at the top.
Here’s where people mess up: when you open your knees out, your hips tend to drop.
Keep those hips pressed high while you squeeze and open—that’s what makes this one so effective for your glute workout routine.
How to perform:
- Set up in the same glute bridge position, lying on your back.
- Drive your hips up high, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Hold the bridge at the top and open your knees outward (abduction).
- Keep your hips pressed high while opening your knees; do not let them dip.
- Bring your knees back together to the center.
- Lower your hips back down to the floor as one controlled unit.
Kickback
Now you’ll flip over into a tabletop position.
For this exercise, you’re going to kick one leg back and squeeze that glute hard.
Focus on keeping your core engaged so your back doesn’t arch—just move that working leg and nothing else.
How to perform:
- Flip over into a tabletop position on your hands and knees.
- Ensure your hands are under your shoulders and knees are under your hips.
- Extend one leg straight back behind you.
- Squeeze the glute of the working leg to lift it high.
- Keep your core engaged to prevent your lower back from arching.
- Focus solely on moving the working leg without shifting your body weight.
- Complete the interval on one leg before switching to the other.
Fire Hydrants
Still in tabletop, you’re lifting your bent leg out to the side like a… well, you know.
The goal is to bring that knee up as high as you can without wobbling your upper body around.
Keep everything nice and strong—your core is tight, and only that working leg is moving.
How to perform:
- Remain in the tabletop position on your hands and knees.
- Keep your working leg bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Lift your bent leg out to the side, raising the knee as high as you can.
- Keep your upper body steady and avoid leaning or wobbling to the side.
- Engage your core to keep your torso strong and still.
- Lower the knee back down to the starting position with control.
Donkey Kick Pulses
For this one, you’ll drive your working hip down toward the floor to keep your hips square.
Then just pulse that heel up to the sky repeatedly.
If pulsing for 30 seconds straight feels like too much, pulse twice, bring it in, and repeat.
How to perform:
- Stay in your tabletop position on hands and knees.
- Lift one leg behind you, keeping the knee bent so the sole of your foot faces the ceiling.
- Drive your working hip down toward the floor to keep your hips square.
- Pulse your foot upward toward the sky repeatedly.
- Avoid opening your hips to the side; keep them facing the mat.
- If pulsing continuously is too hard, pulse twice and then lower the leg briefly.
Elevated Clam Shells
This move might feel a little funky the first few times you try it.
You’ll support yourself on the heel of your hand, lift your hips, and open that top knee all at once.
The focus here is mind-to-muscle on that side glute.
If you can’t feel it on your hand, drop to your elbow and do a regular clam shell instead.
How to perform:
- Sit on the floor and lean to one side, supporting your weight on the heel of your hand.
- Bend your knees and stack your legs on top of each other.
- Lift your hips off the floor while simultaneously opening your top knee (clam shell).
- Squeeze the side glute of your bottom leg to lift you up.
- Slowly lower your hips and close your knees to return to the start.
- If this is too difficult on your hand, drop down to your elbow for a regular clam shell.
Single Leg Step Up
Those sides of your booty should be burning right now!
For this lower glutes workout move, you’ll start kneeling, then drive through one heel to stand all the way up.
Think about mimicking a step-up motion—shift your weight into that front heel and use your glute to lift you.
How to perform:
- Start in a kneeling position on the floor.
- Step one foot forward so you are in a half-kneeling stance.
- Drive through the heel of that front foot to stand all the way up.
- Bring your back knee up toward your chest as you stand, mimicking a step-up.
- Slowly lower yourself back down to the kneeling position with control.
- Shift your weight clearly into the front heel before standing up.
- Complete all reps on one leg before switching to the other side.
Good Morning to Squat
This is a two-in-one move that’s part of what makes this such an effective glute workout.
You’ll hinge forward at the hips (that’s the good morning), come up, then drop into a squat.
Feel those glutes fire up right as you hinge back to standing.
How to perform:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
- Hinge at your hips to send your booty back, keeping legs mostly straight (Good Morning).
- Return your torso upright.
- Immediately drop your hips down into a standard squat.
- Stand back up from the squat to complete one repetition.
- Focus on feeling your glutes fire as you hinge upward from the Good Morning.
Reverse Lunge with Kickback
Last one—you’ve got this!
Step back into a reverse lunge, but keep your knee hovering just off the floor.
Then shift your weight into the supporting leg, squeeze that back glute, and kick.
Alternate sides and sit back into the lunge each time.
How to perform:
- Stand at the top of your mat.
- Step one foot back into a reverse lunge, lowering your hips.
- Keep your back knee hovering just off the floor; do not touch the ground.
- Shift your weight into your front supporting leg.
- Stand up and immediately squeeze the back glute to kick that leg behind you.
- Bring the foot back to center to switch legs.
- Alternate sides for each repetition, sitting back into the lunge each time.
Article Medically reviewed by
I’m fitness coach Ashley Castleberry, an NASM-certified personal trainer and nutritionist, as well as a coach on an established YouTube Channel with over 1 million followers. With certifications from major fitness brands, I specialize in athletic, HIIT, and strength training. Leveraging my experience coaching clients on lifestyle changes, I provide customized exercise and nutrition guidance to help people reach their fitness goals, whether that be weight loss, muscle gain or overall health improvement.
