For this one, you’ll need a heavy-ish pair of ankle weights – around 20 pounds total (10 pounds per leg), which might sound manageable until you’re actually wearing them!
You’ll spend 50 seconds on each leg before switching sides, and don’t expect much rest between – that’s where the real challenge kicks in.
The burnout rounds will have you pulsing in held positions, and it’s designed to fatigue your muscles in ways you probably haven’t experienced before.
Clamshell
Let’s start with a simple but crucial warm-up move for this at-home bum workout.
You’ll open and close your top leg like a clamshell to wake up those glute muscles.
This might feel too easy at first, but trust me – your glutes need this activation before we add the ankle weights.
How to perform:
- Start on your elbow with your hands up.
- Keep your knees together and bend your legs.
- Open up your top leg like a clam shell, keeping your heels together.
- Bring your knees back together.
- You can also straighten your top leg out and in as an alternative.
Kickback
Now we’re getting into the meat of these workouts for bigger but at home.
For this one, you’ll extend your leg straight back and lift it up, focusing on that squeeze at the top.
Keep your upper body as still as possible – no swinging or rocking to help yourself out!
How to perform:
- Start in an all-fours position, with shoulders over wrists and hips over knees.
- Extend one leg straight back behind you, foot flexed, with an ankle weight on.
- Lift your leg up, squeezing your glute at the top.
- Bring your leg back down to tap the floor lightly.
- Keep your upper body as still as possible and your hips squared to the floor.
Donkey Kick
Think of this as kicking your heel straight up to the ceiling. The key here is the flexed foot and controlled movement.
Don’t worry about getting your leg super high – it’s all about feeling it in the right spot (your glutes, not your back).
How to perform:
- Get down on your elbows, still on all fours.
- Kick one leg up straight towards the ceiling, flexing your foot as if trying to press into the ceiling with your heel.
- Bring the leg back down.
- Keep your core tight and avoid over-arching your lower back; the movement should come from your leg and glutes.
Rainbow Kick
This one takes a bit of coordination, but you’ll get the hang of it. You’ll sweep your leg in a rainbow arc behind your other leg and back.
Try to keep everything else still – easier said than done when those ankle weights start feeling heavy in this bigger but workout!
How to perform:
- Start on all fours.
- Lift one leg, then cross it behind the other in a rainbow-like arc.
- Bring the leg back to the starting position in the same arc.
- Keep your upper body as still as possible to avoid rocking side to side.
- Point your toe as you perform the movement.
Side Kick (Burnout)
Time to target that side booty with this buttocks workout. You’ll lie on your side and lift your top leg out diagonally.
This one’s definitely more complicated than it looks, so don’t be surprised if you need to slow down. It’s totally normal to feel both glute muscles working here.
How to perform:
- Get on one elbow, with the other arm extended for support.
- Bring the top leg out to the side, slightly diagonal from your body.
- Lift the leg up and then bring it back down.
- You can go slower with this movement as it is more difficult.
- It’s normal to feel both glute muscles working.
- Lean forward slightly to concentrate the feeling in your glute.
Donkey Kick Pulses (Burnout)
Here’s where things get spicy. You’ll hold your leg up high and do tiny pulsing movements.
These look so small and innocent, but they’ll have your glutes crying for mercy. When you think you can’t hold it anymore, that’s when the magic happens.
How to perform:
- On your elbows in a donkey kick position.
- Keep your leg high (kicked up).
- Perform very minimal, small pulsing movements up and
Leg Circles (Burnout)
For the grand finale of this bum workout, you’ll draw circles with your extended leg like your foot is a paintbrush.
Keep the rest of your body as still as possible – all the movement should come from your hip. By this point, even these circles will feel challenging!
How to perform:
- Start on all fours with one leg extended straight back.
- Perform circles with your extended leg.
- Make a big circle, imagining your foot is a paintbrush.
- Keep the rest of your body as still as possible, avoiding movement in your torso.
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.
