7 Best Butt and Leg Workouts at Home You Can do Without Equipment
Butt exercises may once have been the go-to for an instant Kardashian-style butt lift, but now they’re the go-to exercises for women who want to train smarter, not harder.
” The glutes are the engine of the body and hold everything together,” says Stephen Pastorino, trainer and founder of P.volve. ” They are the largest and strongest muscles in the body and have been strategically placed where the upper body meets the lower body .”
To help you perfect your lower body workout routine, we’ve rounded up the best glute exercises available online. Good results are guaranteed.
Training Instructions
- Perform each lower body exercise for 40 seconds, then rest 20 seconds between exercises.
- Repeat the entire circuit of 7 lower body exercises x2 for a 20-minute low-impact workout to reduce cellulite on your butt and thighs.
Plie Squat
- Plié squats tone your inner thighs and gluteal muscles to create a firmer, lifted butt.
- How to perform Plié squats:
- Stand tall with your feet slightly shoulder-width apart and your toes turned out.
- Bend your knees, lowering your torso and keeping your back straight and abs tight. Put the coccyx.
- Squeeze your glutes and return to a standing position.
Repetitions: 8-12
Sets: 2
Pistol squat
Pistol squats are an effective lower body exercise that strengthens the glutes, quads, and core while training the body for better balance and ankle stability.
How to perform pistol squats:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and extend one long leg in front of your body.
- Bring your hands to your hips or to the front of your body for balance.
- Squat down with your weight on the ball of your foot.
- Then slowly rise up using your glute and hamstring muscles.
- Repeat the desired number of reps and switch sides.
Repetitions: 8-12
Sets: 2
Side lunge
Side lunges strengthen your quads, glutes, and hamstrings while targeting your inner and outer thighs.
How to perform side lunges:
- Start standing with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
- Shift your body weight onto one leg, bending your knee until you reach a 90-degree angle and the other leg is straight.
- The buttocks press backward.
- Return to the center and switch sides.
Repetitions: 8-12
Sets: 2
High lunges
Elevated lunges are a version of the traditional lunge that focuses on strengthening your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
How to perform elevated lunges:
- Start by standing a few feet in front of a step and step your left foot back so that your toes are on the bench and your heels are raised.
- Bend your right knee, lowering your body toward the ground until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. If the right knee extends in front of the ankle on the way down, move the right foot further forward.
- Squeeze your glutes as you press back to start, keeping your weight on your right leg. Continue lowering and raising yourself for the desired number of reps and switch sides.
Repetitions: 8-12
Sets: 2
Deadlift
The deadlift works more muscles than any other exercise, including your back, glutes, legs, arms, shoulders, and core.
How to perform the deadlift:
- Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and dumbbells resting in front of your thighs.
- Brace your abs and keep your back flat as you slightly bend your knees, lowering the dumbbells toward the floor.
- Squeeze your glutes and use your hamstrings and legs to lift and return to an upright position.
Repetitions: 8-12
Sets: 2
Donkey kick
The glute kick is an exercise that will strengthen and tone your glutes, build stability in your core, and help tone your butt for a firmer backside.
How to perform the glute kick:
- Kneel down on all fours and lift your right knee off the mat, keeping your right heel above your knee with your foot flexed.
Squeeze your right glute and press toward the ceiling. - Release slightly down and tighten up again. Repeat the desired number of reps, then switch sides.
- Keep your abs tight throughout the exercise.
Repetitions: 8-12
Sets: 2
Single leg hamstring bridge
Single leg hamstring bridges are a great exercise that strengthens your hamstrings, glutes, core, and lower back.
How to perform the single-leg hamstring bridge:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and hip-width apart, feet flat on the mat below your knees. Extend one leg toward the ceiling.
- Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off the mat into a bridge. Lower and lift your hips for the desired number of reps, and repeat on the other side.
Repetitions: 8-12
Sets: 2