Define Your Glutes With These Exercises

If you want defined glutes, you should know that it’s possible to do so by working out. In this article, we’ll talk about the benefits of toning your glutes and how you can achieve it.
Define Your Glutes With These Exercises

Last update: 23 September, 2018

Having a defined rear can really make you look and feel great. So, if you want to improve both the strength, and appearance of your legs and glutes, you should know that there are key exercises that you must pay attention to.

However, your buttocks aren’t only there to make your clothes look good. Remember that glutes are composed of 3 main muscles: the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. They all work together to move your legs in any direction you need. Because they’re attached to the hips, lower back and legs, strengthening your glutes helps to stabilize your back.

So, if you’re one of those people who wish to have glutes with more definition, we recommend that you combine cardiovascular exercises with other, more specific exercises to tone up the lower parts of your body, such as, squats and lunges. In addition, you must remember that patience and motivation are your core strengths; results won’t appear overnight.

Girl with defined glutes holding two weights.

Benefits of having defined glutes

Before mentioning the exercises that tone your buttocks, you must know that having defined glutes can bring benefits to your health. Benefits such as:

  • Improved motility and stability in the hip joints
  • Decrease in stress on the back
  • Improved back posture
  • Lower risk of knee injuries
  • Lower risk of hamstring injuries
  • Better sports performance

Exercises to define your glutes

There are many ways to work your glutes, such as going up and down the stairs, or walking along a beach or over a mountain. However, we’ve prepared a short list of some exercises that you can do, to define your glutes at home or the gym. Take note and add them to your training routine, we know you won’t regret it!

  1. Lunges

The first exercise we’ll talk about is lunges. To start, stand with your feet hip-width apart, and take a big step forwards or backwards.  After that, lower your body slowly, while you bend both of your knees.

Girl doing lunges at the gym.

Don’t forget that the angle of your knees should never be over 90 degrees and that you should keep your front knee aligned with your front ankle. Ideally, you should alternate your legs or do all of the repetitions with one leg, and then switch over to the other one.

  1. Leg extensions

Secondly, leg extensions are an ideal exercise to tone and define your glutes. This exercise basically consists of placing one leg behind your body. You must perform this movement slowly and with control, while you clench your glutes and keep your torso stable. We recommend doing three series of 15 repetitions each, and then switching legs.

Girl doing leg extensions.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

-Mahatma Gandhi-

  1. Bridge

To perform a bridge, you must lie down on your back, with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart and flat on the ground.

Slowly, lift your spine from the ground, while you keep your glutes and hamstrings tense, and draw a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees. Complete this by lowering your body gradually, until your back touches the ground again.

  1. Squats

Finally, here’s one of the best exercises that you can do to work your glutes. To squat properly, you must stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bring your hips down slowly, making sure that your knees don’t go over your toes.

Girl doing squats to define her glutes.

When you’re squatting downwards, keep your knees over your ankles, push through your feet and clench your glutes as you stand up. Don’t forget that you can perform this exercise in many different ways!

Likewise, don’t forget that if you want to get better results we recommend you add weights to the basic squat or extension movements, so that you can get the most benefits from your workout.

Finally, remember that even though with these exercises, you can have toned and defined glutes, you must keep in mind that a great training routine is only partly responsible for achieving your goal. A balanced diet is just as important.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Neto WK, Soares EG, Vieira TL, Aguiar R, Chola TA, Sampaio VL, Gama EF. Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020 Feb 24;19(1):195-203.
  • Parr M, Price PD, Cleather DJ. Effect of a gluteal activation warm-up on explosive exercise performance. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2017 Jul 24;3(1):e000245.
  • Yoon JO, Kang MH, Kim JS, Oh JS. Effect of modified bridge exercise on trunk muscle activity in healthy adults: a cross sectional study. Braz J Phys Ther. 2018 Mar-Apr;22(2):161-167.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.