If you are looking for the best exercises for your legs and buttocks, this post will come in handy. Here is a selection of ten effective exercises for training the gluteal muscles and thighs. Exercises will help pump up these muscles and improve their shape.
These exercises are equally suitable for both men and women. And, may the ladies forgive me, I will personally demonstrate all this! :) After all, usually in articles about exercises for legs and buttocks we see exclusively beautiful girls. I guess that's not a problem! After all, it is much better if a professional trainer shows you the exercises and does it really correctly. And you can always gawk at fashion models on Youtube! Here we train for results, and highly value our time and effort.
Exercises for legs and buttocks. Which ones are really the best?
There are a lot of exercises for the gluteal muscles and legs. But are they all good? And do you need everything? There are a lot of very stupid and downright useless moves. They often look impressive, but they are of almost no use. We will do real, effective exercises. The ten exercises below are truly the best of the best.
Here are the main signs of properly selected exercises for the muscles of the legs and buttocks.
The exercise for the buttocks should have a wide amplitude
Be sure to use exercises in which the muscles of the buttocks are stretched quite strongly and contracted almost completely. Squats and lunges are ideal for this.
The muscles of the legs and buttocks need to be trained from different angles
For good shape of the muscles of the legs and buttocks you need variety. There should be several exercises, not just one or two. These exercises should be loaded in different ways, in different body positions and in different planes. Your leg and butt training program should include squats, lunges, and various leg swings.
It must be possible to increase the load
And not just the number of repetitions! This is extremely important so that you are able to do each repetition with an increasing load. Ideally, this rule corresponds to exercises with dumbbells and a barbell, and on some exercise machines. Simply increasing the number of repetitions does not build muscle or improve the shape of your butt. However, high repetitions help dry out the body.
Exercises for legs and buttocks should not be isolated
Isolated exercises are exercises in which only one joint is worked. Such exercises are definitely needed. But in limited quantities. Much more important and productive are multi-joint exercises, in which, in addition to the buttocks, the hips and other muscles are worked. Therefore, try to ensure that the exercises you choose are multi-joint: squats, lunges, leg presses, etc. But there shouldn’t be too many different leg swings and knee extensions and bendings on the machines.
Exercises for legs and buttocks require an arched lower back
This is one of the most important rules that for some reason no one talks about. If you bend at the waist during squats, rest assured that you will not have any elastic and pumped up buttocks! The back should be arched in the lumbar region. This provides a wide range of movements and, accordingly, increased development of the buttock muscles. Well, and, among other things, it will strengthen the back muscles, improve posture and protect against back pain.
Flexibility is important
Training the muscles of the legs and buttocks requires increased flexibility. It is important to understand that developing flexibility will help improve muscle shape. And proper training of the legs and buttocks always improves flexibility. One helps the other!
Now let's move on directly to exercises for the gluteal muscles and legs.
Beautiful buttocks - a profitable replacement for large breasts
Beautiful, elastic and toned buttocks can become the main trump card of appearance. Especially if nature has not endowed you with sufficiently large and firm breasts. Have you noticed that we are mainly talking about the elasticity and fit of the butt, and not about its size? Do you know why? Because size doesn’t matter, and an example of this is the famous butts of equally famous housewives. Jennifer Lopez, for example, whose soft spot is impressive in size, managed to present this “gift of nature” to fans in such a way that it became the main trump card in her appearance. And by the way, she insured this trump card for a billion dollars. But the owner of miniature elastic buttocks, Kylie Minogue, went further and insured her elastic butt for more than 4 billion dollars.
Whether her buttocks have become a substitute in terms of “something to catch the eye on” for her almost absent breasts is difficult to say, let men judge about this, but we suggest that ladies with any body shapes tighten their buttocks quickly and successfully, in order to please themselves first of all.
Back lunges with dumbbells in hands
Back lunges with dumbbells in hands. Initial position.
Back lunges with dumbbells in hands.
Finish. Execution: Take dumbbells in your hands and stand straight. Take alternate steps back with your left and then with your right foot. Moving your leg back, squat on the other leg. This is a lunge. At the same time, tilt your body forward and try to bend at the lower back, without slouching. This allows you to properly stretch and feel the gluteal muscle. Take a deep breath as you lunge. When returning to the starting position, exhale. Do at least 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions (on each leg). Gradually increase the weight of each dumbbell. It’s normal for a woman to do lunges with 10-12 kg dumbbells, and a man to do lunges with 25-30 kg dumbbells.
The exercise develops the buttocks and quadriceps muscles of the thighs. Improves flexibility.
Learn more about the exercise - backward lunges with dumbbells in your hands.
Squats
Squats. Initial position.
Squats.
Finish. Execution: You will need racks and a barbell. You need to take the barbell from the racks onto your shoulders and take a step back. Feet shoulder-width apart or wider. Socks are slightly apart. Perform fairly deep squats while holding the barbell on your shoulders.
Pay attention to an important detail about squats. You need to start each squat by slightly moving your pelvis back, and not immediately by bending your knees. And it’s normal if you lean forward quite a lot during squats. This is part of proper squat technique. When bending your legs, take a deep breath, when extending your legs, exhale. Do at least 3-4 sets of 12-15 squats.
As a guide, the working weight on the barbell for women is around 50-60 kg. For men – 100 kg and above. But these working weights must be approached gradually, starting literally with an empty bar.
The exercise develops the muscles of the buttocks, the quadriceps muscles of the thighs (front of the thigh), and the biceps of the thighs (back of the thigh).
You can learn more about this wonderful exercise here - back squats.
Working out can create the perfect butt
We must understand that there is such a thing as genetics. If a person has a narrow pelvis (or, on the contrary, a wide one), then no amount of training will be able to expand (or narrow) it. Everyone's favorite butt is formed by the gluteus maximus muscle. Also, partly, the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The shape of the muscle, just like the shape of the bones, cannot be changed - it is determined genetically. But you can increase the volume of the muscle, making it seem thicker. Therefore, training can increase the gluteal muscles - although to a certain level. And if you train, train, try all sorts of exercises and training regimens, you can crack nuts with your buttocks, but the stern remains narrow and flat (or it seems to you that it is like that) - accept it, it’s genetics. Try to gain a little more fat - a thicker layer of fat will give your butt a little more volume and roundness. But don’t blame me if the long-banished cellulite returns along with the fat layer.
There is another important point that is most often forgotten in the pursuit of “roundness” or “beauty”. What is unpleasant to look at is not thinness or fatness, but flabbiness. Our perception of appearance is determined by life values. Nobody likes lazy people without initiative, sluggish whiners and narrow-minded gluttons. On the contrary, everyone loves people who are cheerful, active and cheerful, easy-going and hardworking. And such people are usually not fat and flabby. And even if there is a little bit, they are not perceived that way. A cheerful, cheerful fat woman will always be visually more attractive than an angry, dry roach. Or, conversely, a lethargic and whiny fat woman will seem more repulsive than a lively and actively enjoying life thin woman.
Here, training will help in the best possible way - to burn excess fat, develop and strengthen muscles and ligaments, increase endurance... And even if the butt is far from ideal (in your opinion) - few will notice it.
You can “expand” your butt with exercise
Variant of the previous myth. As already mentioned, the butt is formed by the gluteus maximus muscle, and it does not in any way affect the width, which is determined only by the width of the pelvic bones. The gluteus medius muscle protrudes slightly to the side, but it is small in size and will not be able to significantly expand the butt. However, you can try. This muscle is responsible for lateral hip abduction, so it can be developed with side-lying leg raises and other abduction exercises.
King's deadlift
King's deadlift. Start.
King's deadlift.
Finish. This is a luxurious variation of the one-leg squat that even the most untrained person can handle.
Execution: stand straight, feet together. Take a small step back with your right foot, but place the bulk of your body weight on your left. Now bend both legs at the knees and squat, trying to reach the floor with your fingers or even palms. At the same time, be sure to ensure that your back does not round. A rather strong forward bend is inevitable, which is precisely what engages the buttock muscles.
Then vigorously straighten your legs and stand in the starting position. Repeat at least 10-15 times. Then switch legs and do the same number of repetitions. Essentially, you squat on your “front” leg while resting your “back” leg lightly on the floor. Touching the floor with your hands helps you maintain your balance.
Perform at least 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. If the exercise seems easy enough, you can pick up dumbbells.
The King row perfectly develops the muscles of the buttocks and quadriceps muscles of the thighs. The buttocks bear the main load.
More details about the exercise - King deadlift.
To develop your butt you need special exercises
It is known that in order to increase their authority (and, accordingly, cash flow from enchanted clients), some fitness trainers say that they have the secret of special exercises that will make your buttocks worthy of the title “The best butt of the universe forever.” However, this is nothing more than a marketing ploy. Yes, a competent coach can help your butt make significant progress towards gaining recognition from others. But this will happen not due to special secret techniques, but due to persistent methodical (and competent) application of the well-known exercises “squats”, “lunges”, “swings”, etc. Even if this coach calls them differently (“The flexible branches of cherry blossoms lightly touch the surface of the lake at sunset”).
Spreader
This is the coolest exercise for the buttocks. It is on it that you will feel how the gluteal muscles are literally burning and begging for mercy! Standing also develops the muscles of the legs and waist, and is a great workout for the heart. True, the exercise is also quite difficult, not for beginners.
Execution: Take a stable lunge position. Hands on the waist. Push both feet strongly off the floor and, jumping, change the position of your legs to the opposite. If at first the left leg was in front, then after the jump it should be behind.
Perform at least 2-3 sets of exercises with 12-20 jumps each.
Learn more about the exercise - stretching.
How to pump your buttocks correctly?
To restore the shape and firmness of your butt, you need to make this goal a priority. Otherwise, you will still have chic, toned thighs and flabby, flat buttocks.
Save your butt from a permanent state of depression with these five tips. They will help you become stronger and more active. And, of course, they will give you gorgeous, attractive contours.
But first, let’s understand the anatomical structure of the buttocks in order to understand what muscles the buttocks consist of and how they work. Therefore, we will understand how to load them as much as possible and involve the maximum number of muscle fibers of the buttocks in order to strengthen the butt.
Hyperextension
Hyperextension. Hands behind your head.
Hyperextension.
Hands behind your head. Hyperextension is usually suggested as an exercise to strengthen the back. But this is also a great exercise for the buttocks and the back of the thighs! Especially if you do it with extra weight.
Execution: take the starting position on the simulator. Pick up a small weight plate or dumbbell. Or just put your hands behind your head. Raise and lower your body over a wide amplitude. Exhale when lifting your body, inhale when lowering.
Try to feel how the muscles in the back of your thighs and buttocks work.
About the exercise in more detail - hyperextension.
Leg raises while standing on all fours
Leg raise while standing on all fours. Start.
Leg raise while standing on all fours.
Finish. This exercise is isolated. But it very effectively tones the muscles of the buttocks. Complement them with squats and lunges.
Execution: get on all fours, stretch one leg back. Smoothly raise and lower this leg in a circular path. Your foot should describe a semicircle when viewed from the side. Perform 2-3 sets of 12-20 lifts with each leg. It is important not to help yourself with movements of the waist, as this significantly reduces the effectiveness of the exercise for the gluteal muscles. Exhale when raising your leg, inhale when lowering it.
Leg raises are excellent for toning, lifting and improving the shape of the buttocks.
Cardio is Not Enough to Lose Butt Fat
You often read that only strength training effectively burns fat, while cardio... only cardio and nothing else. Any thought taken to an extreme, as a rule, becomes absurd. Both strength training and cardio training show great effectiveness in burning fat, provided they are properly organized taking into account specific conditions and circumstances. Another question is that strength training also increases the volume of trained muscles, while cardio is not effective enough in this regard. It should also be taken into account that fat during training is consumed throughout the body, and not locally. Although the rate at which the thickness of the fat layer decreases in different parts of the body may not be the same, since fat is also deposited unevenly.
If your goal is just to lose a little fat, then a rationally organized diet and well-organized cardio training will be enough. But if you also want to increase the volume of some muscles (for example, the gluteal muscles), then take dumbbells and add strength exercises (for example, squats and lunges) to the program.
Cardio is enough to get a beautiful butt.
Variant of the previous one. The same extreme, only in reverse. True, the subtlety is in the word “do”. How to “make”? Lose weight? Gain muscle mass? Both, and can it be done without bread? I repeat once again: cardio training burns fat well (on the whole body - including the butt, although if the butt is very powerful and beefy, then this may be unnoticeable at first), and also strengthens some muscles (actively involved in them). And to increase the volume of the necessary muscle groups (buttocks, for example), strength training is excellent (with your own body weight, especially at first, and later with additional weights).
Running makes your butt beautiful
Doesn't. Running (and other athletic sports) can only make your butt look leaner and more sinewy. If this is exactly the meaning you put into the concept of “beautiful,” then yes, run. When looking at female athletes with beautiful butts, keep in mind that they not only run, but also jump, and even squat with a barbell. It is from this (and not from running) that their butts are beautiful. Well, genetics, of course, should not be discounted.
Gluteal bridge
Gluteal bridge. Start.
The glute bridge is an exercise for the buttocks and the back of the thighs, performed in a lying position.
Execution: lie on the mat, bend your knees and place your feet firmly on the floor. The distance between the feet is 10-20 cm. Raise and lower the pelvis, actively working the muscles of the buttocks. You will probably feel not only your buttocks, but also the back of your thighs. When lifting your pelvis up, exhale, when lowering, inhale. Perform at least 3 sets of 20-30 repetitions. If the exercise is too easy, place a barbell plate or dumbbell on your lower abdomen. For example: in this exercise we often use a weight of 25-35 kg for 20 repetitions. So don't waste your time!
The glute bridge perfectly develops the buttocks! : )
Read more about the gluteal bridge. See also single leg glute bridge.
Myths about butt training
All girls want to have beautiful buttocks and some even try to do something for this. But the obstacle on this noble path is not only laziness, but also a lack of understanding of some important things, on the basis of which the wildest opinions sometimes flourish, such as the idea that strength training can turn a girl into Schwarzenegger. Or the one that provokes surprising questions like “What kind of protein should I drink to get a bigger butt?” But now we’ll talk not about sports nutrition, but about training. More specifically, about training the gluteal muscles.
Deadlift
Deadlift with dumbbells. Start.
Deadlift with dumbbells
Deadlifts are simple forward bends with straight legs and dumbbells in your hands.
Execution: Take dumbbells (or a barbell) in your hands and stand straight. Legs close to each other. There is about 10 cm between the feet. The feet are parallel. Gently lean forward until the dumbbells are slightly below your knees. Then straighten up vigorously and return to the starting position. Pull your shoulders back a little. Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 inclines each. When bending over, inhale; when straightening your body, exhale.
Please note: deadlifts should not be performed with stiff legs. The knees are always slightly bent. But don't bend them too much when bending.
Deadlifts develop the muscles of the buttocks and the back of the thighs well, strengthen the back, improve posture, and develop flexibility. And don't be shy with the dumbbell weights! Women can do deadlifts with 10-12 kg dumbbells in each hand. And men - with dumbbells weighing 25-35 kg in each hand.
See also - deadlift with dumbbells.
Doing a lot of repetitions can make your buttocks smaller.
The only way to make your buttocks smaller is by losing weight. That is, reduce their volume by reducing the thickness of subcutaneous fat. No amount of exercise on its own can make your buttocks smaller, you can only make them bigger. Another question is that by performing multi-repetition approaches, we strengthen the muscles, make them more resilient, but do not increase their volume. This training method is suitable for those who want to make their buttocks denser and firmer, but not increase their size. You can strengthen your butt without making it bigger using multi-repetition approaches. Reduce - never.
At the beginning, we mentioned some things, the lack of understanding of which gives rise to the already discussed myths and many others, the names of which are legion. What things were we talking about? What do you need to understand so as not to succumb to wild gossip and not invent myths yourself? Well, first of all, you need to understand that the structure and functions of the human body, and therefore health, are based on genetics. Which cannot be changed. But this has already been discussed above. On the other hand, we must remember that genetics are only the basis. Therefore, both the body and the state of health can be corrected. Within reasonable limits. Therefore, any girl should not adjust herself to some abstract standards, but work on creating her own, deeply individual version of beauty. If it so happens that you have narrow hips and a slight build, then work, of course, pump up your gluteal and other muscles, but accept yourself for who you are. Take it as a fact that you will not have a butt like Jennifer Lopez or Kim Kardashian. So what? After all, not all men like such powerful forms. Moreover, a man’s attitude towards a particular girl is almost never determined by aesthetic ideals, but is formed under the influence of live communication. What do you like more – the greedy looks of others on the street or the sympathy of those people who are close to you?
Secondly, there is one more thing. Yes, there are genetics that you can’t argue with. There is proper nutrition, which is also a powerful support for health and normal life. But there is also life itself - activity, work and entertainment, life position, etc. Sitting on the couch, drinking kefir and talking about genetics, it is impossible to lose weight. And if it succeeds, the view will be so-so. It is a busy life, full of activity (including physical), and, in particular, training (if natural activity is not enough) that makes a person strong and resilient, and, therefore, beautiful. This applies to girls exactly the same as to men. It is a positive attitude - the desire to move and enjoy everything - that is the most powerful factor that shapes our appearance and its perception by others.
Therefore, run, jump, squat with dumbbells (or a barbell), play volleyball and tennis, ride a bike and ski, swim, and finally, just walk around the cities in search of attractions - everything will count. Especially if you do it with friends (loved one), having fun along the way. And don’t indulge in beer with chips and muffins (well, maybe only occasionally, once or twice a month). And if you are the mother of a wonderful baby (two, three, and so on, the more the better), then take them all along with your always busy dad and go on a bike ride (ski ride, to the pool, to the fitness room, at the end after all, just the whole family). And so - every weekend. May the Force be with you! And coffee!
boat
Exercise boat. Start.
Exercise boat.
Finish. The boat is usually done to train the back muscles and improve posture. But it is also indispensable for the muscles of the buttocks!
Execution: lie face down on the mat, stretch your arms forward or along your body (it’s easier this way). Focus on tightening your butt muscles. Raise your arms, upper body and legs off the floor. Hold this position for a moment. Then gently lower your limbs to the floor. Perform 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions. When raising your arms and legs, inhale, when lowering, exhale. You can also try the reverse breathing order. Perhaps it will be more comfortable for you.
The boat perfectly develops the gluteal muscles, strengthens the back, and improves posture. Don’t forget to relax your back after the pump - lie on your back with your legs tucked to your stomach.
See also - boat.
You can pump up your butt without swinging your legs
It is unlikely. Since there are very few isolation exercises specifically for the gluteal muscles. I would still recommend taking a closer look at your figure. With all the shortcomings of our appearance, each individual body is structured very harmoniously, and even if someone has thin buttocks and powerful thighs, perhaps the body needs this for some reason. Perhaps this is how he maintains some kind of his own balance, which can be dangerous to disturb. Or maybe, with additional development of the buttocks, the hips will not increase much - this also happens. We are, of course, talking about muscles. We are not talking now about cases where a large volume of any part of the body is determined by a large amount of subcutaneous fat. We also leave aside the situation in which a girl thinks that her thighs are too thick, while her friends think that they are completely normal.
In some cases, you can try to strengthen your buttocks while minimizing the impact on your hips. But success, to put it mildly, is not guaranteed.
Plie squats
Plie squats. Start.
Plie squats.
Finish. This is a useful and interesting form of squats with a wide stance.
Execution: stand straight and spread your legs wide. Literally 1 meter between the feet. Turn your socks slightly to the sides. Place your hands on your stomach as shown in the photo. Next, begin to bend and straighten your legs while doing squats. Try to spread your knees as wide as possible during squats. And squat deep enough. Try to keep your torso straight and vertical. When bending your legs, inhale, when straightening, exhale. The exercise is performed in 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. You can make it more difficult by picking up dumbbells or a barbell plate.
Plie squats develop the muscles of the buttocks and inner thighs, improving flexibility like a split.
