The 15 Best At Home Glute Exercises to Do

Your glutes aren't just about looking good in your favorite jeans. These powerhouse muscles form your body's foundation, keeping you standing tall, moving strong, and pain-free through every single day. 

Whether you're battling lower back pain from hours at a desk or determined to build serious strength without stepping foot in a gym, your glute muscles hold the key to better posture and everyday movement. 

The best part? You can transform these crucial muscles right from your living room using nothing but your bodyweight. No expensive equipment or complicated routines required.

When you're ready to level up, TRX Training equipment can take your results even further with functional movement patterns that mirror real life. Ready to discover the 15 most effective at-home glute exercises that work for complete beginners and fitness veterans alike? Let's dive in and get those glutes firing.

The 15 Best At-Home Glute Exercises

1. Glute Bridges

Glute bridges rank as one of the most effective beginner exercises for activating your glute muscles, particularly the gluteus maximus. This movement builds foundational strength in your hips and posterior chain, supports better posture, and relieves pressure on your lower back. It's especially valuable for people who spend long hours sitting, as it counteracts tight hip flexors and inactive glutes.

How to Do a Glute Bridge:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your arms at your sides, palms down.

2. Before lifting, brace your core by drawing your belly button toward your spine. This protects your lower back.

3. Press through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

4. Pause at the top for 2 seconds, keeping glutes tight and avoiding excessive arching in your lower back.

5. Lower your hips back to the ground with control and repeat.

2. Clamshells

Clamshells target the gluteus medius, a key stabilizer of your pelvis and hips. This exercise enhances hip stability, which improves balance, posture, and prevents injuries, especially in your knees and lower back. It's excellent for beginners, runners, or anyone recovering from lower-body imbalances.

How to Do a Clamshell:

1. Lie on your side with hips stacked and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Rest your head on your bottom arm.

2. Keep your feet together and in line with your spine.

3. Keeping your feet touching, raise your top knee as high as you can without rotating your hips or lifting your bottom leg.

4. At the top, hold for 1 second and squeeze your glutes.

5. Lower your knee slowly and repeat, then switch sides.

3. TRX Assisted Squats

TRX Assisted Squats offer beginners an excellent way to build lower-body strength, improve hip mobility, and practice proper squat mechanics without overloading your joints. The TRX Suspension Trainer™ provides balance and stability, making it easier to focus on form, control, and glute engagement. It's also a fantastic confidence builder for those new to squatting or recovering from injuries.

How to Do a TRX Assisted Squat:

1. Adjust the TRX straps to mid-length. Stand facing the anchor point and grab the handles with both hands, palms facing each other.

2. Step back until there's slight tension in the straps. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart, with arms fully extended in front of you.

3. Begin lowering your body by bending at your hips and knees, keeping your chest up and back straight. The TRX will help you balance and stay upright.

4. Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to return to standing.

4. Wall Sits

Wall sits are a static strength exercise that targets your glutes, quads, and hamstrings while building muscular endurance. They're low-impact and joint-friendly, making them perfect for beginners or those looking to improve posture and lower-body stability. With no equipment needed, you can do them virtually anywhere. To create a complete lower body workout, consider pairing wall sits with hamstring exercises at home for balanced muscle development.

How to Do a Wall Sit:

1. Stand with your back against a flat wall. Walk your feet forward and slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

2. Your knees should be directly above your ankles (not past your toes), and your back flat against the wall.

3. Press your heels into the floor and lightly squeeze your glutes throughout the hold.

4. Begin with 30 seconds, maintaining steady breathing and muscle engagement.

5. Press through your heels and slide back up the wall slowly.

5. Standing Glute Kickbacks

Standing Glute Kickbacks activate your gluteus maximus and help build balance, control, and strength in your posterior chain. They're perfect for beginners who want to isolate their glutes while practicing standing stability. This exercise also engages your core to maintain posture, making it a valuable low-impact addition to any lower-body routine.

How to Do a Standing Glute Kickback:

1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, holding onto a sturdy object (like a chair or countertop) for balance.

2. Draw your belly button toward your spine to stabilize your torso.

3. Shift weight onto one leg and slowly kick the opposite leg straight back, keeping it straight or with a slight bend in the knee.

4. Focus on using your glutes, not your lower back. Hold for 1 second at the top of the movement.

5. Lower the leg with control. Complete 10-15 reps, then switch legs.

6. Single-Leg Glute Bridges

A natural progression from the basic glute bridge, the Single-Leg Glute Bridge isolates one side of your body at a time, increasing the challenge to your glutes, hamstrings, and core. This unilateral movement helps correct imbalances between your left and right sides, builds hip stability, and improves control. These qualities are essential for more advanced lower-body movements like lunges or step-ups.

How to Do a Single-Leg Glute Bridge:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Extend one leg straight up or keep it bent at 90 degrees, hovering off the floor.

2. Engage your core by bracing your abs and keeping your lower back in a neutral position.

3. On the grounded leg, press through the heel to lift your hips while keeping the elevated leg stable.

4. At the top, hold for 1 second and squeeze your glutes, ensuring your hips stay level.

5. Bring your hips back down slowly without collapsing. Repeat 8-12 reps, then switch legs.

7. Fire Hydrants

The Fire Hydrant is a powerful move for targeting your gluteus medius, which plays a vital role in stabilizing your hips and preventing knee valgus. Done from a quadruped (hands-and-knees) position, it also challenges core stability and body awareness. This exercise helps shape your outer glutes and supports lateral movements in sports and daily life. For an extra challenge and burn, try incorporating TRX glute bands to add resistance to this movement.

How to Do a Fire Hydrant:

1. Begin on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Keep a neutral spine.

2. Engage your abs to stabilize your pelvis and spine.

3. Keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees, lift one leg out to the side like a dog at a fire hydrant.

4. Contract your glute and hold for 1 second at the top of the movement.

5. Slowly return to starting position. Perform 10-15 reps per side.

8. Squats

Squats are a foundational strength movement that engage your entire lower body, especially your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. As an intermediate exercise, they can be adjusted with variations in depth, stance, and tempo to emphasize glute activation and increase difficulty. Mastering proper squat form sets the stage for barbell work, athletic training, and injury prevention.

How to Do a Basic Bodyweight Squat:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Keep your chest lifted and arms in front for balance.

2. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to lower your body as if sitting into a chair.

3. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or deeper if mobility allows), keeping your knees aligned with your toes.

4. Push through your heels to stand back up, contracting your glutes at the top.

5. Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps with control.

9. TRX Power Pull Squats

TRX Power Pull Squats combine rotational pulling and squatting to develop explosive strength, coordination, and full-body control. This exercise especially targets your glutes and posterior chain while challenging your core and upper body. Using the TRX Suspension Trainer™ offers a scalable way to practice dynamic movement safely and effectively, making it a fantastic choice for developing functional power and athleticism.

How to Do a TRX Power Pull Squat:

1. Adjust TRX straps to mid-length. Stand facing the anchor point, holding one handle in your right hand. Extend your left arm straight out to the side.

2. Rotate your torso to the left while lowering into a squat. Your left arm should reach toward the anchor point as your right arm extends.

3. Push through your heels to stand and simultaneously pull with your right arm to rotate your torso back toward the anchor point. Bring the left arm across your chest.

4. At the top, contract your glutes and reset your arms to the starting position.

5. Perform 8-10 reps on each side with control and fluid motion.

10. Reverse Lunges

Reverse Lunges are a joint-friendly lower-body exercise that emphasizes glute and hamstring activation. They improve unilateral strength, balance, and coordination while putting less strain on your knees compared to forward lunges. This makes them a go-to move for anyone looking to build functional strength and control, especially in the glutes.

How to Do a Reverse Lunge:

1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and hands on hips or at your sides.

2. Take a controlled step back with your right foot, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at roughly 90 degrees.

3. Keep your front heel grounded and your chest upright. Your back knee should hover just above the floor.

4. Drive through the front foot to return to standing, maintaining tension in the glutes.

5. Repeat 8-12 reps on each side.

11. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts

The Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift is a powerhouse move for building strength and stability in your posterior chain, including your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. This advanced hip-hinge movement also improves balance, proprioception, and muscular control on each leg independently, helping to correct imbalances and reduce injury risk.

How to Do a Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift:

1. Stand on your right leg with a soft bend in the knee. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in your left hand or both hands.

2. Keeping your back flat and core tight, hinge forward at the hips while extending your left leg straight behind you.

3. Lower the weight toward the floor while keeping the movement slow and steady. Your torso and lifted leg should move together in a straight line.

4. Descend until your back is nearly parallel to the ground or until your hamstring flexibility allows.

5. Contract your glutes and drive through the standing heel to return to an upright position. Perform 8-10 reps, then switch legs.

12. TRX Jump Squats

TRX Jump Squats provide a low-impact way to train explosive power, combining plyometric movement with the support of the TRX Suspension Trainer™. The straps offer stability and assistance during the jump, allowing you to focus on controlled landings and safe knee tracking. This exercise is excellent for increasing vertical power, improving athletic performance, and boosting glute activation without excessive joint stress.

How to Do a TRX Jump Squat:

1. Adjust TRX to mid-length. Stand facing the anchor point and hold the handles with arms extended in front of you.

2. Lower into a squat position, keeping your chest lifted and knees behind your toes.

3. Push through your heels to jump up explosively, using the TRX handles for balance, not pulling.

4. Absorb the landing by bending your knees and lowering directly into your next squat.

5. Perform 8-12 reps, emphasizing height and form.

13. Curtsy Lunges

Curtsy Lunges challenge your glutes from a different angle, especially targeting your gluteus medius and minimus, while also improving hip stability, coordination, and balance. The crossover motion mimics real-life multi-directional movements, making it a functional addition to lower-body training.

How to Do a Curtsy Lunge:

1. Begin with feet hip-width apart and hands on hips or at your chest.

2. Move your right foot diagonally behind your left, crossing into a "curtsy" position.

3. Bend both knees to descend into a lunge. The front knee should stay over the ankle.

4. Return to standing by pressing through the front foot, bringing the rear foot back to center.

5. Perform 10-12 reps per leg.

14. Hip Thrusts (Bodyweight)

Bodyweight Hip Thrusts are a fantastic glute-isolation exercise that uses an elevated surface like a bench, bed, or couch. They provide greater hip extension compared to floor bridges, allowing for maximum glute contraction. This move strengthens your posterior chain while being joint-friendly and easy to scale with progression.

How to Do a Bodyweight Hip Thrust:

1. Sit on the floor with your upper back resting against a bench, couch, or bed.

2. Bend your knees and plant your feet flat, hip-width apart, so they're directly below your knees.

3. Press through your heels and thrust your hips upward until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

4. Hold for 2 seconds, contracting your glutes hard without overextending your back.

5. Return your hips to just above the floor. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

15. TRX Side Plank with Leg Abduction

The TRX Side Plank with Leg Abduction is an advanced core and glute exercise that targets your obliques, gluteus medius, and deep stabilizing muscles. With both feet suspended in the TRX straps, the added instability forces your body to work harder to maintain alignment, resulting in increased strength and muscular control.

How to Do a TRX Side Plank with Leg Abduction:

1. Adjust straps so they hang 8-12 inches above the ground. Lie on your side and place both feet into the straps.

2. Support your body on your forearm with elbow under your shoulder. Lift your hips into a side plank position.

3. While holding the plank, lift your top leg up and away from the bottom leg, keeping it straight.

4. Hold for 1 second at the top, then slowly lower the leg back to the starting position.

5. Perform 8-10 controlled reps per side.

Why Strong Glutes Matter

Strong glutes act like your body's natural back support system. When these muscles weaken from too much sitting, your lower back works overtime, leading to pain and that forward slouch we all recognize. By strengthening your glutes, you help your spine maintain proper alignment and take pressure off your lower back.

This becomes especially crucial if you spend most of your day at a desk. Robust glutes fight against the forward posture that comes from prolonged sitting, giving you the strength to stand tall and move confidently. For those looking to expand their lower body training beyond just glutes, incorporating quad exercises at home can create a more balanced and powerful foundation.

Better Athletic Performance and Power

Your glutes are the biggest and strongest muscles in your entire body. That makes them your secret weapon for explosive power. Whether you're sprinting to catch a ball, jumping to reach something high, or simply walking up stairs, these muscles drive every movement forward.

They work by extending your hips and propelling you into action, giving you the power you need for any athletic activity. When your glutes are well-developed, your entire lower body becomes more stable and powerful. You'll move faster, feel stronger, and gain confidence in any physical challenge.

Enhanced Stability and Balance

Strong glutes don't just help you move powerfully. They keep you steady and balanced throughout your day. These muscles work closely with your core to create a solid foundation for your entire body, which translates to superior balance when walking, standing, or navigating daily activities.

This improved stability brings real-world benefits. You're less likely to trip or fall. You'll have better control when carrying groceries or lifting objects. You'll move more smoothly through everyday activities like getting in and out of chairs or climbing stairs.

Understanding Your Glute Muscles

Gluteus Maximus

Your glutes are actually made up of three different muscles that work together like a championship team. The gluteus maximus takes center stage as the largest muscle in your entire body, giving your glutes their shape and size. This powerhouse muscle handles hip extension, working every time you stand up, climb stairs, or push yourself forward.

You can strengthen your gluteus maximus with exercises like squats, hip thrusts, and glute bridges. Think of it as your body's primary engine for movement and power. When you're ready to add resistance to these movements, dumbbell glute exercises provide an excellent progression path.

Gluteus Medius

The gluteus medius sits on the side of your hip and acts like your body's built-in stabilizer. This muscle works hard to keep your pelvis level when walking, running, or standing on one leg. Without a developed gluteus medius, your hips would drop to one side and your knees would cave inward, creating poor movement patterns and potential injuries.

You can strengthen this critical muscle with exercises like side-lying leg raises, clamshells, and any movements that involve stepping sideways or balancing on one foot.

Gluteus Minimus

The gluteus minimus might be the smallest of the three glute muscles, but it plays a huge role in keeping you stable and balanced. This compact muscle works closely with the gluteus medius to help rotate your hips and keep your pelvis steady during movement.

Think of it as the gluteus medius's reliable partner. Together, they ensure your body stays aligned and controlled. You can target the gluteus minimus through balancing exercises, side planks, and movements that require moving your leg away from your body while maintaining proper posture.

Enhancing Your Glute Workouts with TRX Training Equipment

The TRX Suspension Trainer™ excels at glute training because it forces your body to work harder to maintain balance. When you perform exercises with the TRX straps, your core muscles and glutes must work together to keep you steady, strengthening both muscle groups simultaneously.

You can easily adjust TRX exercises by changing your body position, making them suitable for beginners and advanced exercisers alike. The straps also allow you to move through a greater range of motion than traditional exercises, which means your muscles get activated more completely. This enhanced range of motion translates to better results and improved functional strength.

TRX YBell™ for Added Resistance

The TRX YBell™ is a versatile piece of equipment that functions as both a dumbbell and a kettlebell in one tool. You can hold it during glute bridges and hip thrusts to make these exercises more challenging and build stronger glutes. It's also perfect for goblet squats, where you hold the weight at your chest while squatting, forcing your glutes to work harder.

The best part is that you can gradually increase the challenge of your workouts without needing a complete set of heavy weights. This makes it perfect for home workouts where space is at a premium.

TRX Rip Trainer™ for Rotational Power

The TRX Rip Trainer™ is a unique tool that combines a resistance cord with a weighted bar to help you build rotational power while strengthening your glutes and spine. When you perform twisting and rotating movements with the Rip Trainer™, you're working your glutes in a more functional way than traditional exercises, mimicking real-life movements like swinging a golf club or reaching across your body.

The best part is that it's lightweight and portable, so you can take it anywhere for a complete workout. It combines glute strengthening with spine health, giving your body the rotational power it needs for everyday activities while preventing injuries.

How to Create Your At-Home Glute Workout

Before starting any glute workout, spend 5-10 minutes warming up your body with light cardio like marching in place or doing arm circles to get blood flowing.

After that, perform some dynamic stretches that target your hips and glutes, such as leg swings or hip circles, to prepare your muscles for the workout ahead.

You should also include some activation exercises like glute bridges or clamshells to "wake up" your glute muscles and ensure they're ready to work properly.

If you have TRX equipment, you can use it for mobility exercises that will give you an even better warm-up by gently stretching and activating your muscles simultaneously.

Sample Workout Routines

• Beginner routine (15-20 minutes): Complete 5 exercises for 2 sets of 10-15 reps each. This is perfect if you're just starting out or getting back into exercise.

• Intermediate routine (20-25 minutes): Finish 6-7 exercises for 3 sets of 12-20 reps each. This level works well once you've built some basic strength and endurance.

• Advanced routine (25-30 minutes): Challenge yourself with 8-10 exercises for 3-4 sets of 15-25 reps each. This is for experienced exercisers who want optimal results.

Rest for 45 seconds between sets and aim to complete these workouts 3 times per week. Give your muscles at least 48 hours to recover between sessions so they can grow stronger.

Progressive Overload Without Traditional Weights

You can make glute workouts harder and see improved results without needing heavy weights by using several smart strategies. Start by gradually increasing the number of repetitions you perform each week. If you can easily complete 15 glute bridges, try for 18-20 next time.

You can also add isometric holds by pausing at the top of movements like hip thrusts for 3 seconds, or extend range of motion by performing deeper squats or lunges. Using TRX equipment gives you variable resistance that changes throughout the movement, making your muscles work harder in different ways and helping you build strength progressively.

Strong Glutes, Strong Life

If you've been dealing with weak glutes that cause lower back pain, poor posture, or feeling unstable during everyday activities, you're not alone. And you don't need a gym membership to fix it.

By consistently performing these 15 at-home glute exercises, you'll build stronger glutes that improve posture, reduce pain, and boost performance in everything from climbing stairs to playing sports. Begin with simple bodyweight exercises like glute bridges and clamshells, then gradually work your way up to more challenging movements as you get stronger.

While you can definitely see results with just bodyweight exercises, adding TRX Training equipment can accelerate your progress. The variable resistance and enhanced range of motion make every exercise more effective, helping you move better, grow stronger, and live longer.

The secret to success is consistency. Stick with your routine 3 times per week, and you'll start noticing real changes in just 5 weeks. Focus on building a solid foundation with proper form before advancing to the tougher exercises. Your glutes are some of the most powerful muscles in your body, and with dedication to these at-home workouts, you'll unlock their full potential without ever stepping foot in a gym.

Please consult with a physician before beginning any new exercise program.