What it lets you do
- Getting up off a low sofa without pushing off with your hands.
- Taking a steep hill at your own pace and letting your hips do the work, not your knees.
- Sprinting for a bus and actually catching it.
Back to the muscle map
Glutes
The most powerful muscle group in the body.
- 8
- Primary muscle
- 88
- Secondary muscle
Your butt. Also the single most powerful muscle you own, which is the part most people forget.
Where you feel it
A hard squeeze in the middle of each cheek at the very top of the movement. If your lower back or your hamstrings take the set over, your hips probably aren't finishing the rep.
If you skip it
Your knees and your lower back split the work between them. Neither one is built for it, and they happen to be the two places people complain about most.
Anatomy and function
The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body. It extends the hip, driving you out of a squat, up a hill or off the floor in a deadlift, and it externally rotates the thigh. Beneath and to the side sit the gluteus medius and minimus, which abduct the leg and keep the pelvis level every time you stand on one foot.
Strong glutes are central to sprinting, jumping, lifting and simply standing up without back pain. Weak or inactive glutes show up as knees that cave inward, a lower back that takes over on hinges, and hips that drop when walking or lunging.
How to train it
The volume and frequency below are programming starting points for the glutes, to be adjusted to each person's level and recovery.
- Rep ranges
- 6-10 reps on hip thrusts and squats, 12-20 reps on bridges, kickbacks and abduction
- Frequency
- 2-3 sessions per week, mixing heavy hip extension and lighter isolation
Key movement patterns
- Hip thrust and glute bridge for peak contraction
- Squat and lunge through a full range
- Hip hinge (Romanian deadlift, kettlebell swing)
- Abduction (banded walks, cable abduction) for the medius
Common mistakes
- 01
Hyper-extending the lower back at the top of a hip thrust instead of tucking the pelvis and squeezing the glutes.
- 02
Squatting to a shallow depth, which shifts work to the quads.
- 03
Ignoring single-leg and abduction work, so the glute medius stays weak.
- 04
Chasing burn with endless light reps and never loading the glutes heavily.
Exercises for this muscle
96 matching exercises
Primary muscle8
Secondary muscle88
MET 4
High Plank with Opposite Arm and Leg Lift
MET 6.5
Bear Crawl
MET 5.5
Bear Crawl – Low Knees
MET 3.5
Crab Toe Touch
MET 6
Crab Kick
MET 5
Dumbbell Turkish Get-Up
MET 3.5
Cable Hip Abductions – Standing
MET 3.5
Seated Leg Press Calf Raise
MET 9
Burpee – With Push-Up
MET 3
Bird Dog – Elbow to Knee
MET 6.5
Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk
MET 6
Deadlift
MET 6
Sumo Deadlift
MET 5.5
Romanian Deadlift
MET 3.5
Seated Leg Curl
MET 3.5
Lying Leg Curl
MET 5.5
Goblet Good Morning – Dumbbell
MET 3.5
Dumbbell Lying Leg Curl
MET 5.5
Dumbbell Deadlift
MET 5.5
Split-Stance Deadlift
MET 3.5
Kneeling Leg Curl Machine
MET 7
Sled Pull
MET 4
Dumbbell Windmill
MET 6
Leg Press – Narrow Stance
MET 5.5
Leg Press
MET 6
Leg Press – Wide Stance
MET 6
Hack Squat – Wide Stance
MET 5
Seated Leg Press – Wide Stance
MET 5
Seated Leg Press
MET 5.5
One-Leg Seated Leg Press
MET 6
Bike
MET 6
Elliptical Trainer
MET 3
Walking – Flat Surface
MET 6.5
Stair Climber
MET 5.5
Dumbbell Squat
MET 9
Burpee
MET 4.5
Squat – Bodyweight
MET 5.5
Lunge – return to start (Dynamic)
MET 8
Jump Squat
MET 6.5
Barbell Squat
MET 6.5
Barbell Front Squat
MET 6
Barbell Lunges
MET 4.5
TRX Squat
MET 5
TRX Pistol Squat
MET 7.5
Wall Ball Shot
MET 6
Trap Bar Deadlift
MET 8
Air Bike
MET 9
Burpee Box Jump Over
MET 9
Lateral Burpee Box Jump Over
MET 7
Box Jump Step Down
MET 7
Sandbag Walking Lunges
MET 6.5
Sandbag Lunges
MET 6
Kettlebell Static Lunges
MET 6
Kettlebell Alternating Lunges
MET 5.5
Seated Leg Press – Narrow Stance
MET 5.5
Machine Lunges – Gym80
MET 6
Jumping Jacks
MET 5
Incline Walking
MET 8
Incline Running
MET 8
Running
MET 9
Burpee – Lateral Jump
MET 7
Jumping lunges – Single Side (Dynamic)
MET 7
Jumping Lunges – Alternating
MET 5.5
Half Squat
MET 5.5
Squat to Calf Raise
MET 6
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
MET 6
Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift
MET 5.5
Dumbbell Step Up
MET 5.5
Goblet Squat – Dumbbell
MET 6.5
Dumbbell Thruster
MET 7
Dumbbell Clean
MET 7.5
Dumbbell Snatch
MET 5.5
Heels Elevated Dumbbell Squat
MET 6
Single Leg Dumbbell Step-Up (Floating, No Touch)
MET 5.5
Dumbbell Alternating Lunge
MET 5.5
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
MET 6
Bent-Over Bulgarian Split Squat with Dumbbells
MET 7
Barbell Thruster
MET 6
Barbell Alternating Lunges
MET 6
Barbell Static Reverse Lunge
MET 6
Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat
MET 4
Dumbbell Lateral Step-Down
MET 6.5
Barbell Low-Bar Squat
MET 7
Overhead Squat
MET 6
Zercher Squat
MET 6
Hack Squat
MET 5.5
Belt Squat – Machine
MET 9
Dumbbell Devil Press
Frequently asked questions
What is the best exercise for the glutes?
The hip thrust produces the highest glute activation at full hip extension, while deep squats and Romanian deadlifts load the glutes in a stretched position. A program that includes both builds strength and size fastest.
Why can't I feel my glutes during squats?
Usually because the depth is shallow or the knees drive forward without the hips sitting back. Squat deeper, push the knees out slightly, and add a few sets of glute bridges before squatting to wake the muscle up.
How often should I train glutes?
Two to three times per week works well for most people, alternating a heavy hip-extension day with a lighter isolation and abduction day.
Build Glutes workouts with Gymkee
Create personalized training programs with Gymkee. Access 550+ exercises in 4K with male and female videos, multiple angles, and step-by-step instructions. Build custom workouts and deliver a professional experience to your clients.
