I have always been an active person. As a preteen, I would run short marathons that my middle school would put on every year. It was always a competition to acquire the most popsicle sticks after each lap around the track to gain Bulldog Bucks. With these Bulldog Bucks, I would be able to buy things at the student store. I also participated in soccer throughout middle school. 

In high school, I ran cross country for three years and fell in love with pushing myself to my limits, both physically and mentally. Runners high is something people always talk about, but I can confirm that it is unbelievably unexplainable. One minute you feel the pain of your legs giving up after the first mile, and then the next, you are passing over the finish line and can’t even feel your feet anymore. The feeling has always stuck with me. 

Transitioning into college, I ran occasionally and started lifting weights. I had taken a few fitness and weight classes in high school, yet it wasn’t until I began to really research weight lifting workouts that I discovered my true passion for fitness and health. In Spring 2019, I took a CrossFit class through the University of Oregon and fell in love with sculpting my body and eating healthy. Each week I would look forward to the workouts and began pushing people close to me to come to the gym with me. Since then, I have perfected a few skills and want to share some with all my readers.

The most searched workouts I see most women and some men lookup are butt workouts. There has been plenty of talk about squats and lunges to grow the booty area, but I would like to disagree softly. Here are the five best workout exercises to strengthen and develop your booty:

Glute Bridges

The Bridge is a great exercise to add resistance to. Not only does it work your glutes but also your back and abs. Balancing your body weight along with any resistance you choose to place between your legs as you thrust up— you can go up as you become stronger— works on core stabilization. Remembering to keep your back straight will allow you also to keep your abs hard and sturdy. This exercise may even help relieve some back pain. I know that when I started experimenting with this exercise, my back actually hurt because I was doing it incorrectly, but remember to thrust up with your hips. Now, I would like to add that you do not have to add weight to this exercise, but it helps immensely grow your booty as it causes more resistance. Adding a resistance band around your knees to make the exercise harder is also something you can do or substitute for weights. Here are a few exercise mistakes to watch before you attempt this exercise.

How to perform it:

Lie on your back. Bend your knees and lift your hips up until your body forms a straight line from knees to head. Keep your heels under your knees, not too far forward or backward. If you feel this exercise straining your back, make sure your abs are tight, and you are lifting from your hips, not your chest.

Hip Thrusts

The Hip Thrust works your lower and middle buttock area. It is a powerful exercise most people forget about in the gym, but it is highly recommended to develop a firmer, plumper butt. This exercise has you working against gravity to push either just your own weight or added weight with dumbbells or anything you can use to place on your hips. It is a perfect exercise to target those glutes with your legs and butt-shaped in a 90 degree. Before you add weight to this exercise, you should use a resistance band around your knees to activate your side glutes. I do this and then continue on by adding weights. So I will have a resistance band around my knees and a fifty-five weight on my hips as I thrust up. Again, it is essential to keep your back straight even when dipping down. 

How to perform it:

Support your upper back on a couch, bed, or bench, so that the lower part of your shoulder blades is located on the edge of the surface. Look for a height where your chest and knees can be in a straight line. Pull your feet towards you so that they are placed below your knees. Keep your knees bent and push through the heels to lift your hips up from the ground. Experiment with your foot positions to find an angle where you feel your glutes really working.

Fire Hydrants 

The Fire Hydrant is another excellent glute activation exercise. I usually do this before going to the gym or using other weighted gym equipment. This exercise powerfully targets those side glutes, plumping them up little by little. You can add a resistance band around your knees for an even more extreme burn!

How to perform it:

Start on all fours. Lift one leg up to the side. Go only as high as you can without shifting your torso to the side. Don’t arch your back, keep it stable and neutral. Initiate the movement from your glutes/hip. Repeat with the other leg.   

Hip Abductions

Another great bum isolation exercise for your side glutes is Hip Abduction. Again, it is always more effective if you add a resistance band around your ankles to make it harder. 

How to perform it:

Stand tall with one hand holding onto something for support. Lift one leg away from your body, with your toes pointed forward, not up. Initiate the movement from your hips, not by leaning your torso to the side. Try moving the leg a little bit backward or leaning slightly forward to see if it helps you feel your glutes working more.

Donkey Kicks

The Donkey Kick is a popular move I see many people doing in the gym, yet many are doing it wrong. You can significantly pair this exercise with the Fire Hydrant as well. When I perform donkey kicks, I make sure to do it slowly and keep my back straight. I see lots of people bending their backs and lifting their legs up way too high. Allow your hamstrings to carry your leg up at the 90-degree angle and allow yourself to feel the burn. Again, add a resistance band around your knees to make the exercise harder. Make sure to check these exercise mistakes before your start.

How to perform it:

Get on all fours. Lift one heel up towards the ceiling while keeping your knee bent. Don’t arch your back to lift your leg up – initiate the movement from your hips/glutes. It’s all about activating your glute to lift your leg, not about lifting your foot as high as possible. Repeat with the other leg.

Watch this fun thirty-five-minute workout video by my favorite fitness Youtuber and Instagrammer Stef Fit to start your booty transformation today!