There's a lot more to strengthening your glutes than doing a bunch of squats. Ideally, your weekly glute routine should include a variety of exercises that train the upper, lower and side parts of your butt.
But if you've been neglecting your side booty, no need to panic. New York-based certified personal trainer Carolina Araujo, CPT, has the perfect 20-minute workout to round out your glute routine (pun intended).
Video of the Day
Video of the Day
Set a timer to 20 minutes and get through as many rounds of this workout as possible. Pause as needed between moves but take a full 60-second rest after each round.
Move 1: Lateral Lunge
- Stand with your feet together, holding one end of your dumbbell in each hand at chest height.
- Root your right foot into the ground and step your left foot out to the side.
- Sit your butt back and down as you bend your left knee, keeping it in line with your left foot. The weights should frame either side of your left shin and your back should be flat.
- Press through your left heel to return to standing.
- Do all 12 reps on the left leg before doing 12 on the right.
Tip
As you do this exercise, focus on pressing into the heel of the lunging leg, Araujo says. This will really help target the side portion of your glute.
Move 2: Side Step Squat
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one end of your dumbbell in each hand at chest height.
- Come down into a squat, bending your knees to 90 degrees, while keeping your back flat and chest up.
- Holding this position throughout the exercise, take 3 steps to the right.
- Then, take 3 steps to the left.
- Repeat until you have taken 12 steps on both sides.
Tip
As you move from right to left, it's important to maintain the hip-width distance between your feet, Araujo says. You don't want your feet to meet in the middle. Try to move through as many rounds as possible without coming up between side steps.
Move 3: Frog Pump
- Lie on your back and place the soles of your feet together, creating a diamond shape with your legs.
- Place a dumbbell on your hips.
- Press your hips up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Slowly release and lower back to the floor.
Tip
You can hold the top of this exercise for 4 or 5 seconds to give your glutes a little added burn, Araujo says.
Move 4: Sumo Deadlift
- Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart.
- Turn your toes slightly out and hold a heavy dumbbell between your legs by one end.
- Hinge your hips back and bend your torso forward while maintaining a neutral spine as you lower the weight toward the ground.
- Keeping your core tight, push through your heels to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
Move 5: Toes Turned Front Squat
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and turn your feet out 45 degrees.
- Hold one end of a heavy dumbbell in each hand.
- Bend your knees to lower yourself down into a squat. Keep your chest up, back flat and knees in line with your toes. The weight should almost touch the floor.
- Press through your heels to return to standing.
Tip
Bonus: After you finish all your reps for this exercise, drop the weight and do 12 pulses, Araujo says. Drop down to the bottom of the squat, come up halfway and drop back down — that's one rep.