If you are looking to build a strong and shapely lower body, including lower glute exercises in your workout routine is essential.
The lower glutes, or the under-butt area, can be a challenging muscle group to target, but with the right exercises, you can achieve impressive results.
According to a study by the American Council on Exercise, the top three most effective glute exercises are the hip thrust, the squat, and the deadlift.
Incorporating these and other targeted lower glute exercises can assist you in achieving your fitness goals and building a more muscular, toned physique.
Today, I will talk about the best lower glute exercises and how you can perform them correctly for maximum results.
So, let’s get started!
What Is the Underbutt?
The underbutt is the area where the upper hamstring and glute muscles meet. This area—typically called a “bum crease” due to its visible fold between buttocks and thigh muscle groups—can be lifted through exercise or surgically removing excess fat.
You can do a few exercises to target and strengthen the underbutt muscles. Squats, lunges, and deadlifts are all joint practical lower-body exercises that engage the glutes and hamstrings.
So, if you’re looking to achieve a more toned and lifted underbutt, focus on incorporating lower glute and hamstrings exercises into your routine, and pair them with a healthy diet and overall fitness program.
Can You Target The Lower Glutes?
While the gluteus maximus is a large muscle, you can still target your lower glutes by using specific exercises. Recent studies indicate that the gluteus maximus can be divided into upper and lower portions.
The superior portion of the glutes, similar to the gluteus medius muscle, is activated during hip abduction exercises. On the other hand, exercises that involve hip extension are more likely to activate this inferior portion of your butt muscles.
A study examined the activation of both the superior and inferior portions during 11 different glute exercises. The results showed that abduction-based movements activated the upper part of your butt more, while extension-based ones targeted the lower region better.
If you want to target your lower glutes specifically, focus on exercises that involve hip extension. Incorporating these moves into your workout routine can strengthen and grow those muscles.
8 Best Lower Glute Exercises
Here are the 8 best lower glute exercises to get a toned lower body:
1. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
The single-leg Romanian deadlift (SLRDL) is a lower glute exercise that targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles.
The Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (SLRDL) is a lower-body exercise that targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles. It’s a variation of the traditional Romanian Deadlift (RDL) performed on one leg, requiring more excellent balance and stability.
It is on top of our list because of its adequate pressure on your lower glutes, which helps strengthen them.
The single-leg Romanian deadlift emphasizes squeezing the glutes and hamstrings while hinging at the hips to return your body from a bent upright position.
Steps to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grab a dumbbell in your left hand.
- Raise your right foot slightly off the ground, balancing on your left foot.
- Engage your core and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back flat and your left knee slightly bent.
- Keep your left arm straight and lower the dumbbell towards your left foot while lifting your right leg behind you.
- Pause momentarily when you feel a stretch in your hamstring, then return to standing.
- Repeat on the other side, holding the dumbbell in your right hand and raising your left foot off the ground.
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2. Bulgarian split squats
Bulgarian split squats, or rear foot elevated split squats, vary from the traditional squat exercise. Our trainers tested this exercise for effectiveness and ranked it 2nd.
This exercise targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles. It is a popular exercise among athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts looking to add variation to their leg workouts.
Steps to do it:
- Find a comfortable distance in front of a bench or raised platform.
- Lift one foot and place it on the bench behind you, testing different foot positions to find what feels best.
- Keep your weight on your front foot and lower your back knee towards the ground, using the back foot only for balance.
- When you feel a stretch in your quads and glutes, raise your body back by engaging those muscles.
- Repeat the exercise for the desired repetitions before switching to the other leg.
3. Hip Thrusts
The hip thrust exercise effectively targets the glutes but also works the hamstrings, quadriceps, and lower back muscles.
Without a doubt, this exercise had to be on our list of the best lower glute exercises. This is the favorite exercise of one of our fitness trainers.
Steps to do it:
- Begin by sitting on the ground in front of a bench, with your shoulder blades resting against the bench.
- Place a loaded barbell over your shins and use a squat pad for comfort.
- Raise the barbell in front of you with both hands and bring your heels as close to your buttocks as possible until the muscles around your glutes do most of the work.
- Push through your heels and lift your pelvis towards the ceiling while keeping your shoulder blades on the bench.
- When your back and hamstrings form a straight line, you have reached the top of the movement. Lower the weight back down to the starting position.
4. Deficit Reverse Lunge
Forward lunges predominantly work the quads, while reverse lunges activate the glutes and hamstrings, making them an ideal exercise for sculpting your lower body.
Deficit reverse lunges can further enhance the benefits of the exercise by expanding the range of motion and increasing muscle tension. This variation also targets the lower glute fibers, resulting in a more comprehensive workout for your glutes.
Steps to do it:
- Position yourself with both feet on the elevated platform.
- Raise one foot and step back, lowering your body into a rear lunge.
- To do the exercise correctly, lower your back knee as close to the ground as possible. Don’t stop at a 90-degree angle—that defeats the purpose of having an elevated platform.
- Drop down until you feel a stretch in your hips, then slowly stand back up again without locking out at any point during this movement.
- Use your glutes to drive yourself back up, and perform each repetition with power by squeezing your glutes.
5. Glute Kickbacks
According to the American Council on Exercise, the glute kickback is one of the best exercises for targeting the gluteus muscles.
This move effectively activates both the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius, making it more effective than other popular exercises like squats.
In addition to targeting the glutes, the glute kickback also engages the hamstrings, providing a comprehensive lower-body workout.
Steps to do it:
- Start by attaching an ankle strap to the low pulley cable machine and selecting the desired weight.
- Loop the ankle strap around your ankle and stand with your feet together, leaning forward slightly while keeping your back flat and core engaged throughout the movement.
- Squeeze your glute to activate the muscle, then lift the leg attached to the machine back behind your body with control.
- Pause at the top of the movement to maximize the contraction in your glutes.
- Slowly lower your leg back to the starting position with control and repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions on each leg.
Remember to keep your movements slow and controlled throughout the exercise, and avoid swinging your leg or arching your back.
6. Step-ups
Step-ups are a compound exercise that targets several lower body muscles—the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core. You can improve stability by stepping onto an elevated surface while reducing muscle imbalance between your legs.
To make the exercise more challenging, you can increase your weight or take more significant steps—either way will emphasise your glutes and hamstrings.
Steps to do it:
- Begin by standing before a bench or box with your feet at a hip-width distance apart. Ensure that your core is braced.
- If you’re using dumbbells, hold one in each hand.
- Place your left foot on the platform and press down with it to lift yourself, then put your right foot next to it.
- When you lift, concentrate on tightening your glutes and keeping yourself upright.
- Next, lower your right foot to the ground and focus on using your leg muscles to control the movement. You may do all of your reps with one leg, then switch or alternate legs during each rep.
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7. Frog Squats
Frog squats offer a challenging yet effective way to tone and sculpt the glutes and thighs without equipment. Unlike traditional squats, they involve a knee hinge, making them a unique exercise.
By performing frog squats in a deep squat position, individuals can improve their mobility and flexibility, especially those who have suffered from injuries or limited range of motion.
Steps to do it:
- Begin by standing tall with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing outwards at 30 degrees.
- Lower your body into a full squat position, with the crease in your hips below your knees.
- Drive your glutes upwards by pushing through your heels, keeping your back straight, and knees bent. Only bring your hips up halfway to maintain constant tension on your muscles.
- Slowly lower yourself back into the starting position, keeping your core engaged and back straight.
- Repeat the exercise for your desired reps, aiming to perform 3-4 sets of 10-20 reps 2-3 times per week.
8. Glute bridge
The glute bridge exercise is excellent for strengthening and stabilizing your core muscles. By targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and transversus abdominis, you can alleviate back pain and improve the general flexibility of these three muscle groups that are often underactive in people with low-back pain.
Adding a resistance band above your knees can make the exercise more challenging. A stronger gluteus Medius muscle will lead to better overall fitness.
Steps to do it:
- Lie on your back and put your knees shoulder-width apart, with feet flat on the floor. Your heels should be about 6-8 inches from your glutes.
- Position your arms flat on either side of your body with your palms facing the ceiling.
- Engage your glutes and abs as you slowly raise your hips, being careful not to arch your back. Lift your hips as high as possible until your torso forms a straight line from your shoulder to your knee.
- Contract your glutes at the top of the move for a few seconds.
- Return to the ground slowly, keeping your abs and glutes tight throughout.
- Perform this exercise for your desired number of repetitions, aiming to do 3-4 sets of 10-20 reps twice or thrice a week.
The Importance of Training the Underbutt
When it comes to sculpting the perfect lower body, many people focus on the glutes and thighs, but there’s a lesser-known muscle group that deserves just as much attention: the underbutt.
Aesthetics
Training the underbutt can enhance the appearance of the glutes and legs. A well-defined underbutt can make the lower body look more sculpted and toned. This can increase confidence and self-esteem.
Performance
The underbutt is also essential for athletic performance. Strong glutes and hamstrings are crucial for sprinting, jumping, and squatting. Training the underbutt can improve power, speed, and agility.
Injury Prevention
Weak glutes and hamstrings can lead to injuries such as hamstring strains and knee pain. Training the underbutt can improve the strength and stability of these muscles, reducing the risk of injury.
Posture
Posture is also important for underbutt. A pelvis tilted forward due to weak glutes can result in lower back pain and other postural problems. Exercising the underbutt can help with pelvic alignment and lower back support.
[/alert-announce]Lower Glute / Underbutt Workout
Our fitness trainers prepared this 30-day underbutt/lower glute workout with careful consideration and expertise to ensure maximum effectiveness.
They selected the eight exercises based on their ability to target the lower glutes and designed a workout plan that progressively increases in intensity over 30 days.
The workout plan includes a mix of compound and isolation exercises, as well as exercises that require body weight and those that require weights, to provide variety and challenge the muscles from different angles.
The trainers also incorporated rest days and a de-load week to allow for proper recovery and avoid overtraining.
Our trainers understand that everyone’s fitness level is different, so they provided options for increasing or decreasing the intensity of each exercise to accommodate different fitness levels.
They also emphasized the importance of proper form and technique to avoid injury and maximize results.
Our trainers understand that everyone’s fitness level is different, so they provided options for increasing or decreasing the intensity of each exercise to accommodate different fitness levels.
They also emphasized the importance of proper form and technique to avoid injury and maximize results.
Week 1:
| Week 1 | ||
| Day 1 | Single Leg Romanian Deadlift | – 3 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Glute Kickbacks | – 3 sets of 15 reps (per leg) | |
| Glute Bridge | – 3 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 2 | Bulgarian Split Squats | – 3 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Hip Thrusts | – 3 sets of 12 reps | |
| Step-ups | – 3 sets of 12 reps (per leg) | |
| Day 3 | Deficit Reverse Lunge | – 3 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Frog Squats | – 3 sets of 12 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | – 3 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 4 | Rest | |
| Day 5 | Single Leg Romanian Deadlift | – 3 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Glute Kickbacks | – 3 sets of 20 reps (per leg) | |
| Glute Bridge | – 3 sets of 15 reps | |
| Day 6 | Bulgarian Split Squats | – 3 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Hip Thrusts | – 3 sets of 15 reps | |
| Step-ups | – 3 sets of 15 reps (per leg) | |
| Day 7 | Deficit Reverse Lunge | – 3 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Frog Squats | – 3 sets of 15 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | – 3 sets of 15 reps |
Week 2:
| Week 2 | Exercise | Sets x Reps |
| Day 8 | Single Leg Romanian Deadlift | 4 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Glute Kickbacks | 4 sets of 15 reps (per leg) | |
| Glute Bridge | 4 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 9 | Bulgarian Split Squats | 4 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Hip Thrusts | 4 sets of 12 reps | |
| Step-ups | 4 sets of 12 reps (per leg) | |
| Day 10 | Deficit Reverse Lunge | 4 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Frog Squats | 4 sets of 12 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | 4 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 11 | Rest | |
| Day 12 | Single Leg Romanian Deadlift | 4 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Glute Kickbacks | 4 sets of 20 reps (per leg) | |
| Glute Bridge | 4 sets of 15 reps | |
| Day 13 | Bulgarian Split Squats | 4 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Hip Thrusts | 4 sets of 15 reps | |
| Step-ups | 4 sets of 15 reps (per leg) | |
| Day 14 | Deficit Reverse Lunge | 4 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Frog Squats | 4 sets of 15 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | 4 sets of 15 reps |
Week 3:
| Week 3 | Exercise | Sets x Reps |
| Day 15 | Single Leg Romanian Deadlift | 5 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Glute Kickbacks | 5 sets of 15 reps (per leg) | |
| Glute Bridge | 5 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 16 | Bulgarian Split Squats | 5 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Hip Thrusts | 5 sets of 12 reps | |
| Step-ups | 5 sets of 12 reps (per leg) | |
| Day 17 | Deficit Reverse Lunge | 5 sets of 12 reps (per leg) |
| Frog Squats | 5 sets of 12 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | 5 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 18 | Rest | |
| Day 19 | Single Leg Romanian Deadlift | 5 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Glute Kickbacks | 5 sets of 20 reps (per leg) | |
| Glute Bridge | 5 sets of 15 reps | |
| Day 20 | Bulgarian Split Squats | 5 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Hip Thrusts | 5 sets of 15 reps | |
| Step-ups | 5 sets of 15 reps (per leg) | |
| Day 21 | Deficit Reverse Lunge | 5 sets of 15 reps (per leg) |
| Frog Squats | 5 sets of 15 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | 5 sets of 15 reps |
Week 4:
| Week 4 | Exercises | Sets x Reps |
| Day 22 | Single Leg Romanian Deadlift, per leg | 6 sets of 12 reps |
| Glute Kickbacks, per leg | 6 sets of 15 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | 6 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 23 | Bulgarian Split Squats, per leg | 6 sets of 12 reps |
| Hip Thrusts | 6 sets of 12 reps | |
| Step-ups, per leg | 6 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 24 | Deficit Reverse Lunge, per leg | 6 sets of 12 reps |
| Frog Squats | 6 sets of 12 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | 6 sets of 12 reps | |
| Day 25 | Rest | |
| Day 26 | Single Leg Romanian Deadlift, per leg | 6 sets of 15 reps |
| Glute Kickbacks, per leg | 6 sets of 20 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | 6 sets of 15 reps | |
| Day 27 | Bulgarian Split Squats, per leg | 6 sets of 15 reps |
| Hip Thrusts | 6 sets of 15 reps | |
| Step-ups, per leg | 6 sets of 15 reps | |
| Day 28 | Deficit Reverse Lunge, per leg | 6 sets of 15 reps |
| Frog Squats | 6 sets of 15 reps | |
| Glute Bridge | 6 sets of 15 reps |
You can consider days 29 and 30 as recovery days. These days, lower the load, sets, and reps to recover your muscles and warm up before your next training phase.
Remember to warm up properly before each workout and stretch after each workout. Also, maintain good form throughout the exercises to avoid injury. Lastly, nutrition is crucial in achieving your fitness goals, so fuel your body with healthy and nutritious foods.
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FAQs:
How do you work your lower glutes?
If you want to target your underbutt and lower glutes, try these eight exercises: Single Leg Romanian Deadlift, Bulgarian split squats, Hip thrusts, Deficit reverse lunge, Glute Kickbacks, Step-ups, Frog Squats, and Glute bridge. You can target the muscles from different angles and achieve robust and toned underbutt by incorporating various exercises into your routine.
How do you build your bottom gluteus maximus?
Exercises that target the lower part of your glutes should be your main emphasis if you want to develop your bottom gluteus maximus or underbust. The Single Leg Romanian Deadlift, Bulgarian Split Squats, Hip Thrusts, Deficit Reverse Lunge, Glute Kickbacks, Step-ups, Frog Squats, and Glute Bridge are some useful exercises for developing your underbutt.
Why are my bottom glutes not growing?
It might be challenging to engage your glutes during workout when they are inert. This might prevent this muscle group's growth and development. Use glute-targeting exercises and maintain a daily routine of physical activity to address the problem.
Does squeezing the buttocks strengthen the glutes?
A good approach to strengthen the glutes is to squeeze the buttocks. According to a study from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, those who performed gluteal squeezes had a 16 percent greater gain in hip extension strength than those who performed glute bridges. This method helps in instructing the body to engage the glutes during exercise. Also, by feeling the bottom of the butt cheeks where they meet the tops of the thighs, it is possible to detect any muscular imbalances in the glutes.
Conclusion
Building the underbutt is achievable with the right exercises and training principles. By incorporating these three exercises into your workout routine, you can target and strengthen your lower glutes for a more toned look!
Research shows that targeted glute exercises can significantly improve muscle strength and size. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that hip thrusts and single-leg Romanian deadlifts were more effective at activating the glute muscles than traditional squat exercises.
Building muscle takes time, consistency, and dedication. Set realistic goals for yourself and stay consistent with your training. With determination, you can achieve the muscular butt of your dreams!
