The glutes are one of the most challenging muscle groups to work! Their importance in running, strength and even body posture leads many to look for the most effective way to strengthen them.

To help you, here are the 10 best exercises to tone your glutes.

1. Pelvic lift with elastic band

Lie on your stomach, place the soles of your feet on the floor and put your arms at your sides. Then raise your hips to a comfortable height and keep your glutes contracted throughout the movement. Stay with your hips elevated for a few seconds and then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.

We suggest two ways of intensifying this exercise: the first by placing an elastic band halfway up your thigh; and the second by resting your feet on a slightly higher surface, such as a step or a bench.

2. Pelvic lift with bar

This exercise is identical to the previous one, but requires the use of a barbell. Take a barbell and add as much weight as you feel comfortable with. Set up a bench and place the bar in front of you, parallel to the length of the bench. Sit with your back to the bench and position your shoulder blades over the bench. Place your body under the bar so that it is positioned above your hips. Keep the soles of your feet flat on the floor so that you never lift your heels during the movement. Then raise your hips to the height of your shoulders and head – in other words, the height of the bench. Throughout the movement, contract your glutes and maintain a rhythm that allows you to control the movement safely. Stay with your hips elevated for a few seconds to increase the stimulus of the exercise.

Note: place a cushion between your pelvis and the bar to make it more comfortable; don’t add too much weight at first so that you get used to the movement.

3. Hip abduction

Hip abduction is often performed on machines in the gym and we rarely end up doing it in places without equipment. But with just 1 mini elastic band you can perform this exercise efficiently.

Sit on a bench and place an elastic band between your thighs – the height of the bench should be appropriate for you, i.e. your knees should be at the same height as your hips. Now, to get the most out of the movement, you’re going to perform it in 3 different adaptations – first you’re going to reach your torso back, resting your palms on the bench and perform 20 repetitions of openings. Next, straighten your spine and keep your torso straight on the bench. Do 20 more repetitions. Finally, lean your torso forward, resting your palms on the bench and do another 20 repetitions.

4. Crab walk

In a space with 3 or 4 meters for walking, place an elastic band in the middle of your thighs and bend your knees slightly, creating some tension in your thighs. Make sure your spine is straight and that your knees are not too far in front of the tips of your toes. Now walk sideways – put one foot out and then take the other foot to the same side. Walk first to one side and then to the other. To add more intensity, keep your feet – when you bring them together – hip-width apart.

5. Stiff with kettlebell in deficit

Get 2 high disks (or platforms) and position them side by side, a little wider than your shoulders.

Take a kettelbell that allows you to work the back of your thigh and place one foot on top of each disc. Perform a stiff/deadlift with the kettelbell, allowing it to fall between the tips of your feet. Perform the movement in a calm and controlled manner and keep your glutes contracted throughout the movement, until you return to the starting position. Pay attention to the posture of your back and neck – keep both structures aligned and long.

6. Superman

Get a bench and lie face down on the length of it. Bring your pelvis off the bench, so that your glutes are off the bench too. Bend your knees slightly, with the tips of your toes touching the floor. Now raise your legs, keeping your knees slightly bent.

7. Kickbacks

Put a band around your mid-thighs and stand facing one of the pillars of a rack, or any other object that allows you to hold on and be safe. Grab the rack with both hands and simulate a back kick with one leg. Change legs when you’ve finished the repetitions on the leg you started with.

8. Globet pulse squat with deficit

Take 2 fractional disks and place them parallel to each other on the floor. Take a dumbbell, with a weight that is strong enough to recruit the muscles we want to work, and place it vertically between your hands. Position it in front of your chest, holding the top of it. Place your heels on top of the fractional disks and squat down. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart and that your pelvis is above your knees. Then go down as far as you can, but when you come up, do it only as far as your knees, and then go back down as far as you can. Keep your torso as vertical as possible, consciously activating your abdominal line.

9. Frog pump

Lie on your stomach, bring the soles of your feet together, then bring your heels close to your hips. position your arms at your sides, with your hands facing downwards, in contact with the floor. Raise your hips as high as possible, getting your glutes to activate, and lower yourself in a controlled manner.

Note: when you are more comfortable with the movement, you can place a dumbbell or kettelbell on top of your pelvis to increase the intensity of the movement.

10. Bulgarian Split Squat

With a bench behind you, get into a lunge position. Then bring your back foot up onto the bench, placing the instep of your foot in contact with the bench. Lower your hips until they are parallel to your front knee.

Note: you can intensify the exercise with 2 dumbbells or 2 kettellbells, placing 1 in each hand and keeping your arms parallel to your torso.