Glutes: what they do, and what trains them

How each exercise is done

The same descriptions the app shows on each exercise’s screen.

• Barbell Glute Bridge+

  A glute bridge with a barbell across your hips, your shoulders and feet on the floor — a shorter range than a hip thrust, with no bench. Sit on the floor, roll a padded bar over your legs until it rests in the crease of your hips, and lie back with your knees bent and your feet flat about hip-width apart. Drive through your heels to lift your hips until your body is straight from shoulders to knees, squeeze your glutes, then lower until the plates touch the floor.

• Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat+

  A split squat with your rear foot raised on a bench behind you and a barbell across your upper back. Place the front foot far enough forward that you can lower straight down, bend the front knee until the back knee nears the floor, and push back up through the front foot. Finish all the reps on one side, then switch.

• Barbell Clean High Pull+

  The pull of a clean taken as high as it goes, with no catch. Set up as for a clean, the bar over your midfoot and your grip just outside your legs. Pull the bar past your knees, extend your hips, knees and ankles hard and shrug, let your elbows carry the bar up close to your body to about chest height, then lower it under control.

• Barbell Hip Thrust+

  Driving the hips up with a barbell across them while your upper back rests on a bench. Sit on the floor with your upper back against the side of a bench and a padded bar over your hips, feet flat and knees bent. Push through your heels to lift your hips until your torso and thighs are level and your shins are vertical, keeping your chin tucked, then lower under control.

• Barbell Lunge+

  A lunge with a barbell across your upper back. From standing, take a long step forward and lower until both knees are bent and the back knee nears the floor, keeping your torso upright. Push off the front foot to step back to standing, then alternate legs or finish one side first.

• Barbell Romanian Deadlift+

  A hinge in which a barbell travels down the front of the legs and back up while the knees stay only slightly bent. Stand holding the bar at your thighs, push your hips back and let the bar slide down close to your legs until you feel a stretch in the backs of your thighs or your back can no longer stay neutral, then drive your hips forward to stand up.

• Barbell Squat+

  The back squat: a barbell across your upper back, held in place with both hands, usually taken from a rack at shoulder height. With your feet about shoulder-width apart, bend your hips and knees together and sit down between your heels as deep as you can while your back stays neutral, then stand back up.

• Barbell Step-Up+

  A step-up with a barbell across your upper back. Place one foot on a box or bench, drive through it to stand up on top, and bring the other foot up beside it. Step back down the way you came up, then finish one side before switching, or alternate legs.

• Box Squat+

  A back squat in which you sit back onto a box or bench set at about knee height, pause, and stand up from it. Set the box behind you, take the bar across your upper back and stand with your feet a little wider than for a normal squat. Sit back and down until you are seated on the box without dropping onto it, pause with your back tight, then drive through your feet to stand up.

• Barbell Clean+

  Lifting a barbell from the floor to the front of your shoulders in one movement. Set up as for a deadlift with a grip just outside your legs. Lift the bar close to your body, and once it passes your knees extend your hips and knees hard, shrug and pull yourself under it, turning your elbows forward to catch it on your shoulders in a squat. Stand up, then lower the bar.

• Barbell Clean and Jerk+

  The second Olympic lift: the bar is cleaned from the floor to your shoulders, then driven overhead in one explosive move. Start as for a clean, the bar over your midfoot, and learn it with a light bar first. Pull, drop under the bar into a front squat and stand; then dip your knees, drive the bar overhead, catch it on straight arms with your feet split, bring your feet together and lower it under control.

• Barbell Hang Clean+

  A clean that starts from a standing hang rather than from the floor. Stand holding the bar at your thighs, push your hips back to lower it to just above your knees with a neutral back, then extend your hips sharply, shrug and pull yourself under the bar, turning your elbows forward to catch it on your shoulders in a partial squat. Stand up tall, then return the bar to your thighs.

• Barbell Sumo Deadlift+

  A deadlift from a wide stance, with the hands inside the knees. Stand with your feet well wider than your shoulders, toes turned out and the bar over the middle of your feet. Squat down to grip the bar with your arms straight inside your knees, chest up and back neutral. Push the floor away, pressing your knees out, and stand up tall with the bar close to your body, then lower it the same way.

• Deadlift+

  Lifting a barbell from the floor to standing by straightening your hips and knees. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip-width apart, then bend down and grip it just outside your legs. With your back neutral and the bar close to your shins, push the floor away and stand up tall, then lower the bar along the same path, hips back first.

• Dumbbell Goblet Squat+

  A squat holding one dumbbell upright against your chest, both hands cupping its top end. With your feet about shoulder-width apart, sit down between your heels as deep as you can with your elbows inside your knees, then stand back up. The weight in front helps keep your torso upright.

• Dumbbell Split Squat+

  A split squat with a dumbbell in each hand: one foot forward, one back, both staying where they are for the whole set. Stand with your feet about a stride apart, the back heel lifted, and hold the dumbbells at your sides with your arms straight. Lower straight down until your back knee nearly touches the floor, then push through your front foot to rise; finish the set on one side, then switch.

• Dumbbell Step-Up+

  A step-up with a dumbbell in each hand. Place one foot on a box or bench, drive through it to stand up on top, and bring the other foot up beside it. Step back down the way you came up, then finish one side before switching, or alternate legs.

• Dumbbell Walking Lunge+

  Lunges taken one after another while walking forward. With a dumbbell in each hand, step forward and lower until the back knee nears the floor, then push off the back foot and bring it straight through into the next step. Keep your torso upright and alternate legs with every step.

• Reverse Lunge+

  A lunge taken by stepping backwards instead of forwards. With a dumbbell in each hand, step one foot back, lower until both knees are bent and the back knee nears the floor, and push through the front foot to bring the back foot forward again. Alternate legs or finish one side first.

• Sumo Squat+

  A wide-stance squat with a dumbbell hanging between your legs. Stand with your feet well outside your shoulders and your toes turned out, hold one dumbbell by its end with both hands, and sit straight down with your knees following the line of your toes, then stand back up.

• Curtsy Lunge+

  A lunge in which the stepping leg crosses behind the standing one, as in a curtsy. With a dumbbell in each hand, step one foot diagonally back behind the other, lower until the back knee nears the floor, and push through the front foot to return to standing. Alternate sides or finish one side first.

• Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat+

  A split squat with your rear foot raised on a bench behind you and a dumbbell in each hand. Place the front foot far enough forward that you can lower straight down, bend the front knee until the back knee nears the floor, and push back up through the front foot. Finish all the reps on one side, then switch.

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift+

  A hinge with a dumbbell in each hand, lowered down the front of the legs with the knees only slightly bent. Stand holding the dumbbells in front of your thighs, push your hips back and lower the dumbbells close to your legs until you feel a stretch in the backs of your thighs or your back can no longer stay neutral, then drive your hips forward to stand up.

• Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift+

  A Romanian deadlift on one leg, with the free leg reaching back as the torso tips forward. Stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand. Hinge at the hip so your torso leans forward and your free leg rises behind you in line with it, hips square to the floor, until you feel a stretch in the back of the standing thigh, then return to standing. Hold a support if balance is hard. Finish one side, then switch.

• Bodyweight Squat+

  A squat with nothing but your own body. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, reach your arms forward for balance, and sit down between your heels as deep as you can with your chest up and your heels on the floor. Stand back up by straightening your hips and knees together.

• Glute Bridge+

  Lifting the hips off the floor while lying on your back with your knees bent. Lie with your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart, knees bent and arms by your sides. Push through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower slowly.

• Lateral Lunge+

  A lunge to the side: one leg bends and takes your weight while the other stays straight, which works the inner thighs as well as the legs and hips. Stand with your feet together and your hands at your chest, or hold a dumbbell there and log it as added weight. Step wide to one side, sit your hips back and down over that foot with the other leg straight and both feet flat, then push off to return; alternate sides or finish one side first.

• Reverse Hyperextension+

  Lifting your legs behind you while your upper body lies on a bench or machine. Lie face down with your hips at the edge, hold the bench and let your legs hang down. Raise them behind you with straight knees until they are in line with your body, squeezing your glutes and without swinging, then lower them slowly.

• Short Bridge+

  Lifting your hips off the floor from lying on your back, the first step of the bridge progression. Lie with your knees bent, your feet flat near your buttocks and your arms by your sides. Push through your feet to raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, pause at the top, then lower slowly.

• Split Squat+

  A squat in a split stance: one foot forward, one back, and both stay where they are for the whole set. Stand with your feet about a stride apart, the back heel lifted and your hands on your hips; with a dumbbell in each hand it is the dumbbell split squat. Lower straight down until your back knee nearly touches the floor, then push through your front foot to rise; finish the set on one side, then switch.

• Straight Bridge+

  Lifting your body into a straight line from sitting with your legs out in front. Sit on the floor with your legs straight and your hands on the floor beside your hips, fingers pointing towards your feet. Push through your hands and heels to raise your hips until your body is straight from shoulders to heels, then lower yourself back down.

• Single-Leg Glute Bridge+

  A glute bridge on one leg. Lie on your back with one knee bent and that foot flat on the floor, the other leg straight in the air or bent towards your chest. Push through the heel on the floor to lift your hips until your body is straight from shoulder to knee, keeping your hips level, then lower slowly. Finish one side, then switch.

• Kettlebell Goblet Squat+

  A squat holding a kettlebell against your chest by the sides of its handle, bell facing down. With your feet about shoulder-width apart, sit down between your heels as deep as you can with your elbows inside your knees, then stand back up. The weight in front helps keep your torso upright.

• Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift+

  A deadlift from a wide stance with a kettlebell between your feet. Stand with your feet wider than your shoulders, toes turned out and the bell under your hips. Push your hips back and bend your knees to grip the handle with both hands, back neutral and chest up, then push the floor away to stand up tall, and lower the bell the same way.

• Kettlebell Clean and Press+

  Bringing a kettlebell to your shoulder, then pressing it overhead. Hinge to swing the bell back between your legs, drive your hips forward and pull it up close to your body, letting it roll onto the back of your forearm at the shoulder, wrist straight. Brace, press it overhead until your arm is straight, then lower it to the shoulder and on into the next swing. Finish one side, then switch.

• Kettlebell Swing+

  Swinging a kettlebell from between the legs up to chest height by driving the hips forward. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips and the kettlebell on the floor just in front. Hinge, grip it with both hands and hike it back between your legs, then drive your hips forward to swing it up with straight arms. Let it fall back between your legs and go straight into the next swing. The movement comes from the hips, not the arms.

• Leg Press+

  A machine press in which you push a weighted platform away with your feet. Sit with your back against the pad and your feet on the platform about shoulder-width apart, release the platform, and bend your knees to bring it towards you, then press it away until your legs are nearly straight. Keep your lower back against the pad.

• Machine Hip Thrust+

  A hip thrust on a machine, with a pad or belt across the hips instead of a barbell. Sit in the machine with your upper back against the back pad and the hip pad or belt over your hips, feet flat and knees bent. Push through your heels to lift your hips until your torso and thighs are level, then lower under control.

• Belt Squat+

  A squat with the load hanging from a belt around your hips instead of a bar on your back. Stand on the machine’s platform with the belt attached, hold the handles for balance, and squat down and up with your torso upright. The weight sits at your hips, so your hands are free to steady you.

• Smith Machine Hip Thrust+

  A hip thrust with the bar running in the Smith machine's fixed track. Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench placed inside the machine and a padded bar over your hips. Unhook the bar, push through your heels to lift your hips until your torso and thighs are level, chin tucked, then lower under control, and rack it when you finish.

• Smith Machine Lunge+

  A lunge under a Smith machine bar, which runs on fixed vertical rails. Set the bar across your upper back, take a split stance with one foot forward and one back, unhook the bar, and lower until the back knee nears the floor, then push back up. The rails keep the bar on its path, so balance plays a smaller part.

• Smith Machine Squat+

  A squat under a Smith machine bar, which runs on fixed vertical rails. Set the bar across your upper back, unhook it with a turn of the wrists, and sit down between your heels as deep as you can, then stand back up. The rails keep the bar on its path, so balance plays a smaller part than with a free bar.

• Cable Glute Kickback+

  Driving one leg back against a low cable. Attach an ankle strap to the low pulley, face the machine, hold it for balance and lean forward slightly. Keeping your knee slightly bent and your hips square, push the working leg back and up until your hip is fully straight, without arching your lower back, then let it return under control. Finish one side, then switch.

• Cable Pull-Through+

  A hip hinge pulling a rope from a low cable through your legs. Stand facing away from the machine, feet wider than your hips, holding the rope between your legs. Push your hips back and let the rope draw your hands back through your legs, then drive your hips forward to stand up tall, arms straight throughout.

• Band Lateral Walk+

  Stepping sideways against a resistance band looped around the legs. Place the band just above your knees or around your ankles, set your feet hip-width apart and sit into a shallow squat. Step to the side with one foot and follow with the other without letting the band go slack or your knees cave in, hips level. Take every step one way, then walk back.

• Band Squat+

  A squat against a resistance band. Stand on the band with your feet about shoulder-width apart and loop the other end over your shoulders, or hold it at shoulder height. Sit down between your heels with your chest up, then stand back up. The band pulls hardest at the top, where it is stretched the most.