In theory, life is one big glute workout: Walk whenever possible. Take stairs instead of elevators. Activate the glutes by squeezing them one at a time during meetings, sitting at a desk, or bogged down in traffic.
In reality, though, most of us struggle to take such proactive measures for our glutes. As a result, our glutes become deactivated by our sedentary culture of sitting. Sitting all the time not only tightens the hips, flexes our bodies forward, and contributes to a chain of muscle dysfunction and pain, but also leaves us with flat, unattractive rear ends.
In this 30-minute dumbbell workout to build your glutes, we’ll hammer through four sets of these eight exercises circuit-style. Do all reps of each exercise, then move directly to the next one exercise. Rest only briefly between rounds of the circuit to produce maximum results with minimal time and equipment.
Pete Williams is a NASM-certified personal trainer and the author or co-author of a number of books on performance and training.
The 30-Minute Dumbbell Workout to Build Your Glutes
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MRBIG_PHOTOGRAPHY / Getty
Dumbbell Split Squat
WHY IT WORKS: Squatting in the gym and in daily life works the glutes, but the split version with dumbbells places them fully on stretch.HOW TO DO IT: Step out into a lunge with dumbbells at arm’s length at your sides. Lower your hips by squatting back and down. Without letting your back knee touch the floor, drive your weight back up with the front glute. Do 10 sets on one leg and then repeat with the other.PRESCRIPTION: 10 reps on each side
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
WHY IT WORKS: Perhaps the most recognizable hamstring move, and for good reason; it’s effective in building the proper activation patterns in your hamstrings and glutes while also strengthening your back.HOW TO DO IT: Start with a light set of dumbbells. Form is especially key to getting full benefit from the RDL; don’t think of the exercise as bending forward but rather as sitting back with your torso moving forward instead of staying upright.PRESCRIPTION: 10 reps
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Dumbbell Lateral Lunge
WHY IT WORKS: Lateral movement is important to the motions of everyday life, but too often we ignore it in the gym. The lateral lunge hits the glutes, along with the quads and hamstrings.HOW TO DO IT: Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Step out to the right, keeping toes pointed straight ahead and feet flat. Squat down only your right leg, keeping the left leg straight. Squat as low as possible, keeping the left leg straight and holding for two seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat for set of 10. Switch sides.PRESCRIPTION: 10 reps per side
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Dumbbell Foot-on-box Lunges
WHY IT WORKS: This not only challenges your glutes – one at a time – but your overall balance and core strength.HOW TO DO IT: Stand on one foot holding dumbbells on your shoulders with elbows pointed out. Squat on one leg until your thighs are parallel to the ground – or as parallel as possible. Return to standing position using only the leg you’re balancing upon. Do 10 on one side and then the other.PRESCRIPTON: 10 reps per side
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James Michelfelder
Dumbbell Hip Thrust
WHY IT WORKS: It’s one of the best moves to improve the activation patterns of the glutes. The dumbbells add a further strength challenge. (Obviously, for this workout, you’ll want to use dumbbells instead of a barbell.)HOW TO DO IT: Lie faceup on the floor with feet on the floor and knees bent 90 degrees. Hold dumbbells along each leg. Squeeze your glutes and bridge your hips to the ceiling. Only your shoulders and hips remain on the ground. Hold for two seconds and then lower your hips toward the ground without touching.PRESCRIPTION: 10 reps
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Simon Macdermott-Johnson
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
WHY IT WORKS: It’s impossible to do this without actively firing your glutes.HOW TO DO IT: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells. Keeping the eight mostly on the front foot, step back into a lunge. When the back knee is just off the ground, push through the front hip to a standing position. Repeat with opposite leg.PRESCRIPTION: 10 on each side
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Jay Sullivan
Single-Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
WHY IT WORKS: This move forces you to fire (activate) your glutes. Practicing such movements become habit in the gym and everyday life.HOW TO DO IT: While holding dumbbells, balance on your right foot, keeping tummy tight and shoulders back and down. Bend at the waist with both hands out to the sides and extend your left leg back as you fire the left glute. Your shoulder and heel should move together, forming a straight line. Return to starting position and switch legs.PRESCRIPTION: 10 on each leg
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Jay Sullivan
Single-arm Dumbbell Squat-to-Press
WHY IT WORKS: It hammers the glutes while also challenging your overall core stability.HOW TO DO IT: Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, hold a dumbbell one shoulder with that elbow pointed down. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push through the hips to stand and press the weight overhead. Lower the weight to starting position. Finish the set with one arm before switching arms.PRESCRIPTION: 10 on each side
WHY IT WORKS: Squatting in the gym and in daily life works the glutes, but the split version with dumbbells places them fully on stretch.
HOW TO DO IT: Step out into a lunge with dumbbells at arm’s length at your sides. Lower your hips by squatting back and down. Without letting your back knee touch the floor, drive your weight back up with the front glute. Do 10 sets on one leg and then repeat with the other.
PRESCRIPTION: 10 reps on each side
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
WHY IT WORKS: Perhaps the most recognizable hamstring move, and for good reason; it’s effective in building the proper activation patterns in your hamstrings and glutes while also strengthening your back.
HOW TO DO IT: Start with a light set of dumbbells. Form is especially key to getting full benefit from the RDL; don’t think of the exercise as bending forward but rather as sitting back with your torso moving forward instead of staying upright.
PRESCRIPTION: 10 reps
Dumbbell Lateral Lunge
WHY IT WORKS: Lateral movement is important to the motions of everyday life, but too often we ignore it in the gym. The lateral lunge hits the glutes, along with the quads and hamstrings.
HOW TO DO IT: Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Step out to the right, keeping toes pointed straight ahead and feet flat. Squat down only your right leg, keeping the left leg straight. Squat as low as possible, keeping the left leg straight and holding for two seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat for set of 10. Switch sides.
PRESCRIPTION: 10 reps per side
Dumbbell Foot-on-box Lunges
WHY IT WORKS: This not only challenges your glutes – one at a time – but your overall balance and core strength.
HOW TO DO IT: Stand on one foot holding dumbbells on your shoulders with elbows pointed out. Squat on one leg until your thighs are parallel to the ground – or as parallel as possible. Return to standing position using only the leg you’re balancing upon. Do 10 on one side and then the other.
PRESCRIPTON: 10 reps per side
Dumbbell Hip Thrust
WHY IT WORKS: It’s one of the best moves to improve the activation patterns of the glutes. The dumbbells add a further strength challenge. (Obviously, for this workout, you’ll want to use dumbbells instead of a barbell.)
HOW TO DO IT: Lie faceup on the floor with feet on the floor and knees bent 90 degrees. Hold dumbbells along each leg. Squeeze your glutes and bridge your hips to the ceiling. Only your shoulders and hips remain on the ground. Hold for two seconds and then lower your hips toward the ground without touching.
PRESCRIPTION: 10 reps
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
WHY IT WORKS: It’s impossible to do this without actively firing your glutes.
HOW TO DO IT: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells. Keeping the eight mostly on the front foot, step back into a lunge. When the back knee is just off the ground, push through the front hip to a standing position. Repeat with opposite leg.
PRESCRIPTION: 10 on each side
Single-Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
WHY IT WORKS: This move forces you to fire (activate) your glutes. Practicing such movements become habit in the gym and everyday life.
HOW TO DO IT: While holding dumbbells, balance on your right foot, keeping tummy tight and shoulders back and down. Bend at the waist with both hands out to the sides and extend your left leg back as you fire the left glute. Your shoulder and heel should move together, forming a straight line. Return to starting position and switch legs.
PRESCRIPTION: 10 on each leg
Single-arm Dumbbell Squat-to-Press
WHY IT WORKS: It hammers the glutes while also challenging your overall core stability.
HOW TO DO IT: Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, hold a dumbbell one shoulder with that elbow pointed down. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push through the hips to stand and press the weight overhead. Lower the weight to starting position. Finish the set with one arm before switching arms.
