Top 3 Glute Exercises For A Shelf-Like Butt

If I could only do three glute exercises for the rest of my life, these are the three I’d pick. First, walking lunges. I do these every week: 12 steps down, 12 steps back. These hit the entire glute: upper, middle and lower, and they’ll also challenge your glute medius for stability. If you take longer strides you’ll increase the glute stretch, and if you lean slightly forward, you’ll make the stretch even deeper. They’re brutal, but that’s why I love them—you’re actually moving through space, which makes them feel more motivating than just grinding out reps on the spot. It’s like you have a literal finish line to work toward. Even though soreness isn’t everything, lunges get my glutes more sore than anything else. And you can progress each week by adding some weight or one extra step per leg. Second, hip thrusts hit the glute maximus hard, without taxing the quads too much. These are my main overloading exercise, so I add a little weight each week in the 6 to 10 rep range. I prefer the machine, but if not, single-leg with a dumbbell works great. Third, hip abductions—simple, but effective. These target the glute medius and upper glutes, which will improve your overall glute shape and, most importantly, they’ll help you add extra volume with very little fatigue demand.