Ten Glute Isolation Exercises for Home or Gym

Fitness is affected by fashion trends, just like every other profession. Toned, well-defined shoulders and arms are the latest fashion in one year. The following year, abs with six-packs were popular.

In the present, the glutes are at the forefront, and lots of people would like to have an impressive, round solid butt. But the glutes are much more than simply a fashion accessory. They’re also an essential muscle to function and move.

The glutes are the main hip extender, which means they push your femur or thigh inwards. This occurs when you run, walk and jump, climb stairs, or sit down and get up.

The weak, undeveloped glutes don’t only give you a flat, uninspiring butt; they create problems for your knees, hips, and lower back. In addition, if your glutes have weakness, the other joints and muscles have to pick up the pieces and pick over the load, exposing them to more strain than they’re used to.

The good news is that glutes are extremely trainable, and you don’t have to join a gym to keep your glutes in top form. There are plenty of exercises using resistance bands and bodyweight that you can do.

This article will discuss the ten most effective exercises for glute isolation to build an even, more firm butt.

Which are the most common Glutes?

The glutes, formally known as gluteus maximus, are one of the most important muscles in our body. The glutes are located behind your hips; most people think of them as the butt.

The glutes are the primary muscles responsible for the hip extension, which is the process of pushing your thigh or femur forward to help you during jumping or running.

The glutes also participate in the lateral (external) movement of hip joints due to the glutes’ lower fibers. Along with expanding and turning your hip, the glutes also act as pelvic stabilizers when standing on one leg or shifting your weight to another, e.g., running.

The glutes are involved in a variety of everyday activities like climbing stairs, walking, standing and sitting, and lifting objects off the floor. To enhance athletic performance and aesthetics, the glutes should be included in every workout routine.

10 of the Best Exercises for Glute Isolation to try

The glutes are responsible for working with your hamstrings to stretch your hip. Therefore it is difficult to isolate them completely. However, there are many single-joint exercises targeting your glutes specifically, and we’ve listed 10 of the best below!

1. Hip thrusts

Glute isolation exercises aren’t as good as #1 – hip thrusts.

If performed with or with no weights, this move results in a pronounced glute contraction that is felt.

How do you go about doing it?

1. Lay on the floor while keeping your knees bent with your feet flat.
2. Put your feet on the floor, then lift your hips to the ceiling. Your hips, knees, and shoulders should create a unison.
3. Lower your butt down to the floor, repeating.
4. If you are using weights, place them between your hips.
5. You could also perform this exercise by putting your back against a bench or a stability ball to expand the range of movement.
6. Firewater hydrants

The fire hydrant gets its name because when you use it, it looks like a dog that is cocking its leg to get pee!

Don’t let that image fool you. This is an extremely effective glute isolation exercise.

How to go about it:

1. On all fours, kneel to have your shoulder directly over your hands and your hips above your knees. Keep your abs in a straight line.
2. Keep your shoulders and hips still and your knees bent at 90-degrees; raise one leg and then out towards the side as far as you can without trapping your pelvis.
3. Lower your leg and repeat.
4. Bird dog with legs only

When fire hydrants require hip abduction and rotation, this exercise concentrates upon hip extension.

Alternating arm movements are usually performed; however, you should hold all hands on the ground to focus on the glutes for this variation.

How to accomplish it:

1. Get on your feet and kneel so your shoulders are over your hands and your hips are above your knees. Then, brace your abs.
2. Lengthen one leg behind your body until the portion you are holding forms a uniform line aligned with your body.
3. Restore your knee to the floor, and repeat.
4. Prone leg lift

Bird dogs and fire hydrants (exercises #3 and 4) aren’t ideal because they require extensive core stimulation. When you do prone leg lifts, your spine is supported, which means that you’ll find that a) you don’t have to work your core as often in addition) you can concentrate on flexing your butt.

How do you go about doing it?

1. Lay on your back while keeping your leg straight, and your head rests upon your palms.
2. Then lift one leg as far off the floor without getting your hips bent or twisted.
3. Lower your leg to the floor, and repeat.
4. Leg lifts with side-lying legs.

This exercise focuses on the glutes’ side and improves gluteus medius and minimus activation.

Doing this on the side of your glutes can provide you with a more full, smoother, and more round butt.

How to accomplish it:

1. Lay on your back with your body straight and your head placed on top of your arms. Be sure that your hips and shoulders are in a straight line, i.e., square.
2. While keeping your knee straight, raise your leg until it is abducted around 45-degrees. Do not lean back to increase your range of motion since doing this can reduce the engagement of your glutes.
3. Lower your leg and repeat.
4. You can make this exercise more effective with a booty band and ankle or foot weights.
5. Reverse plank

The reverse plank will work your glutes isometrically or statically.

Make the most of this exercise by pushing those glutes with all the force you can.

How to go about it:

1. Relax on your back and lie down while keeping your knees straight. Place your feet placed on the bench or a chair.
2. Bring your heels to the floor and lift your hips until you are straight. Make sure you tighten your butt!
3. By placing your weight on your shoulders and your heels only, hold this position until as long as possible.
4. Extensions of the cable hip

If you’re blessed with strong glutes, you’ll require more pounds to help make your glutes more durable.

This exercise lets you strengthen your glutes, making it the perfect exercise for those who are more experienced.

How to accomplish it:

1. Make sure you have a cuff tied around your ankle sitting in the middle of the machine; connect the cuff to the lower pulley. Step back to tighten the cable. Keep the handrail in place to ensure balance.
2. Use the cuff to move the leg. Cuff forward, and extend the leg in front of you. Be sure that the movement comes from your hips, not your knees or lower back.
3. Repeat for the desired amount of reps. Then swap sides.
4. Glute march

glute isolation are a variant that is a variation of the hip raises.

Because they focus in a single direction, it is not just less challenging, but they are also more effective since glute engagement is increased when you sit using one leg.

How to go about it:

1. Lay on the floor while keeping your knees bent with your feet flat.
2. Put your feet on the floor, then lift your hips towards the ceiling. Your hips, knees, and shoulders should create straight lines.
3. Keep your hips square to lift one leg off the ground, lower it down again and repeat the exercise with the opposite side.
4. Continue “marching” until you reach the required repetitions or for the prescribed duration.
5. Steps with a banded edge

Side steps that are banded work the glutes’ side. In contrast to many workouts for glute isolation, this move is performed while standing.

This is a great warm-up before doing things such as deadlifts and squats. It can also be fantastic to build your glutes on its own.

How to accomplish it:

1. Use a booty-like resistance band on your legs, either directly above or below your knees. Relax your legs, and then adopt an “athletic” posture.
2. Keep your weight down and your body weight low; walk to the left and press your knees forward against the resistance provided through the bands.
3. Do not let your knees join together; step back towards the right.
4. Continue by stepping sideways to the left. This is suitable for specific reps.
5. Clamshell

The clamshell workout includes external hip rotation and abduction to strengthen the sides and back of your glutes at the same time. It is a popular exercise in group classes since it’s simple to master and efficient. However, it is possible to make it more difficult by using a booty ball.

How to go about it:

1. Lay on your back while your knees are bent, and you’re laying your back on the arms. Be sure that your hips are in a stack.
2. While keeping your feet together, keep your legs open and then lift your top knee out and up.
3. Reduce your knee, bring your knees, then repeat.
4. Repeat the roll on the other side.

Bottom Line

For most individuals, simple exercises such as lunges, squats, and deadlifts are the only things needed to get a solid well-shaped butt. However, the glutes play a role in virtually every leg exercise, including bodyweight, barbells, and machine-based exercises.

If you’re interested in improving your butt, you might want to work on your glutes more precisely to develop their fullest capacity. Exercises to isolate your glutes are the ideal choice in this case.

Glute Isolation exercises work your glutes with no muscle recruitment and quadriceps. The only joint that moves is the hips. If your glutes do more, they’ll respond by becoming stronger and bigger.

This can affect your glutes ‘ appearance and your ability to perform. But, it’s an error to attempt to strengthen your glutes all on their own. In the end, they’re just one of the 206 muscles found in our body.

Utilize the exercises included in this post to work your glutes. Then, mix them with a balanced exercise program to strengthen your entire body for the best results.