Opening your hips is essential to any workout routine, especially if you are targeting your gluteal muscles.
Our glutes perform many important functions each day, from supporting our posture and spine to powering our movements, so it’s essential that we keep these muscles flexible and balanced through dedicated stretching.
In this post, we will share 6 compound glute exercises that simultaneously target the glutes, hips, lower back, and hamstrings.
Each workout combines multiple muscle groups for an efficient and complete stretch routine.
Maintaining flexibility in the glutes and surrounding areas can help you achieve better form during lower body exercises, reduce the risk of injury, improve mobility, and enhance your workouts.
Let’s get started opening up those hips:
Compound Glute Exercises At-Home
Following are the best exercises for the glutes you can do at home:
1. Barbell Hip Thrusts
Barbell hip thrusts are highly effective for targeting the glutes. By placing the upper back against a bench and lifting the hips, this exercise maximally activates the gluteus maximus.
The horizontal thrusting motion significantly loads the glutes, promoting muscle growth and strength.
This compound flute workout is particularly beneficial for individuals looking to enhance their glute development, increase hip extension strength, and improve overall lower body power.
Setup:
- Sit on the ground with your upper back against a bench, feet flat on the floor, and a barbell across your hips.
- Roll the barbell over your thighs and position it directly above your hip joints.
Execution:
- Place your hands on the barbell, just outside your hips.
- Brace your core and press through your heels to lift your hips towards the ceiling.
- Drive your hips up until your thighs and upper body are parallel to the ground.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Lower your hips back down without letting your lower back sag.
2. Bulgarian Split Squats
Bulgarian split squats are a fantastic compound exercise that engages the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. The movement requires stabilization and balance, intensifying the activation of the glute muscles.
By focusing on a single leg at a time, this exercise helps address muscle imbalances and improves unilateral strength.
Additionally, the range of motion involved in the lunge promotes flexibility in the hip flexors and strengthens the glutes through a variety of angles.
Setup:
- Stand facing away from a bench or elevated surface.
- Place one foot behind you on the bench and the other foot a few feet in front.
Execution:
- Lower your body into a lunge position, keeping the front knee directly above your ankle.
- Drop your back knee towards the ground without letting it touch.
- Push through the heel of your front foot to return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the same leg for the desired number of repetitions before switching legs.
3. Glute Bridges
Glute bridges isolate and activate the glute muscles effectively while providing a less intense alternative to some other compound movements.
This compound glute exercise is valuable for targeting the posterior chain, enhancing gluteal strength, and improving hip mobility.
It’s particularly beneficial for individuals who are new to resistance training or dealing with lower back issues as it minimizes stress on the lumbar spine while still yielding excellent glute engagement.
Setup:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
Execution:
- Press through your heels, engaging your glutes, and lift your hips towards the ceiling.
- Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees at the top.
- Squeeze your glutes and hold for a moment before lowering back down.
4. Back Squat
The back squat is a powerhouse compound exercise that engages the glutes effectively.
As you lower your body into the squat position, the glutes are heavily activated to support the movement.
When you push back up to the starting position, the glutes play a major role in hip extension. This dual-phase engagement helps in building both strength and muscle in the glutes.
Additionally, squats are a compound movement involving multiple muscle groups, making them an efficient exercise for overall lower body development.
Setup:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
- Position the barbell on a squat rack at a height that aligns with your shoulders.
- Step under the bar, placing it across your upper back and traps.
- Grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Duck under the bar and lift it off the rack, taking a step or two back to clear the rack.
Execution:
- Brace your core, keep your chest up, and maintain a neutral spine.
- Lower your body by bending at the hips and knees, pushing your hips back as if sitting into a chair.
- Descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground or as far as your flexibility allows.
- Ensure your knees track in line with your toes, and your weight remains on your heels.
- Press through your heels to return to the starting position, fully extending your hips and knees.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Glute Isolation Exercises
Let’s do these glute isolation workouts to give a serious lift to your buttocks:
5. Glute Kickbacks
Glute kickbacks is one of the best glute isolation exercises, specifically targeting the gluteus maximus.
This workout is excellent for sculpting and toning the glutes, enhancing their shape and definition. Despite its simplicity, it also engages the core for stability, making it a compound movement.
Glute kickbacks can be perfect for those focusing on muscle activation and contraction, as they allow for a strong mind-muscle connection.
Setup:
- Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
Execution:
- Lift one leg straight back, engaging your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Keep your back straight and extend your leg until it is parallel to the ground.
- Lower the leg back down without touching the ground and repeat on the same leg.
6. Walking Lunges
Walking lunges provide a dynamic and functional way to work the glutes while also engaging the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
The forward-stepping motion challenges the glutes through a larger range of motion, promoting muscle activation and development.
Additionally, walking lunges contribute to improved balance, coordination, and overall lower body strength.
Execution:
- Start by standing with your feet together.
- Take a step forward with one foot and lower your body into a lunge, keeping the front knee above the ankle.
- Push off the front foot to bring your back foot forward into the next lunge.
- Repeat the process, alternating legs as you walk forward.
7. Sumo Deadlifts
Sumo deadlifts are a compound exercise that targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
The wide stance and grip significantly emphasise the gluteus maximus, making it an effective exercise for overall lower body strength. The hip-hinging movement involved in sumo deadlifts helps develop hip mobility and power.
This exercise is beneficial for those looking to build posterior chain strength and improve their performance in other compound movements.
Setup:
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward.
- Position a barbell in front of you, gripping it with both hands, arms just outside your knees.
Execution:
- Keep your back straight, chest up, and lift the barbell by extending your hips and knees.
- Stand up straight, pushing your hips forward and squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Lower the barbell back to the ground in a controlled manner.
8. Frog Kicks
Frog kicks are a targeted compound glute exercise focusing on the glute muscles’ lower part, and it is one of the best recommended workouts for pear-shaped body.
As you perform the frog kicks, the glutes are actively involved in lifting and controlling the movement of the legs. This exercise specifically targets the gluteus maximus, contributing to its activation and strengthening.
Frog kicks also engage the lower abdominal muscles, providing a dual benefit of toning the core while working on glute definition.
Setup:
- Lie on your back on a mat with your hands placed under your hips for support.
- Bring your legs together and extend them straight up towards the ceiling.
- Point your toes and slightly turn them outward.
Execution:
- Lower your legs towards the ground while keeping them straight.
- As you lower your legs, open them wide in a “V” shape, resembling a frog kick.
- Only lower your legs as far as you can while maintaining control and avoiding lower back strain.
- Engage your core and use your lower abdominal muscles to lift your legs back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Step-Ups
Step-ups are an excellent exercise for losing love handles and activating the glutes while also working on unilateral strength.
When you step up onto a bench or platform, the glutes of the stepping leg are heavily engaged to lift the body. The act of pushing through the heel during the step-up emphasizes the activation of the glutes, particularly the gluteus maximus.
This exercise contributes to better muscle symmetry and balance between the two sides of the body. Including step-ups in your routine can help enhance glute strength, stability, and aesthetic appeal.
Setup:
- Stand in front of a sturdy bench or step platform.
- Place one foot on the bench, ensuring your entire foot is secure on the surface.
- Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged.
Execution:
- Press through the heel of the foot on the bench, lifting your body up.
- Step up onto the bench and fully extend your hip and knee at the top.
- Ensure both feet are fully on the bench before stepping back down.
- Lower your opposite foot back to the ground, returning to the starting position.
- Repeat on the same leg for the desired number of repetitions before switching to the other leg.
Wind-Up
Take the time to incorporate compound glute exercises into your routine and watch as your lower body strength strengthens and develops over time.
It might be tough at first, but to maximize results, challenge yourself with heavier weights and additional reps while maintaining proper form.
Regularly focus on your glutes as part of a balanced exercise regimen that includes cardiovascular and strength-building workouts, and you’ll feel stronger in no time.
