Exactly How Often To Do Glute Exercises if You Want To Tone Your Butt
The next time you're at the gym, take a look around. More likely than not, you'll see someone with a yoga mat doing glute exercises in hopes of strengthening the area and maybe even getting a bigger butt.That said, if you're unfamiliar with how to do glute exercises, then you might be discouraged from trying. And as with all exercises, you're not going to notice significant changes if you only do it once and call it quits.Ahead, we spoke with a personal trainer, physical therapist and a strength and conditioning coach about how many times a week you need to do glute exercises to strengthen your butt, plus their top tips for achieving the best form.
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, a Pilates instructor, explains that glute exercises—specifically glute bridges and side plank dips—light up your gluteus medius, the often-neglected glute muscle that controls hip stability and pelvic alignment. "Glute exercises require engagement from your obliques and deep core, making them a multifunctional move for strength in your lateral (side body) line, glute endurance and oblique strength and definition," Page tells Parade. "With more glute medius strength and awareness this equals stronger hips, which equals better posture, less low back pain, and more power in walking/running/standing." Related: To make sure you're getting the full benefit of these glute exercises, it's important that you're doing them correctly.
, a physical therapist at WAVE Physical Therapy and Pilates, says one way to do glute exercises is by lying on the ground and lifting up your hips. "To properly perform a glute bridge, you lay down, press your lower back into the ground (effectively bracing your abdomen) and lift your hips into the air," she explains.
Another great glute exercise that also works your core and obliques comes from a variation of side planks. "In the side plank position, you lower and lift the hips, engaging your obliques, glute medius/minimus, and transverse abdominis," Page says.
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According to , certified personal trainer and VP of fitness at Chuze Fitness, as with most strength-focused exercises, glute work should be done to tax the muscles. "If a certain number is reached without muscular fatigue, either additional repetitions or additional load should be added to gain strength and hypertrophy," Oksayan says. "A typical starting point is three sets of each (each side) of 12 to 15 reps." You'll want to start where you feel most comfortable and increase from there as you build your strength. Also, it's important to talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen to make sure it's safe for you, especially if you have a weight-bearing restriction, back pain or neck issues, according to certified strength and conditioning specialist, and owner of 29 Again Custom Fitness.
When it comes to figuring out how often you should do side plank dips or glute bridges, the answer really depends on your goals and what is best for you.
As mentioned above, the number of repetitions and sets are relative to the desired outcome. "If someone is trying to build muscle strength alone, they should be working the muscle to fatigue," Dr. Calo says. "If you are hitting this without fatigue, you may need to do single-leg glute bridges or add more resistance to the exercise."
As with most exercise regimens, doing these moves two to three days a week as part of your workout routine can be beneficial, however, the important part is to be consistent.
"Lower reps/higher weight is best for strength and higher reps/lower weight is best for local muscular endurance," Holt says.
Up Next:Ani Oksayan, certified personal trainer and VP of fitness of Chuze Fitness
Portia Page, CPT, Pilates instructor
Stephen Holt,CSPS, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and owner of 29 Again Custom Fitness
Exactly How Often To Do Glute Exercises if You Want To Tone Your Butt first appeared on Parade on Jul 7, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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