Best Exercises for Glutes at Home With Dumbbells or Bands: 8 Beginner Moves

Quick Summary

• Glute bridge
• Clamshell
• Fire hydrant
• Banded lateral walk
• Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
• Reverse lunge
• Step-up
• Couch hip thrust

Cleveland Clinic calls the bridge an easy-to-learn move that works the glutes, core, hamstrings and lower back. The steps below follow its description.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat and about hip-width apart, arms by your sides.
2. Bring your heels as close to your butt as feels comfortable.
3. Tighten your core without holding your breath, squeeze your glutes and press through your heels to lift your hips.
4. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds at the top, then lower slowly. Do 10 to 15 reps.

Form cues: Aim for a straight diagonal line from your knees to your shoulders, with your shoulder blades staying on the floor. The lift should come from your hips, not from arching your lower back.

Common mistakes: Pushing the hips as high as possible and arching the back. If your hamstrings cramp, Cleveland Clinic suggests pulling your heels closer and focusing on squeezing your glutes.

Make it easier or harder: Make it easier by lifting your hips only slightly. Make it harder with a band just above your knees, a dumbbell held across your hips, a marching bridge or a single-leg bridge.

Cleveland Clinic describes clamshells as a move that uses all your glute muscles, and a good one to try if you live with lower back or knee pain.

How to do it

1. Lie on one side with your head resting on your arm and your knees bent, stacked one on top of the other.
2. Keep your heels together.
3. Lift your top knee like a clam opening, without rolling your hips back.
4. Lower slowly. Do 10 to 15 reps, then switch sides.

Form cues: Keep your hips stacked and still; picture your top hip pointing to the ceiling the whole time. The move is small, and you should feel it on the outer side of your hip.

Common mistakes: Rolling the pelvis backward to lift the knee higher. Rushing is the other one, since a slow lift and lower does more for these smaller muscles.

Make it easier or harder: Start without a band. To progress, add a light loop band around your thighs, or hold the top position for 2 seconds.

How to do it

1. Start on all fours, with hands under shoulders and knees under hips, back flat.
2. Keeping your knee bent, lift one knee out to the side.
3. Lift only as high as you can without tipping your body.
4. Bring it back to center. Do 10 per side.

Form cues: Keep your weight even across both hands and the supporting knee. Your back should stay flat like a tabletop.

Common mistakes: Leaning away from the working leg to get it higher, or letting the lower back sag. Cleveland Clinic warns this one can get intense, and that it is time to stop once you are too tired to keep good form.

Make it easier or harder: Beginners can do fewer reps per side. To progress, add a loop band above the knees or pause at the top.

Side-to-side moves like this help recruit the gluteus medius and minimus, according to Cleveland Clinic.

How to do it

1. Place a loop band around your ankles, or just above your knees to make it easier.
2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hips back and chest up.
3. Take a big step to one side, then bring the other foot in until your feet are about hip-width apart.
4. Take three steps one way, then three steps back. Do 3 to 5 sets.

Form cues: Keep tension in the band the whole time, so your feet never fully come together. Stay low in the same athletic stance rather than bobbing up and down.

Common mistakes: Letting the knees cave in, or rocking the upper body side to side. Dragging the trailing foot also takes tension off the band.

Make it easier or harder: Start with the band above your knees and a light band. Move it to your ankles, or use a stronger band, as it gets easier.

Harvard Health Publishing lists deadlifts, bridges and step-ups as three exercises that build the glutes, and notes that a dumbbell or kettlebell can replace a barbell. For more on the dumbbell version, see our goblet squat and Romanian deadlift guide.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs.
2. Soften your knees and push your hips back, letting the weights slide down your legs.
3. Lower until you feel a stretch in the back of your thighs, keeping your back flat.
4. Squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to stand. Do 8 to 12 reps.

Form cues: Keep your shoulders pulled down and back and the weights close to your legs. Think of reaching your hips back toward a wall behind you.

Common mistakes: Rounding the back to reach lower, or bending the knees so much that it turns into a squat. Letting the weights drift away from your legs adds strain on the back.

Make it easier or harder: Practice with no weight or a light dumbbell first. Add weight slowly, and only lower as far as your back stays flat.

Cleveland Clinic says lunges target the gluteus maximus as well as the quads. For a related move, see our guide to the Bulgarian split squat for glutes vs quads.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand if you have them.
2. Step one leg back and lower until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees, or as low as is comfortable.
3. Press through your front foot to come back to standing.
4. Do 8 to 12 reps on one side, then switch, or alternate legs.

Form cues: Keep most of your weight in your front heel and your torso tall or very slightly leaning forward. The back knee should drop straight down.

Common mistakes: A step that is too short, so the front knee pushes far past the toes, or a front knee that wobbles inward. Using weights that are too heavy before your balance is steady is also common.

Make it easier or harder: Hold a wall or chair with no weights to start. Add dumbbells later; Cleveland Clinic suggests not going too heavy until you know what you can handle.

How to do it

1. Stand facing the bottom step of a staircase, with a railing or chair nearby for balance.
2. Place your whole right foot on the step and press through your right heel to lift your body up, straightening your right leg.
3. Lower yourself back down with control.
4. Do 8 to 12 reps on each leg.

Form cues: Let the top leg do the work instead of pushing off the bottom foot. Keep your knee tracking over your toes and your chest up.

Common mistakes: Using a step that is too high, or bouncing off the floor with the back foot. Rushing the step down is another, so lower for a slow count of two.

Make it easier or harder: Harvard Health Publishing suggests a lower step to make it easier and a higher step to make it harder. You can also hold light dumbbells at your sides.

Cleveland Clinic explains that hip thrusts give the gluteus maximus most of the work while also bringing in the medius and minimus. It describes the move with a workout bench; a stable couch is a common home swap.

How to do it

1. Sit on the floor with your upper back against the edge of a sturdy couch or bench that will not slide.
2. Bend your knees so your feet are flat and about hip-width apart.
3. Squeeze your glutes and drive your hips up until your body makes a straight line from knees to shoulders.
4. Hold for a second, lower slowly and repeat for 8 to 12 reps.

Form cues: Tuck your chin slightly and keep your ribs down so the movement comes from your hips. At the top, your shins should be roughly vertical.

Common mistakes: Arching the lower back at the top, or pushing through the toes instead of the heels. Using a couch that shifts is a safety issue, so put its back against a wall.

Make it easier or harder: Start with body weight. To progress, rest a dumbbell across your hips with a folded towel for padding, or add a loop band above your knees.

Our verdict

The best exercises for glutes at home are bridges, clamshells, fire hydrants, lateral band walks, Romanian deadlifts, reverse lunges, step-ups and hip thrusts. Start with body weight, add a band or dumbbells as the moves get easier, and train two or three times a week with a rest day in between. Focus on slow, controlled reps, and you will feel the difference in everyday moves like climbing stairs.

Related reading

• Dumbbell Sumo Squat Form: 7 Cues for Better Glute Focus
• Dumbbell Goblet Squat Stances and Romanian Deadlift: Build Stronger Legs at Home
• How to Fix Your Bulgarian Split Squat: Glutes vs Quads Form Guide
• Dumbbell Lower Body Workout: Front Squats, Lunges, RDLs and Cossack Squats
• Best Resistance Bands for Home Workouts