{"id":231491,"date":"2026-01-07T02:19:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T02:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/231491\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T02:19:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T02:19:18","slug":"grow-your-glutes-from-home-with-these-5-best-bodyweight-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/231491\/","title":{"rendered":"Grow your glutes from home with these 5 best bodyweight exercises"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hip thrusts<\/a> are widely regarded as the gold standard for growing your glutes<\/a>, but it\u2019s not the only exercise that\u2019ll help you achieve hypertrophy<\/a>. In fact, there\u2019s a whole range of movements that support muscle growth in the glutes \u2013 many of which you can do without even stepping foot in a gym. At this time of year, in particular, having at-home workouts to hand can help you keep moving when the gym is at its busiest. <\/p>\n

Data<\/a> shows that 48% of Brits find it harder to stick to their regular exercise routine during the colder months, while 61% stop exercising completely. Incorporating some at-home lower body sessions<\/a> into your training schedule gets you closer to achieving your strength<\/a> and muscle-growth goals, while avoiding unpleasant weather and overcrowded gyms during peak joining season. And the experts agree.<\/p>\n

Personal trainer and self-proclaimed ‘Australian badass with a good ass’ Shona Vertue<\/a> created a whole training programme for members to improve fitness, strength and flexibility<\/a> from home. And, recently, she shared some of her expert knowledge with her Instagram audience in a reel demonstrating some of her favourite exercises for targeting the glutes when you\u2019re training at home.<\/p>\n

\u2018You absolutely can get results at home,\u2019 Vertue says in the video. \u2018At the end of the day, your glutes don\u2019t know whether you\u2019re training in a gym or whether you\u2019re training at home. You just need to know how to do it properly.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Clams<\/a> and Kickbacks are awesome to learn more about pelvic stability and movement of the hips \u2013 but they shouldn\u2019t be the ONLY part of your glute routine,\u2019 she writes in the accompanying caption. \u2018The key thing is not chasing a burn, but actually creating a stimulus compelling enough for the body to want to preserve (and ideally layer more) glute tissue.\u2019<\/p>\n

Strong glutes are essential for stability and posture, power, injury prevention, athletic performance and simply ensuring you\u2019re able to complete everyday tasks, such as climbing stairs and getting out of bed, with as much ease as possible. So, whether you favour resistance training<\/a> at home or in a fitness facility, it\u2019s important not to neglect these crucial muscles.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that progressive overload<\/a> is key for building significant strength and muscle mass, and this can be harder to achieve where equipment is limited and you aren\u2019t able to increase the load. That said, at-home training can be an incredibly useful technique for maintenance, if you\u2019re an advanced lifter, and beginners trying resistance training for the first time. If you tick either of these boxes, and you\u2019re looking for exercises to effectively target your glutes from home, Vertue has you covered.<\/p>\n

Losing fat while building muscle is the goal for many fitness fans \u2013 and while it isn\u2019t easy, it is possible, says FIIT personal trainer and coach Laura Hoggins<\/a>. In this four-week plan \u2013 created exclusively for Women\u2019s Health COLLECTIVE members \u2013 you\u2019ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to improve body composition in 2026.<\/p>\n

Ready to build and burn? Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to the WH app, find the plan and start training today.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/p>\n

\"fitness<\/a>5 exercises for growing your glutes from home 1\/ Single-leg hip thrust
\"Image<\/p>\n

All you need for this exercise is a sturdy chair.<\/p>\n

Describing the ideal setup for the movement, Vertue instructs to bring your shoulder blades down onto the base of the chair \u2013 the edge of the chair seat, she says, will sit at your bra strap.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re going to bring one foot down \u2013 that\u2019s going to be our working leg. The other foot is going to come up in the air.<\/p>\n

\u2018You\u2019re going to take your opposite hand to hold onto that knee, and pull it close to your chest. That\u2019s going to keep your hips in this kind of tucked position. We\u2019re going to lower the hips, and then drive them up.\u2019<\/p>\n

While the single-leg hip thrust primarily targets the glutes, it also engages the hamstrings<\/a>, adductors, quads, core and spinal erectors.<\/p>\n

\u2018When you drive them up, the key thing here is not pushing back,\u2019 Vertue says while demonstrating the move. \u2018Not only does it push my chair back \u2013 ideally your chair is against the wall \u2013 but it also means that I actually end up working my quads more than my glute.\u2019<\/p>\n

You aren\u2019t just driving your heel into the floor, you\u2019re also drawing it towards you. \u2018So it\u2019s going down and scooping back towards the legs of the chair,\u2019 Vertue explains in the reel. \u2018And this is going to help me to actually make sure that it\u2019s the back of my body, my posterior muscles, particularly my glutes, doing the work here. Hamstrings work a little bit as well, but that\u2019s fine.\u2019<\/p>\n

How to:<\/p>\n

Sit with your upper back resting against a sturdy chair. Place your feet flat on the floor, knees bent.Lift one leg off the floor, keeping a 90 degree bend in your knee.Drive your hips towards the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.Squeeze your glutes at the top, before slowly lowering back down.2\/ Bulgarian split squat\"Image<\/p>\n

\u2018Now, we don\u2019t want to just do the single-leg hip thrust,\u2019 Vertue continues. \u2018We want to make sure that we\u2019re placing load on our beautiful bootius maximus in the stretched position,\u2019 \u2013 not an official term for the glute muscles, but it\u2019s got a ring to it.<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s an excellent exercise, the single-leg hip thrust, she says, doesn\u2019t facilitate the same strength as a Bulgarian split squat<\/a>. \u2018Look at this stretch of the tissue,\u2019 she says while performing the movement. \u2018This is the hardest part of the movement at the bottom. And then we\u2019re going to drive up.\u2019<\/p>\n

How to:<\/p>\n

Standing facing away from a sturdy chair, rest one foot laces-down on the seat of the chair.With core engaged, slowly bend your front knee and lower toward to ground.Pause at the bottom, before driving through the heel of your planted foot to return to standing.3\/ Side-lying hip raise\"Image<\/p>\n

\u2018But our hips, they do much more than just extend,\u2019 Vertue says. They also abduct. \u2018We also want to work those glute fibres that are abducting and we can do that down here on the floor,\u2019 she explains while demonstrating the side-lying hip raise exercise.<\/p>\n

As well as engaging the glutes, this movement recruits the muscles on the outside of the thigh. It can feel quite challenging to begin with \u2013 if you need to reduce the difficulty, try lowering your hip to the ground for more stability.<\/p>\n

How to:<\/p>\n

Lying on your side, with knees bent and stacked, use your elbow to prop you up.With your core engaged, squeeze your glutes to both push away from the floor and raise the stacked leg.Slowly lower to the starting position.4\/ Glute bridge\"Image<\/p>\n

\u2018Some of my other favourite characters in the glute game include the glute bridge,\u2019 Vertue says before demonstrating the exercise.<\/p>\n

Like the single-leg hip trust, this movement engages the hamstrings, core and lower back in addition to the glutes. <\/p>\n

How to: <\/p>\n

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted hip-width apart. Place your arms by your sides, palms down.Engage your core to prevent arching, before driving through the heels and squeezing the glutes to raise your hips. At the top of the movement, your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees.Slowly lower your hips back down.5\/ Long-stride walking lunge\"Image<\/p>\n

\u2018If you\u2019re a part of the Vertue Crew, you know I love a long stride walking lunge,\u2019 says Vertue. The elongated stride places additional emphasis on the glutes and entire posterior chain, while also engaging your calves, core and hip flexors. <\/p>\n

To make it more challenging, try holding a weight \u2013 like a dumbbell or kettlebell \u2013 in each hand.<\/p>\n

How to: <\/p>\n

With feet hip-width apart and core engaged, take a long stride forward and plant your foot down.Bend both knees to lower your body towards the ground, until your front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor and your back knee hovers slightly above the ground.Push off your back foot and drive into your front foot to return to standing.Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Abbi Henderson is Acting Nutrition writer who covers health, fitness, women\u2019s sport and lifestyle for Women’s Health and Men’s Health. Before settling in a British seaside town, she spent a couple of years living in Canada, where she contributed to publications such as Best Health, Foodism and Canadian Living, and discovered she is, in fact, a little outdoorsy. With a desire to help make healthcare, exercise and sport more accessible to women, she writes about everything from the realities of seeking medical support as a woman to those of being a female athlete fighting for equality. She has a personal trainer qualification, a couple of medals from her short time in competitive Irish dancing, and an Arsenal Women season ticket. When she\u2019s not in front of a screen working, she enjoys weightlifting, going for walks and stopping for little treats (matchas and pastries), and trying new recipes (that are almost always pasta-based).\u00a0<\/p>\n