This guide was written and reviewed by Serge, MSc . As a martial artist and natural lifter with over 10 years of training experience, what I share comes from my own training and from digging into the research behind it.
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If you want a strong, balanced lower body, the upper glutes deserve attention. Many gym-goers skip glute work, men especially, because they assume it is only for women.
I am a natural lifter with over ten years of training, and I can tell you that is a mistake. Glute training matters just as much for men. I learned that the hard way after years of believing heavy squats alone covered it.
Strong glutes do more than fill out your lower body. They support posture, athletic performance, and your big lifts. Below are the exercises I use, whether you want a more balanced lower body or simply more strength.
Why Focus on the Upper Glutes?
The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body. It is a main driver of walking, running, squatting, and jumping.
The upper glutes sit near the top of the buttocks. They help extend the hips, stabilize the pelvis, and support good posture. If posture is a concern, I created The Posture Fix Blueprint to help fix it.
Training this area builds strength that carries over to your squat and deadlift. For a long time I assumed big compound lifts were enough. They were not.
Adding direct glute work made a clear difference for me. That is why this muscle group deserves a dedicated spot in your routine. For a wider plan, read the Glute Lab guide to sculpting strong glutes.
Best Exercises to Target the Upper Glutes
Here are five exercises I use to strengthen the glutes. No exercise isolates only the upper glutes, but the upper fibers work hard in all of these.
Hip Thrusts
Hip thrusts are one of the best exercises for the glutes. With your upper back on a bench and a load across your hips, you get a strong contraction.
Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and your knees bent. Place a barbell or weight across your hips. Drive through your heels and lift your hips toward the ceiling.
Squeeze your glutes hard at the top, then lower back down. Hip thrusts give a deep stretch and a full contraction. Make them harder with more weight, single-leg work, or banded variations.
Glute Bridges
Glute bridges are similar to hip thrusts but done on the floor. They work well when you control the movement. They also keep strain off the lower back.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Push through your heels and lift your hips toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes at the top without overextending your lower back, then lower down.
To make them harder, raise your feet or add a band around your knees.
Romanian Deadlifts
Romanian deadlifts mainly target the hamstrings and lower back. With good form they bring in the glutes strongly too.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells in front of you. Keep your knees slightly bent. Hinge at the hips and lower the weight toward the floor, keeping your back flat and chest lifted.
You should feel a stretch through your hamstrings and glutes. Drive your hips forward to return to the start. Done properly, they build the glutes while strengthening the hamstrings and lower back.
Hinging takes practice, so start light and keep your form strict. It also helps to know how to train safely and build strength without injury.
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
This variation works one leg at a time. It improves balance while hitting the glutes hard.
Stand on one leg and hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in the opposite hand. Hinge at the hips and lower the weight, keeping your back straight and the free leg extended behind you. Squeeze your glutes to return to standing.
Because the glutes stabilize your whole body, this move builds strength and balance at the same time.
Cable Kickbacks
Cable kickbacks isolate the glutes, and the low pulley keeps tension on them throughout. This is one I use myself.
Attach an ankle strap to a low pulley, face the machine, and secure the strap around your ankle. Keep a slight bend in your supporting leg. Extend the strapped leg straight back, squeeze your glutes at the top, and return slowly.
The constant cable tension keeps the glutes working the whole way. You can adjust the angle to shift the emphasis around the muscle.
Tips for Building the Upper Glutes
Use a full range of motion on every rep. Fully extend and contract the glutes for better activation and growth.
Apply progressive overload by making the work gradually harder. That can mean more weight, more reps, or tougher variations.
I built a Progressive Overload Calculator for this. Enter your last session and it gives you your next weight, your rep target, and a short outlook.
Give your glutes dedicated training instead of treating them as an afterthought. Combine compound lifts such as squats and deadlifts with isolation work.
This shift worked for me. I went from assuming squats were enough to giving the glutes direct attention. For the big lifts themselves, see the best exercises for building strength, muscle mass, and functional fitness.
Stay consistent, because like any muscle the glutes need regular work. Train them two to three times a week to see real progress. Recovery matters too, so learn how to recover faster as a natural bodybuilder.
Conclusion
Targeting the upper glutes is part of building a balanced, strong lower body. Do the exercises above with good form, progressive overload, and consistency. You will build both strength and development.
Give them a place in your next lower-body session and stick with them. That is what gets results.
My Glute-Training FAQs
Do men need to train glutes, or is it just for women?
Men should train glutes too, and I do. The idea that glute work is only for women is wrong. The glutes are the biggest muscle you have, and they matter for strength, posture, and performance. Skipping them leaves real strength on the table.
Can you build your glutes at home, or do you need a gym?
You can build them at home. Bodyweight and banded work such as glute bridges, hip thrusts, and single-leg movements go a long way. A gym lets you add load more easily, but it is not required for real progress.
For a full plan, I created the Home Strong Method Bodyweight Program. These no-equipment workouts and my Sunny mini stepper review can help too.
How often should I train glutes?
I train them twice a week, and that works well. That gives enough direct work to drive progress and time to recover between sessions. You do not need to hit them every day.
To find the least you can do and still progress, read about the least amount of exercise you need to see results.
Do squats and deadlifts build glutes, or are they useless for it?
They do build glutes. They are compound lifts that bring the glutes in strongly, so do not drop them.
On their own they are not enough, though. I trained that way for years, assuming they covered it. Adding glute-specific work on top of the big compounds made the real difference for me.
How long before I see results from glute training?
Give it a few weeks of consistent, direct work before judging it. Muscle does not change overnight. With steady training and progressive overload, you will start to feel and see a difference.
Anyone promising results in days is selling something. Real change takes consistency. For realistic timelines, read about how long it takes to build muscle.
