Big glutes and wide hips are a fitness must-have for a lot of exercisers. For example, many stars of Instagram, movies, and the music industry have eye-catching butts, and clothes are often designed to show off the “junk in your trunk.”
What a lot of exercisers fail to realize is that increasing glute size is basically a form of bodybuilding, and high rep fire hydrants and donkey kicks won’t build the booty of your dreams.
In contrast, the best way to beef up your butt is with real strength training exercises and moderate to heavy weights.
So, we’ve created this workout for anyone who wants to build bigger hips and glutes. It uses the best hip and glute exercises so, as long as you work hard, you’ll soon be on your way to building a butt you can be proud of.
Hip Anatomy 101
Your hips are a ball-and-socket joint formed by the head of the femur or thigh bone and the pelvis.
The hip joint is capable of several different movements, including:
- Abduction
- Adduction
- Flexion
- Extension
- Medial rotation
- Lateral rotation
- Circumduction
With so many movements to perform, there are lots of muscles that control the hip, many of which are pretty small. However, the main hip muscles are the glutes, of which there are three.
The glutes are your body’s engine room and provide most of the power when you run or jump. They’re also crucial for posture, balance, and hip stability.
But, for a lot of people, what matters most is that the glutes give your hips their shape. Well-developed glutes will give you a rounded, firm, gravity-defying butt!
The main muscles of the hips and their functions are:
Gluteus maximus
This is the muscle you are currently sitting on! The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the human body and potentially the most powerful. Located on the back and side of your hip, the functions of the gluteus maximus are:
- Hip extension
- Hip lateral (external) rotation
- Hip abduction (superior or upper portion)
- Hip adduction (inferior or lower portion)
Gluteus medius
The gluteus medius is located above and beneath the gluteus maximus near the upper part of the pelvis. It works with the gluteus maximus and also has some additional functions:
- Hip abduction (movement away from the midline of the body)
- Hip medial (internal) rotation
- Pelvis stabilization
Gluteus minimus
This is a small triangular muscle located within the rear aspect of the hip. Like the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus also works alongside the gluteus maximus, and its functions are:
- Hip abduction
- Hip medial rotation
- Pelvis stabilization
Tensor fascia latae
Despite not having the word gluteus in its name, the TFL is still part of the glute/hip complex. It’s a biaxial muscle which means it crosses two joints – the hip and the knee. As part of the glute group, TFL is involved in:
- Hip internal rotation
- Hip abduction
- Pelvis stabilization
So, while the gluteus maximus is the most prominent muscle in the glute/hip complex, the other glute muscles deserve your attention too. They might not contribute as much to hip size, but they are critical for hip stability.
If these other, smaller glute muscles are neglected, your hips won’t be as stable, and that will affect your athletic performance. So, because of the complexity of this part of your body, you must train your glutes from several different directions to ensure you develop all of these muscles.
Not sure where to start? No problem! We’ve got a tremendous hip-building workout for you to try.
Bigger Hips Workout Overview
Do this workout 1-2 times per week on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday and Thursday. While you don’t need to train your upper body, it’s usually a good idea to do both upper and lower body workouts, so you develop all your muscle groups equally.
But, before you start, make sure your muscles and joints are prepared for what you are about to do by warming up. Begin with 5-10 minutes of cardio, e.g., elliptical, rower, etc., followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises focusing on your lower back, hips, and knees.
| No | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Recovery |
| 1 | Booty band goblet squat | 4 | 8-10 | 2 minutes |
| 2a | Barbell hip thrust | 3 | 10-12 | 90 seconds |
| 2b | Romanian deadlift | |||
| 3 | Booty band clamshells | 3 | 12-15 | 60 seconds |
| 4 | Snatch grip deadlift | 3 | 12-15 | 60 seconds |
| 5 | Stability ball hip lift/leg curl | 3 | 12-15 | 60 seconds |
Exercises 2a and 2b are to be done as a superset. Do 10-12 reps of barbell hip thrusts and then immediately do 10-12 reps of Romanian deadlifts. Rest 90 seconds and then repeat the pairing twice more to make three supersets.
Exercise Instructions
How you do an exercise is as important as how many reps you perform or how much weight you lift. The right way keeps the tension on the target muscles and minimizes your risk of injury. The wrong way is less effective and could end up hurting you.
So, check out the following exercise instructions to ensure you’re getting the most from this Bigger Hips workout.
1. Booty band goblet squat
A booty band is a short, wide resistance band designed to be worn around your legs during lower body exercises like squats, leg presses, and hip thrusts. It increases outer hip and glute activation by forcing you to push your knees out against the band.
Goblet squats are already a great leg and hip exercise but doing them with a booty band makes them even better! You can do goblet squats using a dumbbell or kettlebell as preferred.
How to do it:
- Put a booty band around your legs, just above or below your knees. Step out and into a shoulder-width stance, toes turned slightly outward. Push your knees out against the band.
- Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest. Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your core.
- Pressing your knees outward throughout, bend your legs, and squat down as deep as you can without rounding your lower back.
- Stand back up and repeat.
Learn more about goblet squats here.
2a. Barbell hip thrust
The barbell hip thrust is an effective and spine-friendly way to overload your glutes. This large muscle is very powerful, and, with a bit of practice, you’ll soon need to use heavy weights for this exercise.
While we haven’t specified using a booty band for barbell hip thrusts, there is no reason not to if you wish. However, it’s not essential, and the main focus of this exercise is hip extension rather than abduction.
Read all about barbell hip thrusts here.
2b. Romanian deadlift
Glute exercises don’t come much more potent than Romanian deadlifts. This hip hinge movement works your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back simultaneously. Take care not to round your back during Romanian deadlifts, as doing so could result in injury. Instead, keep your core braced and your lower back slightly arched throughout.
Learn how to do Romanian deadlifts with our in-depth guide.
3. Booty band clamshells
After all those hip thrusts and deadlifts, you may be feeling a little tired. So, it’s time to lie down and isolate your glutes with booty band clamshells. This exercise directly targets your gluteus minimus and medius.
Located on the outer aspect of your butt, these muscles are responsible for the external rotation and abduction of your hips. Developing these muscles is good for increasing hip stability and will also give a rounder, fuller-looking butt.
How to do it:
- Put your booty band around your knees and lie down on your side. Stack your hips and bend your knees to 45-degrees.
- Rest your head on your lower arm and brace your core to stabilize your spine and pelvis.
- While keeping your feet together, lift and rotate your upper knee outward as high as possible without moving your hips or pelvis. Do NOT lean backward.
- Return to the starting position and repeat before rolling over and changing legs.
4. Snatch grip deadlift
Snatch grip deadlifts hit your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, lower back, and upper back all at the same time, making it a very time-efficient exercise. A snatch grip involves placing your hands wider apart than usual. This forces you to bend over more, which increases hip engagement for more hypertrophy (muscle growth).
However, you MUST take care not to round your lower back during this exercise, as that’s an excellent way to end up with back pain.
Learn how to do snatch grip deadlifts here.
5. Stability ball hip lift and leg curl
The stability ball hip lift and leg curl is your final hip exercise, so give it all you’ve got! As the name suggests, it combines two movements to finish off the target muscles. While this is not an incredibly intense exercise, it should still provide a decent challenge after everything you’ve done to get to this point.
How to do it:
- Lie on the floor with your lower legs resting on a stability ball. Brace your abs.
- Drive your heels into the ball and lift your hips up toward the ceiling.
- Next, bend your knees and roll the ball in toward your butt. Keep pushing your hips upward.
- Extend your legs and then lower your butt back to the floor.
- That’s one rep – keep going!
More Glutes Exercises and Workouts
- Best Glute Isolation Exercises
- Front Squat vs. Back Squat
- How to Get a Jiggly Butt
- Cable Pull Through Alternatives for Stronger Glutes and Hamstrings
- How To Grow Bigger And Stronger Glutes
Bigger Hips Workout – Wrapping Up
Your glutes are one of the most important muscles in your body. Not only do they give your rear its attractive shape, but they are also involved in almost every human movement. From getting out of a chair to climbing stairs to walking, running, and jumping, your glutes are the engine that drives you forward and upward.
Your glutes are also crucial for the health of your lower back. For example, when lifting heavy objects off the floor, if your glutes are weak, your back ends up bearing more of the load, and that’s a recipe for low back pain and injury.
Weak, soft, small glutes? Just say NO!
Add some mass to your ass with this tried and tested Bigger Hips workout.
