Best Exercises for Glutes and Legs
Get ready to strengthen, tone, and stabilize your body with this glutes and legs-focused workout, designed to challenge your lower body, improve balance, and build endurance. This session delivers a targeted sculpt through controlled, muscle-engaging movements focusing on your glutes, thighs, hamstrings, and calves.
Each exercise offers two intensity levels:
Level 1: This level is ideal for beginners or those who prefer a more moderate pace. It focuses on body weight and smaller movements.
Level 2: Perfect for increasing intensity with more advanced variations and deeper muscle engagement.
We’ve carefully selected exercises such as squats, lunges, glute bridges, and leg lifts to challenge your strength, stability, and flexibility. You’ll be guided through each move with clear demonstrations, safety tips, and modifications to ensure proper form and prevent injury.
For a quick 14-minute session, perform each movement for 45 seconds with a 15-second rest between exercises. For a 28-minute workout, repeat each movement twice before moving on.
Warm up, pick your level, and let’s dive into this energizing glutes and legs workout!
We also offer this workout in person at our studio—book your first class for free!
Fire Hydrant (Right & Left)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
No arch in the back, remain flat (table top), maintain leg at 90 degrees, flexed foot
Main muscle groups worked
Core, glutes, quads
Level 1 (without weight) & 2 (with weight)
Starting Position:
Get on all fours
Keep your back flat and your core engaged.
For level 2, squeeze a weight between the calf and hamstring
Fire Hydrant:
Keeping your knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your right leg out to the side, parallel to the ground
Your hip should be fully opened, and your foot should be flexed.
Slowly lower your leg back to the starting position
*Repeat on left leg
2. Reverse Lunge
Safety precaution
Chest lifted, core engaged
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, glutes
Level 1 & 2 (With a jump)
Starting Position:
Stand with feet hip-width apart
Shoulders relaxed and arms at your sides.
Curtsy Lunge:
Take a step back with your right foot, keeping your weight balanced over your front (left) heel.
Bend both knees to lower your body until your front thigh is nearly parallel to the ground.
Your back knee should hover just above the floor.
Push through your front heel to return to standing.
Step back with your left foot, repeating the same movement.
3. B-Stance Deadlift (Right & Left)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
Keep your back straight and your core engaged
Main muscle groups worked
Core, glutes, quads
Level 1 (One weight) & 2 (Two weights)
Starting Position:
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell or barbell in front of your thighs.
B-Stance Deadlift:
Shift your weight onto your left leg, and place your right foot slightly behind you, about a foot back.
Only your right toes should touch the floor lightly to help with balance.
With a slight bend in your left knee, push your hips back, lowering the weight toward the floor.
Lower the weight until it’s around mid-shin or just before your back begins to round.
The movement should primarily involve the left leg, with the right leg acting for balance only.
Push through your left heel to return to standing, keeping the weight close to your left leg.
*Repeat on the other side
4. Donkey Kick (Right & Left)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
No arch in the back, remain flat (table top), maintain leg at 90 degrees, flexed foot
Main muscle groups worked
Core, glutes, quads
Level 1 (without weight) & 2 (with weight)
Starting Position:
Get on all fours
Keep your back flat and your core engaged
For level 2, squeeze a weight between the calf and hamstring
Donkey Kick:
Keeping your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your right leg up and back as if you’re kicking the ceiling behind you.
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement for a second.
Slowly lower your leg back to the starting position
*Repeat on other leg
5. Deadlift
Safety precaution
Slow and controlled to avoid injury, NOT A SQUAT, maintain a slight bend, hinging motion, keep weights close to the body
Main muscle groups worked
Core, glutes, quads
Level 1 (Lighter/no weight) & 2 (Heavier weight)
Starting position:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
Holding a weight in each hand in front of your body
Keep a slight bend in your knees throughout the entire exercise
Deadlift:
Maintaining the slight bend, push your hips backward and lower your upper body
Make a hinging motion with your hips
Lower your weights, keep them close to your shins but keep a flat back throughout
To stand back to standing, push your hips forward and keep your glutes and core engaged
6. Glute Bridge + Pulse
Safety precaution
Keep heels planted on the ground, core engaged, squeeze glutes
Main muscle groups worked
Glutes, Core, Hamstrings
Level 1 & 2 (Weight on hips)
Starting Position:
Lie on a mat or flat surface with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Glute Bridge:
Press through your heels and lift your hips off the ground
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement
Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position
Pulses:
In the last 15 seconds, keep your hips off the ground
Make small movements up and down, not lowering your body to the mat until the timer is done
7. Squat
Safety precaution
Chest up, don’t round your shoulders
Main muscle groups worked
Core, glutes, quads
Level 1 & Level 2 (With a jump)
Starting position:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
Hands are at your side
Squats:
Lower your body until your legs are in a seated position
Arms raised in front of you as you lower your body
Keep your knees apart, legs at 90 degrees (or close to), and keep your chest up
Level 1: Stand up straight to return to the starting position
Level 2: From a squat position, jump up into the air and straighten your arms down to return to the starting position
8. Glute Bridge with Leg Lift + Pulse (Right & Left)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
Keep heels planted on the ground, core engaged, and squeeze glutes
Main muscle groups worked
Glutes, core, hamstrings
Level 1 & 2
Starting Position:
Lie on a mat or flat surface with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Lift one leg, holding it up with a slight bend in the knee
Glute Bridge:
Press through your heels and lift your hips off the ground
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement
Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position
Pulses:
In the last 15 seconds, keep your leg lifted in the air
Make small movements up and down, not lowering your body to the mat until the timer is done
9. Sumo Squat + Pulse
Safety precaution
Don’t let your knees cave in, chest up, straight back (no rounding)
Main muscle groups worked
Core, glutes, quads
Level 1 (No weight) & 2 (With a weight)
Starting position:
Stand with your feet in a wide stance (as wide as a mat)
Hands are at your side or in front of your chest
Squats:
Lower your body until your legs are in a seated position
Keep your knees apart, legs at 90 degrees (or close to), and keep your chest up
Stand up straight to return to the starting position
Pulses:
In the last 15 seconds, lower your body into the seated position
Make small movements up and down, not coming back up to fully standing until the timer is done
10. Side to Side Lunges
Safety precaution
Chest up, don’t round your shoulders, maintain a straight leg when dropping to one side
Main muscle groups worked
Core, glutes, quads, hamstrings
Level 1 (No weight) & Level 2 (With weight)
Starting position:
Stand with a wide stance, feet out wide
Legs are straight, creating a triangle
Side-to-side lunge:
Bend your right knee and lower your hips until your right thigh is parallel to the ground (or as low as you can comfortably go)
Your left leg should remain straight, and your left foot should stay flat.
Push yourself up to standing, repeat on the other leg
Awesome job completing the glutes and legs workout! You’ve just crushed a session focused on strengthening your glutes, thighs, and hamstrings while improving your balance and flexibility. Through precise, targeted movements, you’ve built endurance, increased stability, and boosted your lower body strength.
Now, take a moment to cool down, stretch, and acknowledge your hard work. Keep it up, and we’ll see you in the next session!
If you're looking for more variety or want to target different areas, explore our other routines. We’ve got plenty of workouts to keep you motivated and help you hit your fitness goals. Stay tuned for more exercises and tips to keep your momentum going!
Ready to join us in the studio? Book a class now—your first class is on us!
