The 30-minute complete home weight training workout to blast fat and shape your muscles

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The glutes (buttocks) are the muscles around your buttocks, thighs, hips and pelvis and are essential for movements such as lifting, turning and extending your legs; they even help keep you stable when standing. 

WHY WOULD WOMEN WANT TO WORK THEIR GLUTES? 

The glutes are a major area of focus for both men and women, as keeping them strong and flexible helps improve your posture, prevents injury and can increase your athletic performance. 

But what about women in particular? Why are gluteal-focused exercises so essential? Here are a few reasons why gluteal workouts are worth including in your next fitness routine.

1. Reduce back pain: The glutes are a support muscle, and weakness in this area can lead to back pain. Women can be more prone to back pain, especially after menopause, so keeping your glutes strong and healthy can help minimize these problems. 
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3. A firm, toned butt: While we like to focus on improving strength and fitness through training, it's also impossible to ignore the impact that training can have on the appearance of your body. By working your glutes, you are more likely to be able to tone your booty for a shapelier, firmer buttock. 
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5. Relieve pain or injury during pregnancy: Many pregnant people experience pelvic, hip and back pain throughout their pregnancy. Strong glutes can help reduce this by stabilizing the sacroiliac joint in the pelvis, preventing excessive lumbar extension and helping to prevent overuse of the lower back.
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7. Joint Protection: Especially after menopause, women can also be more prone to joint problems such as osteoarthritis, causing pain and soreness around areas such as the knees and hips. Strong glutes help keep your thigh bone in a centered position during hip extensions, preventing hip pain. They can also keep your knees from collapsing toward each other, which can often be a major cause of knee problems. 

TOP GLUTEAL EXERCISES FOR WOMEN

These are some of our favorite exercises to work your glutes and buttocks, no matter what your goals are. You can add these moves to your existing exercise routine or mix and match a few rounds of several of these exercises for the ultimate gluteal strengthening and conditioning workout. 

Not sure where to start? Try choosing three moves and completing three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps of each.

Deadlift

You can perform deadlifts with a barbell or with a dumbbell in each hand, just make sure to keep track of your form, maintain an engaged core and keep your back straight. 

• Stand with your shins against the bar with your feet around shoulder width apart.
• Hinging forward at your hips, squat down and reach out to grasp the barbell (or dumbbells) with an overhand grip, one hand, one hand lower. Your hands should be placed slightly wider than your legs.
• Push your hips back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, making sure to keep your spine straight, your abs up, your chest up and your shoulder blades down. This is your starting position.
• Push through your feet and legs and extend your knees to a standing position. When the dumbbell reaches above your knees, push your hips forward to drive the movement. The dumbbell should move in a straight vertical line.
• Pause at the top, keeping the bar close to your body, before reversing the movement back to the starting position.

Hip thrusts

If you've never done hip thrusts before, start by simply using your own body weight, before adding weight; you'll definitely still feel the benefit of the movement through your glutes. Once you have perfected the form, you can incorporate a dumbbell placed on your hips, before leveling up to a barbell. Don't let your back extend too far and keep your core engaged. 

• Sit in front of a workout bench or similar type of support (the edge of your bed might work) with your shoulders pressed against the edge and your knees bent.
• Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, planted on the floor in front of you at a distance that allows your knees to be bent are at a 90-degree angle when you are fully extended in the hip thrust. You may want to check this before adding a weight.
• If you are not using weights, feel free to place your elbows on either side of you on the bench for extra support. If you are using a weight, position it so that it is in line with your hip and use your hands to keep it stable.
• Engage your core and, while keeping your upper back in contact with the bench, begin to squeeze your glutes and lift your hips to the ceiling. Try to keep your upper body stable.
• When your body forms a fairly straight line and your knees are at 90 degrees, hold for a moment before slowly relaxing back to the starting position.

Sumo Squats

Again, start practicing squats using only your own body weight, they will be quite challenging if you are a beginner. As you improve, you can begin to incorporate portable weights held at chest height or a barbell on your shoulders. 

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart, toes slightly turned out.
• Engage your core, push your shoulders down and back and maintain a straight chest throughout.
• Lower your hips to the floor, focusing on sending them back as if you were sitting in a chair - your knees should not push forward more than your toes.
• If you're a beginner, try to dive as low as possible, but the goal is to squat until your thighs are parallel or lower parallel to the floor, depending on your mobility.
• Hold for a moment before pushing through your heels and pushing your hips up to return to a standing position.

Standing glute bribe

Great for sculpting your glutes and legs, as well as strengthening your core stability and working your hip flexors, bribes can be performed without any equipment, or you can add a resistance band around your legs or use the cable machine with an ankle cuff attachment to add more challenge. 

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and shoulders dropped back and down, your right foot stepped slightly behind you.  
• Place your hands on your hips and balance your left leg.
• Keeping your core engaged and your right leg straight, slowly kick your right leg back about 6 inches before returning it to the starting position.
• Complete one set before repeating with the other foot.

Walking Lunges

This is an extremely effective movement in itself, or you can hold a dumbbell in each hand for extra weight. Lunges are a great move to target the entire lower body and core. 

• Stand with your shoulders back and your core engaged, feet shoulder-width apart.
• Take a big step forward with one leg, then bend that front knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground at 90 degrees. Your back knee should almost touch the floor.
• Push up through the front leg to return to the standing position, while bringing the back leg up and into another front lunge.

Step-Ups

This is another move that can be completed either with your own body weight or with a dumbbell in each hand. Step-ups don't just target your glutes - they also work your quads, hamstrings and most of your lower body. As the name suggests, you'll need a step, plyo box or bench directly in front of you. If you use dumbbells, hold them at shoulder height. You can also increase the challenge by increasing the height of the step. 

• Stand on the floor with your shoulders back and your core engaged.
• Step onto the platform with one foot, then push through the heel to straighten your leg and propel your body upward.
• Bring your back foot up to meet your front foot on the step.
• Bending your knees as you move, lower the first leg back down off the platform before repeating with the other leg.

Kettlebell Swing

A great full-body movement, kettlebell swings work your glutes, hamstrings, quads and core, as well as helping to strengthen your back and shoulders. You'll need a kettlebell - start with a lower weight and work up to heavier options once you've perfected the action.

• Stand with your back straight and your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Articulate your hips back and lower yourself into a half-squat to pick up the kettlebell with both hands, palms facing in toward your body.
• Keep your core tight and a slight bend in your knees, squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward while straightening your legs. This explosive movement will drive the kettlebell swing.
• Stop when the kettlebell reaches chest height, then let the kettlebell drop back down to the starting position, keeping your core engaged to control the movement.

Stability Ball Bridge

This is basically a glute bridge with a difference - the addition of the stability ball means you'll work your core and glutes even harder to keep your balance. If you don't have a stability ball, you can stick to regular glute bridges and you'll still be able to work your glutes well. 

• Lie on your back with your feet on top of the stability ball. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees so that your shins are parallel to the floor.
• Keep your palms on the floor for balance.
• Keeping your core engaged and the stability ball still, push through your heels and lift your hips into the air, focusing on squeezing your glutes.
• Once your body forms a straight line from your knees to your neck, hold for a moment, before slowly lowering back down - remember to focus on keeping the stability ball as still as possible.

source: puregym