You don’t need extra resistance to bolster these muscles.
Strong glutes are a cornerstone of total-body performance, allowing you to move your body in more explosive, agile ways, says Matt Berenc, CSCS, Beverly Hills-based director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. To transform these muscles using just your body weight, add these five moves into your regular workout routine. You can do one or two exercises on their own, or increase the challenge by linking all five together as a circuit. To do so, perform each exercise for 1 minute, rest for 30 seconds, and repeat for a total of 3 to 4 rounds.
Deep squat
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes turned out, arms extended overhead, palms facing each other. Squat, lowering butt as close to floor as possible without rounding lower back, lower hands to floor in front of you (as shown), then return to start for one rep.
Lateral lunge with overhead reach
From a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart, step to your left side with toes facing forward. Descend the left leg into a lunge maintaining a straight line between your ankle, knee, and hip. Once in the lunge, extend both arms overhead while looking up toward hands. Return to starting position and repeat to the right side. Continue alternating directions.
Crab reach
Sitting on all fours, slightly lift your butt up off the ground. Extend the hips up as high in the air as possible while reaching over the head and opposite shoulder with one arm. Put the arm back on the ground and switch sides.
Bulgarian split squat
Begin with one foot planted on the ground and your other foot placed on a bench or plyo box behind you. From this split position, descend to the ground until your back knee approaches the floor. Throughout the movement, maintain alignment between your ankle, knee, and hip. Drive heel into the ground to return to standing position while squeezing your glutes. Continue on this side for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side for 30 seconds.
Single-leg v-up
Lie face-up with right arm extended by side, left arm overhead, and left knee bent with foot flat on floor in front of you. Engage your glutes and abs, and then press into right hand and left foot as you lift your upper body and then right leg off the floor, reaching your left arm straight toward your right foot, keeping head and spine neutral. Gently reverse back down to start. Repeat on this side for 30 seconds, then switch to the other side for 30 seconds.