Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Beyonce all have one physical trait in common. They’re known – if not partially famous – for their toned and round backsides.

It leaves something to be desired. No one wants a flat butt. And most women strive to get a better-looking ass. But if you spend hours in the gym doing the wrong exercises, you aren’t going to get there anytime soon.

And a strong and toned derriere isn’t just about aesthetics!

Strong glutes improve your posture – making you stand up straight and look slimmer. And they also make sitting, standing, lifting objects, and climbing stairs way easier.

So what’s the how-to-process for getting a better-looking butt?

Below we’ll explore the best glute exercises and glute workouts further — and how to get a better looking-butt in only 13 minutes.

But first, let’s dive into why the glutes even matter in the grand scheme of things. Let’s fuel your motivation with a few quick facts.

Breaking Down the Glutes

The butt is made up of three major muscles: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus minimus, and the gluteus medius. These muscles help move the hip and thigh. They further offer stabilization to the pelvis, particularly during weight-bearing activities.

And they are part of your ‘core.’ Your core consists of major muscles, including the abdominals and the glutes, connecting to the trunk of the body. These muscles are your foundation when it comes to strength, balance, and stability.

Let’s take a closer look.

The King: The Gluteus Maximus

The gluteus maximus is the biggest and most superficial gluteal muscle. It covers the entire posterior area from your thigh bone to the bottom of your spine (also known as the sacrum). It’s thought to be the strongest muscle in the human body. The gluteus maximus becomes engaged in a lot of different exercises and movements. It helps you bend over, squat down, push off from the ground, and stand up straight. It also helps extend and rotate the hips and thighs. Exercises that work the gluteus maximus include squats, lunges, good mornings, step-ups, and deadlifts.

The Gluteus Minimus and Medius

The gluteus maximus further supports the other two glute muscles: the gluteus minimus and gluteus medius. The gluteus medius sits slightly above and under the gluteus maximus. This muscle is important for balance when walking. It also helps move the hip and thigh outward, as well as aids in rotation of the thigh. The gluteus minimus sits slightly below and under the gluteus maximus. This muscle moves the thigh away from the body, and it is one of the primary internal rotators of the hip.

Glute exercises that target the gluteus minimus include squats involving a resistance band around the thighs with toe taps to the outside, side shuffle squats, shifting side squats, curtsy lunges, and side-lying leg lifts. And glute exercises that target the gluteus medius include the side-lying clamshells, crab walks, and also side-lying leg lifts. There are further other variations of these exercises that may involve lying on your stomach, standing, or sitting while performing a similar movement to the clamshell. These muscles are also engaged during other squatting and lunging movements, aiding the gluteus maximus.

Common Myths About How to Get a Better Looking Butt

If you’re reading this article, you’ve likely been wondering why you can’t seem to get the round and toned butt that you want. Maybe you’ve been led in the wrong direction. Here are the top myths about how to get a better-looking butt debunked:

Myth #1: Cardio is the only glute exercise you need.

Contrary to popular belief, cardio doesn’t work to reduce fat in one area while salvaging it in others. Many women mistakenly spend hours on steep treadmill inclines or on the stairmaster in hopes of improving their booty. And if you’re overdoing it in the cardio department, you likely aren’t building muscle. Plus, you won’t just lose fat in one area. You may get more toned – but you probably won’t get the toned and voluptuous ass you want. For that to happen, you need to perform resistance training for the glutes.

Myth #2: You should change up your routine every week to get a bigger butt.

Changing up your routine is a great idea when you’ve hit a plateau. But if you’re going after a specific goal, it may actually hinder your progress rather than help. If you want a better butt, you need to stay consistent with a set of glute exercises. You want to progress these exercises by adding weight or resistance to help build more muscle – and thus, build a bigger and rounder butt.

Myth #3: If you do all the squats, you’ll shape up your backside.

This one isn’t entirely false. It’s true to an extent. But a squat is a compound movement. This means you’re focusing on multiple joints and multiple muscle groups. If you’re only doing squats, you’ll eventually plateau and likely not get the better butt you want. It doesn’t isolate the glutes. You want to do other glute exercises, such as lunges, hip extensions, and more.

Myth #4: Running will get you that ass you’ve always wanted.

This comes right back to myth #1. Cardio alone won’t do the trick. And you can’t target areas with running. You need resistance training where you gradually progress your load – especially if you want to get a rounder and fuller ass.

The Glute Workouts You Need for a Bigger and Better Butt (No Equipment Needed)

Again, squats aren’t all you need to shape your butt. So what glute exercises or glute workouts should you be doing to get the ass you’ve always wanted?

The following workout takes just 13 minutes. You can workout at home or the gym — you don’t need any equipment. However, you may want to eventually progress by adding resistance or weights.

Ready to get started? Watch this video!

13-Minute At-Home Workout for an Amazing Ass

The 13-minute at-home workout for an amazing ass involves 4 rounds. Each exercise is 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Round 1 consists of pop squats, curtsy lunges, and prisoner squats. Round 2 consists of single leg swings and shifting side squats. Round 3 involves good mornings, standing glute flex, and alternating lunges. And lastly, round 4 includes crab walks, supermans, and plank kicks. Complete each round 2 times, with a 30 second break in-between each round.

ROUND 1:

Pop Squats: Begin standing tall with your feet together. Jump your feet apart. Bend your knees and lower to a squat. Touch your right hand down. Jump and pop your feet back together. Again, jump your feet apart. Bend your knees and lower to a squat. Touch your left hand down. Continue to do this exercise for 20 seconds.

Curtsy Lunges: Begin with your feet hip-width apart. Send your right leg back and behind your left leg. Bend your knees into a lunge. Step your right leg forward, and then, step your left leg back and behind your right leg, lowering into a lunge. Repeat for the 20-second duration.

Prisoner Squats: Bend your elbows and place your hands behind your head. Begin with your feet hip-width apart. Squat down as low as you can. You may also choose to vary your stances between narrow and wide-stance squats.

ROUND 2:

Single Leg Swings: Stand on your right leg. Swing your left leg forward and back. Do this for 20 seconds on the first side. Then, for the next 20-second duration, repeat the same exercise on the left leg.

Shifting Side Squats: Begin with your feet wide. Shift your weight into your right side, bending more into your right knee, then shift your weight to your left side, bending more into your left knee. Continue to repeat for the 20-second duration.

ROUND 3:

Good Mornings: Bend your elbows and place your hands behind your head. Lock your knees and bend forward at the waist. Bend until your torso is parallel with the floor, then stand back up straight. As you go to stand up, squeeze your glutes. Repeat for the 20-second duration.

Standing Glute Flex: Stand with your heels together and your toes pointing out. Squeeze your glutes together for the entire 20-second duration.

Alternating Lunges: Step your right leg forward. Bend your front and back knee and come into a lunge. Step your right leg back. Alternate sides and continue to alternate side for the 20-seconds.

ROUND 4:

Crab Walks: Begin sitting face-up on the floor. Lift your hips off the floor and balancing on your hands and feet, crab walk from side to side.

Supermans: Lie on a comfortable surface on your stomach. Squeeze your glutes and lift your legs as high as you can. At the same time, lift your arms and chest up and off the ground. Hold for the 20-second duration.

Plank Kicks: Begin in a high plank on your hands and toes. Kick your right foot up. Lower your foot back to the ground. Kick your left foot up. Lower your left foot back down. Continue to alternate sides.

Bonus Exercises

But that’s not all. You can also substitute or add on the following two exercises for an even more killer glute workout. Want a challenge? These next two glute exercises are for you.

Donkey Kick Your Way to a More Toned Ass

Literally. We aren’t kidding. This exercise is called the donkey kick. Here’s how you do it:

• Begin on all-fours on a mat or a comfortable surface.
• Keeping your knee bent, kick your right leg straight up and back. Make sure the rest of your body doesn’t move. Engage your abdominals to stabilize.
• Slowly lower your right leg back down – just touching it to the ground, then send it back up.
• Do 10-12 repetitions for 2-3 sets.
• Repeat the same on the opposite side.

Squeeze Your Glutes with Glute Bridges

Glute bridges are another exercise that isolates the gluteal muscles. Here’s how you do it:

• Begin lying face up on a mat.
• Bend your knees. Plant your feet on the ground.
• Slowly push through your feet, and lift your hips and butt up and off the ground. Make sure to squeeze your glutes here, so you really engage them.
• Lift as high as you comfortably can. If you feel any pain in your low back, stop or go before that point.
• Hold for about 3-5 seconds at the top, then slowly lower.
• Repeat for 10-12 repetitions for 2-3 sets.

To make this exercise more difficult, you can add a dumbbell on top of your hips and pelvis. You may also choose to wrap a resistance band around your thighs. When you lift to hold your glute bridge, push your knee out for 5 counts before you lower back down. Feel the burn!

Your Glute Cooldown Guide

Now it’s time to stretch it out. Stretching helps balance out all the work you just did. It contributes to a reduced risk of injury and may help you feel a little better in 24-48 hours.

So what glute stretches should you do?

There are a ton of variations to stretch out the glutes. The key is to find one that works well for you and your body. Below are 3 options to try out! Aim to hold the stretch on each side for at least 20-30 seconds. If it feels good, you can always hold for longer.

LYING GLUTE STRETCH

1. Lie face-up on a comfortable surface or a mat if available.
2. Bend your knees and plant your feet flat on the ground near your buttocks.
3. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh. If you feel a good enough stretch in your glutes here, you can hold it for 20-30 seconds.
4. If you want a little more, reach through and pull your left thigh toward you, then hold for 20-30 seconds. Once completed, switch sides.

STANDING GLUTE STRETCH

1. Stand tall. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh.
2. Slightly bend your left knee, and bend forward at your hips. You may need to adjust until you feel the stretch in your right buttocks.
3. Hold for the 20-30 seconds, then switch sides!

KNEE TO CHEST STRETCH

1. Lie face up on a comfortable surface. Extend your legs straight in front of you.
2. Bend your right knee toward your chest.
3. Use both hands to pull your knee in toward you.
4. Again, hold for 20-30 seconds – or slightly longer. Then, switch to your left side.

The Body Can Achieve What The Mind Believes

Remember, you can’t spot reduce. To lose weight, you have to exercise the whole body. And to build muscle, you have to perform the right exercise.

Make sure you focus on a positive growth mindset. These exercises might be difficult at first. But the more you do them, the better you’ll get and the easier the exercises will also get.

Further, practice positive self-talk. Say “I can do this.” Believe in yourself. You can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Make your goals, visualize them, then go after them. Without a clear vision, you may wander aimlessly, so specify and visualize exactly what you want. Your mindset is half the battle. Get into a positive headspace by setting your intentions. Think, act, and feel like the person you want to be. Throw away the ‘I can’t’ and concentrate on the fact that you can and you will.

Go make it happen!