Grow and strengthen your glutes with this one dumbbell workout

Strong glutes are actually key for our posture and supporting the back, hips, core and legs

Woman doing lunges with a dumbbell
(Image credit: Getty)

Want to grow your glutes and get a bigger booty? Of course you do! There’s actually many benefits to having a strong derrière beyond the aesthetics (but more on that later). More importantly, you don’t have to go to the gym for this workout, it can be done in the comfort of your home and it only requires one bit of equipment – a single dumbbell.

According to Surrey Physio: “The glutes are one of the most important muscle groups in the body. They are responsible for providing power and stability to the hips, legs, and core. Strengthening the glutes can help improve posture, reduce back pain, and increase overall athletic performance.” In fact, the gluteus maximus (the main and biggest part of your butt cheek) is the largest muscle in the body. So, although it’s usually women who want to focus on their behind the most, men should too.

This workout is made up of seven exercises and you’re going to do 10 to 12 reps of each exercise on each side. You want to aim to complete at least three to four rounds in total. The workout suggests using a heavy dumbbell. This is because the heavier the weight, the harder your glutes will have to work and the harder they have to work the bigger and stronger they’ll become. An adjustable dumbbell is therefore ideal as you can change the weight to suit you. That being said, use a weight you feel comfortable with. Here’s your workout:

  • B stance RDL
  • Sumo squat with pulses
  • Eccentric squat (three seconds down)
  • Split squat
  • Single leg glute bridge
  • Triple pulse glute bridge
  • Curtsy lunges

Don't forget to wear a good pair of workout shoes, so that you have good support throughout your workout. If you fancy something a little easier, then try this six-move glute workout, which just uses bodyweight, or this home pilates workout for rock-solid glutes.

Bryony Firth-Bernard
Staff Writer, Active

Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.