6 Beginner Isolation Exercises for Glutes

Glute isolation exercises work on and strengthen the glute muscles. These exercises strengthen the glutes without focusing on other muscles in the lower body, like the quads and hamstrings. Glute muscles are important for any movement because they give you strength and balance. They are such an important group of muscles for moving the body that there are almost no exercises that only use them.

However, there are a lot of great glute isolation exercises that focus mainly on the glutes and don't work other muscles around them.

Check out the six glute isolation exercises you can do to make your butt stronger.

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Beginner Isolation Exercises for Glutes

1) Glute Bridges

Glute bridges are a great way to focus on your glutes and are a surefire way to get a strong booty. Once you know how to do the basic glute bridge, you can move on to trying the glute bridge with one leg and the glute bridge walk.

Here's how you can do this glute isolation exercise:

• Lay down on your mat with your knees bent, your back straight, and your hands by your sides.
• Push your lower back into the ground and squeeze your stomach and buttocks.
• Raise your hips so that your knees, shoulders, and hips form a straight line.
• Engage your core and pull your belly button back towards your spine.
• Stay in the pose for 20 to 30 seconds.
• One rep is completed when you lower your hips and then go back to where you started.

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2) Hip Thrusts

Hip thrusts are a versatile exercise that can be done with barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands or without any equipment. Hip thrusts use all three gluteal muscles, but the gluteus maximus is the one that does the most work. Some of the work is done by the hamstrings and quads, but they don't do much to keep your body stable, so the glutes still do most of the work.

Here's how you can do this glute isolation exercise:

• Put your back against a strong bench and sit on the floor.
• The bench should be about where the middle of your back is.
• Make sure your feet are flat on the floor and about the same distance apart as your hips.
• Tuck your chin, and drive your hips up with your glutes.
• At the top, squeeze your glutes and stay there for a second.
• Come back down, this completes one rep.
• Perform 3 sets of 15 reps each.

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3) Glute Kickbacks

Glute kickbacks are a great way to work one leg at a time on your glutes. They can be done with a pulley machine or a resistance band that is securely attached to an anchor. All three glute muscles can be worked out at the same time with this exercise.

Here's how you can do this glute isolation exercise:

• If you're using a pulley machine, put the pin where you want it in the weight plates and wrap the velcro strap around your right ankle.
• Lean forward and grab one of the machine's vertical bars for balance.
• Make sure that when you lean forward, you hinge at the hips and don't round your back.
• Don't turn your body into a 90-degree angle, but your torso should be pretty close to being parallel to the ground.
• Your feet should be about where your hips are.
• When you are in the starting position, lift your right leg straight behind you.
• Try to raise your leg until it's at the same level as your body.
• Hold the right leg at its highest point for a short time, and then bring it back down to the starting position.
• Do the same number of repetitions on each side of your body.

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4) Fire Hydrant

Fire hydrants are a great way to work out your gluteus medius, and they are also a great way to isolate your glutes.

Here's how you can do this glute isolation exercise:

• Get down on all fours and make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders and your knees are at a 90-degree angle with your hips.
• Raise your right leg to the side while keeping your right knee at a 90-degree angle.
• Don't try to raise your leg higher if it hurts. The right form will come to you over time.
• Bring your leg back to the starting position, but don't keep it on the floor. Do as many reps as you want.
• Repeat on the other side.

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5) Back-Elevated Hip Thrust

Back-elevated hip thrusts are a variation of the hip thrust exercise and are a good way to focus on the glutes.

Here's how you can do this glute isolation exercise:

• On the exercise bench, put your hips forward (place your upper body on the bench with your knees at a 90-degree angle with your hips).
• Pull your abs and glutes in tight and push up, keeping your lower body in line with your torso.
• When you get to the top, squeeze your glutes hard before going back to the starting position.

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6) Donkey Kicks

If you don't have machines or heavy weights, donkey kicks are a good way to work your glutes. They work on gluteus maximus and gluteus medius.

Here's how you can do this glute isolation exercise:

• Kneel on the floor with your back flat and your hands right below your shoulders.
• Lift one leg up so the bottom of your foot faces the ceiling.
• Keep your foot flexed, which means your toes shouldn't be pointed.
• Squeeze your buttocks and lift your bent leg up to the ceiling.
• Your leg should be at a 90-degree angle.
• Stop before your lower back starts to arch.
• Bring your leg all the way back to the starting position and do all the reps on one leg before switching.

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Wrapping Up

These six glute isolation exercises, when performed regularly, will help you build a strong and sexy butt. Do include any or all of them in your workout routine to strengthen these very important muscles in your body.

Glute isolation exercises, when paired with other lower body strengthening exercises like squats and lunges, can also help you strengthen your lower body. This will help you perform daily activities like walking, running, squatting down, climbing stairs, etc. much more easily.

If you have a job that requires you to sit or stand a lot, your lower body muscles may become very tight and wound up. Regularly performing lower body exercises, as mentioned above, will help you ease and relax your muscles, as well as strengthen them.