7 Glute Activation Exercises That Belong in Every Fitness Routine

One of the most important jobs your glutes do is leg abduction (i.e. moving your legs out to the sides). This glute activation exercise ensures you prime your butt muscles for that action, which comes in handy if you’re doing an activity with side-to-side movements, like tennis or pickleball.

• Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Lift your right knee and foot to just hover off the floor with your foot flexed. This is your starting position.
• Keeping your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle, slowly raise your leg out to the side until it is parallel to the ground, or as high as is comfortable. Avoid tilting your hips to the side.
• With control, lower your right leg to the starting position.
• That’s one rep.

If you’re a beginner to glute activation exercises, this one might be difficult, and that’s OK. To modify, instead of lifting your foot all the way up, just lift onto your toes; the majority of the work should still be happening in the other leg.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands by your sides. Engage your core, and raise your hips up to the ceiling so your body forms a straight diagonal from shoulders to knees.
• Lift the left leg off the floor and straighten your knee so that your thighs are parallel and all the weight is in your right foot. This is your starting position.
• Lower your hips with control to tap the floor, then press your right heel into the floor to lift your pelvis up and return to the starting position. Try not to tilt your hips or arch your back; if your form starts to deteriorate, modify by placing your other foot back on the floor.
• That’s one rep.

The marching glute bridge is a great way to prepare your glute muscles for the more advanced single-leg glute bridge, and also fire up your core and hip flexors. Take this one nice and slow; don’t try to rush through the reps.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands by your sides. Engage your core, and raise your hips up to the ceiling so your body forms a straight diagonal from shoulders to knees.
• Lift the right leg off the floor, keeping it bent at a 90-degree angle, pausing when your shin is parallel to the floor.
• Slowly lower your right foot to the floor, then repeat on the opposite side. Try not to tilt or drop your hips, or arch your back.
• That’s one rep.

This glute activation exercise will both wake up the glute of the kicking leg, as well as encourage some balance work in the standing leg — a win-win for your workout warmup, no matter what your sweat session includes. If you need to, you can use a chair or wall for balance.

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, hands clasped in front of your chest or on your hips. Lift your right foot to hover just off the floor, keeping your foot flexed and putting all your weight in your left leg. This is your starting position.
• Keeping your left leg straight but not locked, lift your right leg directly behind you. Keep your right foot flexed, and squeeze your glutes to lift your heel as high as you can without leaning your torso forward or arching your back.
• Lower your right leg to return to the starting position.
• That’s one rep.