Glutes Exercises
200 movements train the glutes. Browse by difficulty below, or see the How to Choose guide.
72 beginner · 97 intermediate · 31 advanced, computed across all tagged exercises.
- 200
- Exercises
- 72
- Beginner-friendly
- 167
- Compound lifts
- 17
- Equipment-free
Glutes exercises by equipment
According to the open Free Exercise DB and wger.de datasets, the 200 glutes movements split across equipment types as below - barbell leads, and 17 need no equipment at all.
Glutes movements by equipment
What the Glutes Exercise Data Reveals
The PlainExercise database catalogues 200 movements that list the glutes as their primary target. Within that cohort, 72 are tagged beginner, 97 intermediate, 31 advanced, and 0 carry no explicit level classification. Every record is sourced from the public-domain Free Exercise DB and is grouped below by the upstream difficulty tag rather than by a PlainExercise-imposed ranking, so the distribution reflects what practicing coaches and federations have historically classified rather than a synthetic opinion.
This level spread has a practical signal: when a muscle group is dominated by advanced-level records, it typically means the movement patterns require coordination, loaded stabilizers, or technique built across months of practice, and that substitutions at the beginner level are limited. When beginner and intermediate records dominate, practitioners can generally enter the muscle group with bodyweight or light-load variations and progress through the list. For the glutes, the beginner-accessible pool is at least as deep as the advanced pool, meaning new trainees have a clear on-ramp.
Context matters: this database tracks exercise taxonomy, primary muscle, equipment, mechanic, difficulty, but does not account for individual anatomy, joint history, or programming context. "Primary muscle" is a taxonomy label, not a claim that the listed movement exclusively isolates the glutes. Compound lifts trained for the glutes necessarily recruit stabilizers and secondary movers. This page is general educational information, not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician, physical therapist, or certified trainer before adding or modifying exercises, especially if you have pre-existing injuries, chronic pain, cardiovascular conditions, or are pregnant.
Beginner (72)
Foundational movements to learn the pattern.
- Alternate Leg Diagonal Boundcompound
- Ankle On The Knee
- Backward Dragother · compound
- Ball Leg Curlexercise ball · isolation
- Band Good Morningbands · compound
- Band Good Morning (Pull Through)bands · compound
- Barbell Squatbarbell · compound
- Barbell Walking Lungebarbell · compound
- Bear Crawl Sled Dragsother · compound
- Bench Sprintother · compound
- Bicyclingother
- Bicycling, Stationarymachine
- Bodyweight Squatbody only · compound
- Bodyweight Walking Lungecompound
- Box Jump (Multiple Response)other · compound
- Box Skipother · compound
- Butt Lift (Bridge)body only · isolation
- Cable Deadliftscable · compound
- Carioca Quick Step
- Chair Squatmachine · compound
- Child's Posenone (bodyweight exercise)
- Clean Deadliftbarbell · compound
- Dancer's Stretch
- Depth Jump Leapother · compound
- Double Leg Butt Kickbody only · compound
- Dumbbell Lungesdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Squatdumbbell · compound
- Fast Skippingbody only · compound
- Flutter Kicksbody only · compound
- Front Box Jumpother · compound
- Front Cone Hops (or hurdle hops)other · compound
- Glute Kickbackbody only · compound
- Goblet Squatkettlebells · compound
- Hack Squatmachine · compound
- Hip Extension with Bandsbands · compound
- Hip Lift with Bandbands · compound
- Hug A Ballexercise ball · isolation
- Hug Knees To Chest
- Hurdle Hopsother · compound
- Hyperextensions (Back Extensions)other · isolation
- Jogging, Treadmillmachine
- Knee Across The Body
- Knee Tuck Jumpbody only · compound
- Landmine 180'sbarbell · compound
- Lateral Boundbody only · compound
- Lateral Box Jumpother · compound
- Lateral Cone Hopsother · compound
- Leg Liftbody only · isolation
- Leg Pressmachine · compound
- Leverage Deadliftmachine · compound
- Linear Acceleration Wall Drillcompound
- One Knee To Chestcompound
- Physioball Hip Bridgeexercise ball · compound
- Platform Hamstring Slidesother · isolation
- Plie Dumbbell Squatdumbbell · compound
- Prowler Sprintother · compound
- Pull Throughcable · compound
- Recumbent Bikemachine
- Running, Treadmillmachine
- Sandbag Loadother · compound
- Scissors Jumpbody only · compound
- Side Standing Long Jumpcompound
- Single Leg Glute Bridgebody only · isolation
- Single-Cone Sprint Drillother
- Single-Leg High Box Squatother · compound
- Sit Squats
- Sled Drag - Harnessother · compound
- Sled Pushother · compound
- Smith Machine Squatmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadliftmachine · compound
- Smith Single-Leg Split Squatmachine · compound
- Spell Casterdumbbell · compound
Intermediate (97)
Movements that require basic strength and coordination.
- Advanced Kettlebell Windmillkettlebells · isolation
- Alternating Hang Cleankettlebells · compound
- Atlas Stone Trainerother · compound
- Axle Deadliftother · compound
- Barbell Deadliftbarbell · compound
- Barbell Full Squatbarbell · compound
- Barbell Glute Bridgebarbell · compound
- Barbell Hip Thrustbarbell · compound
- Barbell Lungebarbell · compound
- Barbell Rollout from Benchbarbell · compound
- Barbell Step Upsbarbell · compound
- Bench Jumpbody only · compound
- Box Squatbarbell · compound
- Car Deadliftother · compound
- Cleanbarbell · compound
- Clean and Pressbarbell · compound
- Clean from Blocksbarbell · compound
- Clean Pullbarbell · compound
- Crossover Reverse Lunge
- Deficit Deadliftbarbell · compound
- Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Cleankettlebells · compound
- Double Kettlebell Windmillkettlebells
- Downward Facing Balanceexercise ball · isolation
- Dumbbell Cleandumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Rear Lungedumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Seated Box Jumpdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Squat To A Benchdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Step Upsdumbbell · compound
- Elevated Back Lungebarbell · compound
- Elliptical Trainermachine
- Farmer's Walkother · compound
- Floor Glute-Ham Raiseisolation
- Forward Drag with Pressother · compound
- Frankenstein Squatbarbell · compound
- Freehand Jump Squatbody only · compound
- Frog Hopscompound
- Front Squat (Clean Grip)barbell · compound
- Front Squats With Two Kettlebellskettlebells · compound
- Glute Ham Raisemachine · compound
- Good Morningbarbell · compound
- Good Morning off Pinsbarbell · compound
- Hang Cleanbarbell · compound
- Hang Clean - Below the Kneesbarbell · compound
- Hanging Bar Good Morningbarbell · compound
- Heaving Snatch Balancebarbell · compound
- Hyperextensions With No Hyperextension Benchbody only · compound
- Iron Crossdumbbell · compound
- Jefferson Squatsbarbell · compound
- Jerk Balancebarbell · compound
- Keg Loadother · compound
- Kettlebell Dead Cleankettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Hang Cleankettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell One-Legged Deadliftkettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Pass Between The Legskettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Sumo High Pullkettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Windmillkettlebells · compound
- Kneeling Squatbarbell · compound
- Linear Depth Jumpother · compound
- Log Liftother · compound
- Lunge Pass Throughkettlebells · compound
- Lunge Sprintmachine · compound
- Lying Machine Squatmachine · compound
- Muscle Snatchbarbell · compound
- Narrow Stance Hack Squatsmachine · compound
- Narrow Stance Leg Pressmachine · compound
- Narrow Stance Squatsbarbell · compound
- Natural Glute Ham Raisebody only · compound
- Olympic Squatbarbell · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Cleankettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerkkettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Swingskettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Open Palm Kettlebell Cleankettlebells · compound
- One-Legged Cable Kickbackcable · isolation
- Piriformis-SMRfoam roll · isolation
- Power Cleanbarbell · compound
- Power Snatch from Blocksbarbell · compound
- Power Stairsother · compound
- Rack Pull with Bandsbarbell · compound
- Rack Pullsbarbell · compound
- Reverse Band Box Squatbarbell · compound
- Reverse Hyperextensionmachine
- Rickshaw Carryother · compound
- Rickshaw Deadliftother · compound
- Romanian Deadliftbarbell · compound
- Romanian Deadlift from Deficitbarbell · compound
- Rowing, Stationarymachine
- Seated Good Morningsbarbell · compound
- Skatingother
- Smith Machine Hang Power Cleanmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Leg Pressmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Pistol Squatmachine · compound
- Snatchbarbell · compound
- Snatch Balancebarbell · compound
- Snatch Deadliftbarbell · compound
- Snatch Pullbarbell · compound
- Speed Box Squatbarbell · compound
- Split Cleanbarbell · compound
Advanced (31)
Complex or highly loaded movements for experienced lifters.
- Atlas Stonesother · compound
- Barbell Squat To A Benchbarbell · compound
- Bent Presskettlebells · compound
- Box Squat with Bandsbarbell · compound
- Box Squat with Chainsbarbell · compound
- Circus Bellother · compound
- Clean and Jerkbarbell · compound
- Deadlift with Bandsbarbell · compound
- Deadlift with Chainsbarbell · compound
- Double Kettlebell Snatchkettlebells · compound
- Front Barbell Squatbarbell · compound
- Front Barbell Squat To A Benchbarbell · compound
- Hang Snatchbarbell · compound
- Hang Snatch - Below Kneesbarbell · compound
- Kettlebell Pistol Squatkettlebells · compound
- Kneeling Jump Squatbarbell · compound
- Lying Glutebody only
- One Leg Barbell Squatbarbell · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Snatchkettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Overhead Kettlebell Squatskettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Side Deadliftbarbell · compound
- Open Palm Kettlebell Cleankettlebells · compound
- Overhead Squatbarbell · compound
- Power Jerkbarbell · compound
- Power Snatchbarbell · compound
- Reverse Band Deadliftbarbell · compound
- Reverse Band Power Squatbarbell · compound
- Reverse Band Sumo Deadliftbarbell · compound
- Seated Glutebody only
- Snatch from Blocksbarbell · compound
- Speed Squatsbarbell · compound
Training the glutes
200 catalogued glutes movements, here's how to pick from them.
- Start with the 72 beginner-friendly options to groove the pattern before adding load or complexity. How to choose
- 167 of these are compound lifts that train the glutes alongside other muscles, anchor your session around one before isolation work. Compound vs isolation
- No gym? 17 glutes movements need no equipment at all, filter to body-only and train anywhere. Body-only exercises
General information only, not medical or training advice. Stop any movement that causes sharp or joint pain.