Seven moves to strengthen and tone your glutes without any equipment

The gluteus maximus is regarded as one of the strongest muscles in the body and, contrary to popular opinion, you can indeed strengthen and tone your glutes without using weights. With this lower body workout from leading online personal trainer Kayla Itsines, you can build key strength in this area using seven weight-free moves.

Equipment-free workouts are extremely handy for those of us with busy schedules who can't always find a gap in the day to hit the gym or nip out for a long run laced up in some of our best running shoes for women. Instead, sometimes fitting in a quick workout at home by incorporating some of the best glute exercises into a routine can be just as useful.

Australian personal trainer and co-founder of the Sweat app, Itsines highlights in her post for this lower body workout that building muscle is 'not the goal for everyone' and she has shared these key bodyweight exercises to show you how you can strengthen and define your glutes without any equipment. While muscle building aims to prompt muscle hypertrophy (an increase in muscle mass), strength training aims to improve the functional ability of muscles.

Now there are three sets of this workout to be completed so make sure you have one of the best water bottles by your side and are ready to feel a real burn in the butt. You will perform each exercise for 15 reps (30 reps in total for some that use both legs) and don't forget to take short breaks in between sets.

Watch Kayla Itsines's glute toning workout

In total, the glute muscles can be divided into three primary muscles known as the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus. The best way to see and feel like your glutes are stronger and more defined is to aim to work all of these muscles into your training.

Itsines has included variety in her seven-move lower body workout to make things easier. Read the exercises and how many reps you should perform of each below if you want to give this routine a try.

Seven-move glute workout

• Double Pulse Squat - 15 reps
• Glute Bridge - 15 reps
• Squat and Lunge - 30 reps (15 each side)
• Hip Adduction - 30 reps (15 each side)
• Jump Squat - 15 reps
• Donkey Kicks - 30 reps (15 each side)
• Clams - 30 reps (15 each side)

Having strong and functional glutes can aid you in avoiding or recovering from lower back injuries as well as in joints such as the hips and knees (some of the best supplements for joints are good for relieving pain as well) by forming good levels of alignment and stability.

Through working on this muscle group you can also help to improve your posture and enhance your performance in other sports. One study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal revealed that strong glutes play a key role in sprint performance amongst runners. 

If you do decide you want to see more growth happening here or you just fancy taking your glute workouts up a notch, some of the best resistance bands from our roundup are a great, small and portable workout accessory to add to your training.