You don’t need a leg press to grow your glutes – try this 10-minute barbell workout instead

A booty workout is great for sculpting your lower body, but strong glutes can also improve balance, mobility and reduce lower back pain. 

And you don’t need to use a leg press at the gym to grow your glutes. If you’ve got a weight bench, barbell or the best adjustable dumbbells, you’re good to go with this 10-minute booty-sculpting workout created by personal trainer Anna Victoria. 

Anna Victoria is the creator of workout and wellness app Fit Body and hosts the podcast Your Best Life. She is a NASM-CPT certified PT who regularly posts workouts and fitness challenges on her YouTube and Instagram page.

For this booty sculpting workout, she recommends doing a warm up of your choice, then 3 supersets, repeated four times. Then the finisher is a ‘burnout’ or AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible). Victoria’s tip for good form is to make sure to engage the glutes and not the lower back.

Anna Victoria’s booty sculpting workout

People often assume the glutes equal the butt, but they are actually three big muscles – the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus to be precise. The glutes are important because they help to stabilize the hips so we can carry out every day functions, from sitting, standing, walking and running. 

In fact a study by the University of Loughborough in the U.K. found that a large gluteus maximus (the biggest of the glute muscles) was key for sprint speed and performance. So building your glutes could help you become a faster runner.

Strong glutes are also vital for balance and mobility, as well as supporting the lower back when we lift to prevent injury. Spend a lot of time sitting at your desk? It’s likely your glutes will be weak or underworked, which can impact your movement as well as lead to knee and lower back pain. That’s where the best glute exercises can help.   

Not all glute workouts require gym equipment, and there are lots of bodyweight moves you can do to activate the glutes. If you’re planning on doing floor-based workouts, check out our guide to the best yoga mats.