The best exercises (with only body weight) for the buttocks –

Including glute exercises in your training routine goes far beyond aesthetics, you know? When you don’t work the region properly, everything from muscle imbalances to injuries in other sports (such as running) can occur.

But is it possible to work out your butt at home, without equipment? “Body weight training is effective both for those who are beginners and want a slight increase in muscle mass, and for those who already have a training routine and want to maintain muscle tone”, says physical education professional Guilherme Leme, manager of the technical department of Smart Fit Group and specialist in bodybuilding and strength training.

However, for those who are more experienced (or want more expressive hypertrophy and strength results), a session without equipment and machines is quite limited. “What explains this is the difficulty in applying the overload principle, which is crucial for the process. Our body needs weight increments and an increase in the level of mechanical tension in the muscle tissue over time for it to respond satisfactorily”, says the professional.

Another important issue is to vary the movement angles to stimulate the greatest possible number of muscle bundles. “And that is difficult without equipment, pulleys and other accessories.”

But if your goal is something else, you can (and should!) practice exercises for the buttocks with your body weight. The specialist points out the main ones below:

EXERCISES FOR THE GLUTES WITH BODY WEIGHT

1

SQUAT

– (MART PRODUCTION/Pexels)

To perform the squat correctly, you need to spread your legs apart and leave your feet shoulder-width apart and flat on the floor. Your knees should be bent, and you need to drop your hips down and back, as if you were sitting in an imaginary chair. But remember: keep your back straight.

two

BULGARIAN SQUATS

Stand with your back to a ladder (or bench). Support one of your feet on top of the step, and the other should be on the ground, behind. Keeping your feet aligned, your spine straight and your abdomen tight, bend your knee to a 90-degree angle. Then return to the starting position.

3

SUMO SQUATS

– (MART PRODUCTION/Pexels)

The sumo squat is similar to the single squat, it just requires you to spread your feet further apart, turning them slightly outward.

4

SINK

– (Mikhail Nilov/Pexels)

Standing, place one foot in front of the other, and go down until your knees form 90° angles (the front knee cannot go beyond the line of the foot). The back knee sinks towards the floor. Repeat switching legs.

5

LAST

– (Maksim Goncharenok/Pexels)

Standing, inhale and take a long step forward, without bending your torso, until your front thigh is in a horizontal position. Push the front leg to lift and take another step, this time with the other leg.

6

SIDE PASS

– (MART PRODUCTION/Pexels)

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed forward. Then take a big step to the right, sinking your hips back and bending your right knee so it’s directly in line with your right foot. Push with your right leg to lift and repeat with the other leg.

7

PELVIC ELEVATION (BI OR UNILATERAL)

Lie on your back, place both feet on the floor and bend your knees. Then lift your hips and return.

To make things more difficult, take one foot off the floor and repeat the exercise with only one foot supported. Then switch legs.