11 Glute Exercises That Don't Require Much Effort

Glute exercises don’t have to be complicated or difficult to be effective, says certified trainer Mary Sabat. There are plenty of moves that target and activate your buns without much effort — many of which you can do while lying down. Here are 11 easy glute exercises to try.

Glute Bridge

Sabat says this move is great for lazy days.

- Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart, arms at sides.

- Squeeze glutes, push hips up to sky.

- Hold 2 to 3 seconds.

- Slowly lower back down.

- Repeat 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Clamshells

Here’s an easy move you can do while lying down, says trainer Ellen Thompson.

- Lie on your side, knees bent, feet together.

- Lift top knee as high as you can, keeping feet together.

- Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower leg down.

- Do 10-15 reps per side.

Superman Pulse

Thompson suggests trying this horizontal exercise for working your glutes.

- Lie facedown, forehead on ground.

- Reach arms forward.

- Squeeze glutes, raise legs behind you.

- Lift arms, head, chest.

- Pulse 10 times up and down.

- Lower.

- Do 3 sets of 10.

Standing Glute Squeeze

Here’s another glute exercise that falls on the easy scale, Thompson says.

- Stand with feet hip-width apart.

- Place hands on hips.

- Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can.

- Hold 5 seconds, release.

- Do 10 to 15 reps.

Leg Press

At the gym? Trainer Emily Skye recommends sitting on the leg press machine.

- Sit, place feet wider than shoulders in middle of pad, knees slightly flared out.

- Engage glutes.

- Press pad away with heels.

- Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Lying Leg Lift

This simple move is fail-proof, says trainer Rose McNulty.

- Lie face-down on mat, forehead down.

- Engage glutes.

- Lift right leg off mat.

- Raise leg until you feel tension.

- Pause.

- Lower, hover leg above mat, repeat.

- Do 3-4 sets, 12-15 reps per leg.

Frog Bridge

Trainer Chandel Stallworth likes this easy glute exercise.

- Lie on your back, knees bent.

- Let your knees fall to the sides.

- Turn soles of feet toward each other.

- Press into feet, lift hips up to bridge.

- Squeeze glutes, lower, repeat.

- Do 3 sets of 10-25.

Fire Hydrant

Trainer Kim Perry says you can make simple glute exercises more effective by squeezing your muscles.

- Begin in tabletop position.

- Raise your right leg out to side.

- Keep your knee bent 90 degrees.

- Feel the burn in side of glutes.

- Do 10 reps per leg.

Good Mornings

Here’s another glute exercise that doesn’t even require equipment.

- Stand with feet should-width apart.

- Place hands on back of head.

- Bend forward at hips until torso is 90 degrees.

- Raise back up, engage glutes to stand.

- Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.

Side-Lying Leg Circles

Glute exercises don’t get simpler than this, says Pilates instructor Jacqui Kingswell.

- Lie on side.

- Point your toes.

- Lift your top leg and circle it clockwise 30 seconds, then switch directions.

- Repeat 3 times on each leg.

Donkey Kicks

Kingswell also recommends donkey kicks — try ‘em while watching TV.

- Start on all fours.

- Kick right leg back and up, keeping knee bent.

- Lower and repeat.

- Do 3 sets, 30 seconds per side.