Today I want to help you understand the importance of training the glutes, buttocks or bum, as we call it here in the UK with 7 kettlebell glutes exercises!
Whenever I start with a new client I want to get straight to the buttocks…ooh err! But why?
Here are 3 importance reasons why you should always focus on your buttocks or glutes above every other part of the body:
1. Working the Butt is Best For Fat Burning
The glutes are the largest muscles in the body, the clue is in the name, the Gluteus Maximus.
Huge muscles like the glutes require a lot of energy to work and maintain operations. Exercising and developing the glutes burns a large amount of calories both during and after workouts.
2. A Strong Butt Prevents Back Pain and Injury
Surprisingly the glutes can be considered part of your core muscles, these muscles will help stabilise and support your spine. Weak glutes will leave your spine weakened and force your lower back muscles to work even harder to protect your back. Look out, back injuries!
3. Developing Your Butt Increases Performance and Strength
Strong glutes not only look good but they will help improve your movement too. Develop the glutes and you, protect your knees when running, increase your jumping height, improve your run times, and lift much heavier weights.
Before you get started with my 7 best glute exercises I recommend that you perform a few muscle activation exercises first.
Watch a video of my 2 favourite glute activation exercises below:
You will find that by performing these 2 glute activation exercises you will actively light up your glutes ready for the following 7 exercises.
7 Best Kettlebell Glutes Exercises
I’ve listed the following buttock exercises down in order of difficulty so you should become proficient with each one before moving on to the next.
I’ve also included a Kettlebell Butt Workouts for you at the bottom of this article.
#1 – Single Arm Kettlebell Deadlift
This is the simplest of buttock exercises but you can make it as hard or as easy as you wish by increasing the weight.
If you don’t have a kettlebell then you can use a dumbbell instead. You can get a great cardio workout from this exercise too if you get the weight right.
Top tip – keep your weight on your heels and drive through with your hips.
Watch a video of the Single Arm Kettlebell Deadlift below:
#2 – Single Leg Kettlebell Deadlift
This exercise can be a little tricky but it is very important for developing coordination between your core, glutes and back.
Top tip – always keep your back flat and just fold forwards and backwards from the hips.
Want more? Everything you need to know about the single leg kettlebell deadlift
Watch a video of the Single Leg Kettlebell Deadlift below:
#3 – Kettlebell Swing
As you probably know by now the kettlebell swing is a huge exercise for the whole body but it does predominantly focus on the glutes.
The swing does not use a 90 degree knee bend like later exercises so most attention is focused on the back of the body.
Top tip – forget about your arms and shoulders it is the hips that should do all the work. Stand tall and snap those hips through.
Watch a video of the Kettlebell Swing below:
Related: 4 Steps to master the kettlebell swing for beginners
#4 – Kettlebell Goblet Squat
A classic full body movement that is essential for developing the glutes.
It is essential that you squat so that your knees bend a full 90 degrees otherwise you are putting more of the focus on your thighs than your glutes.
Perform these with or without a kettlebell or a dumbbell, medicine ball, power-bag, barbell, or anything else you can hold.
Top tip: keep your weight back on your heels and prevent your knees from caving inwards. Imagine sitting into an invisible chair or sitting down with ski boots on.
Watch a video of the Kettlebell Goblet Squat below:
Related: 7 Kettlebell Squats You Need to Know
#5 – Kneeling Kettlebell Lunge
The kneeling lunge teaches you to activate your glutes correctly by forcing a 90 degree angle at the knee.
You can perform this exercise with or without a kettlebell and hold the kettlebell overhead or just at the chest. Dumbbells and medicine balls work well too.
Top tip – when standing and kneeling keep your weight on your heels not your toes. Practice on a mat or padded floor and start without a weight just to get used to the movement.
Related: 7 static overhead kettlebell exercises for injury-free shoulders
Watch a video of the Kneeling Lunge below:
#6 – Kettlebell Racked Lunge
Lunges are tough if performed correctly and will hit your glutes very hard.
Once you can master the Kneeling Lunge above it is time to start your lunging journey. Again you can use kettlebells, bodyweight, dumbbells by your sides, medicine balls and more.
Top tip – work on your lunge depth, the more knee bend you can get the greater the impact on your glutes. Try to gently kiss the floor with your back knee.
Watch a video of the Kettlebell Lunge below:
Variations – 16 Kettlebell Lunge Variations from Beginner to Advanced
#7 – Kettlebell Pistol Squats
If you have got this far then your glutes should already be like steel.
The Pistol is a true test of leg and buttock strength as well as balance and core stability.
Top tip – you can practice by sitting and standing from a chair or by holding a resistance band or TRX. Often holding a small weight can help counterbalance the movement and make it easier.
Learn more: Master the kettlebell pistol squat with 5 progressions for beginners
Watch a video of the Kettlebell Pistol Squat below:
Kettlebell Butt Workouts
Now you know the best butt exercises let’s move onto a workout for your glutes.
Here we go…
Kettlebell Butt Workout 1
- Exercise 1 (left) – 30 seconds
- Rest – 30 seconds
- Exercise 1 (right) – 30 seconds
- Rest – 30 seconds
- Repeat for 5 rounds
Practice this 10 minute workout, 5 days per week. When you are comfortable move on to the same workout format but for exercise no. 2.
Once you get to the Swing (no.3) and Squat (no.4) workouts you can start to mix the exercises like this:
Kettlebell Butt Workout 2
- Exercise 3 – 30 seconds
- Rest – 30 seconds
- Exercise 4 – 30 seconds
- Rest – 30 seconds
- Repeat for 5 rounds
Keep Your Butt Workouts Fresh
Each of the butt exercises hit your muscles in a different way so with time it is important to mix up the exercises that you perform to keep shocking them and developing their strength.
However, you should not be too quick to change exercises or mix them up.
Using the same exercise over and over will help to overstimulate the muscle and promote activation and growth.
If you are new to an exercise then give it between 2 – 4 weeks of exposure before changing exercise.
Conclusions
Working your glutes is the most important muscle group that you can focus your energy upon.
Getting straight to your buttocks or glutes during your workouts will ensure that you burn the most amount of calories, improve your movement skills and protect yourself from and help eliminate back pain.
Have you tried any of these glute exercises? Leave me a comment below…
Hi Greg,
I love your website.
I’m studying to be a PT and want to create an ebook for kettlebell home workouts.
Can you direct me to where I could possibly get illustrations like the ones you have on your site?
I feel pictures would be a really good addition to my ebook.
Thank you in advance.
Camille.
Hello Camille, I had a designer create my graphics for me, they are copywritten so please don’t use them, you could have a designer do the same for you. Best of luck with the ebook.
I love it
I’ve done these before but didn’t realize they are for the glutes
What weight of kb should be used?
I’ve got more on kettlebell starting weights here Jackie
Thank you for this informative page Greg, I am new to kettlebells and I wasn’t sure how to use them to greatest effect with my glutes, now I do! Thanks again!
I was just looking for this information how kettlebell is best for glutes muscles in our body.Thanks for sharing.
Hi Greg, I have high hamstring tendinopathy (both sides, but worse on the right) so have a lot of weakness in this area – am thinking that getting my glutes really strong would help with this. I wondered what you thoughts were? Thank you!
Yes the Glutes should be your main hip extensor, but if they don’t activate correctly or are weak the hamstrings have to work harder than they should to help out. Improving your Glutes should help to alleviate some of the hamstring strain if the Glutes are dysfunctional. Take it steady.
Should one do one leg deadlifts if he/she has SI joint hypermobility?
It would certainly need monitoring Angie. The ultimate goal is to stabilise your spine while moving at your hips, if done badly the movement can certainly come a lot more from the SI joint.
So if I’ve been doing kb for awhile how many times a week would I do the combined exercises
3-5 times per week Rhonda depending on how hard you exercise. The higher the intensity the more rest you need.