Dumbbell Glute Exercises
(BEST DUMBBELL GLUTE EXERCISES FOR BUILDING MUSCLE AT HOME)
Dumbbell Glute Exercises: Strengthen and Sculpt Your Glutes
Some of the best dumbbell glute exercises are Romanian deadlifts, lunges, squats and glute bridges: moves that extend your hip against resistance, one of the main jobs of your gluteus maximus. Holding dumbbells adds load, so your glutes and legs work harder, and you can add weight or reps as you get stronger.
This guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the best dumbbell exercises to target the glutes, their benefits, and tips for maximizing their effectiveness.
Dumbbell Glute Exercises
1. Exercise Overview
2. Top Dumbbell Exercises for Glutes
3. Exercise Videos and Related Guides
Before we dive into the top exercises, let’s first understand what makes an exercise effective for glute development. This will help you make an informed decision when choosing the right exercises for your routine.
1. Exercise Overview
Effective dumbbell glute exercises load hip extension: straightening your hips against resistance as you stand up from a squat, lunge or hip hinge, or lift your hips in a bridge.
This guide covers all four: the Romanian deadlift (a hip hinge), squats, lunges and the glute bridge, each with a video demo.
The Romanian deadlift is a hip hinge: you push your hips back with only a slight knee bend, which works your glutes, hamstrings and lower back.
Romanian Deadlifts
The squat into side-to-side lunge combines a squat with a lunge out to each side, working your glutes, quads and inner thighs (adductors).
Squat Into Side To Side Lunge
The narrow pulsing front squat works your quads and glutes, and the small pulses at the bottom keep them working without a rest.
Narrow Pulsing Front Squat
The glute bridge works your glutes and hamstrings as you lift your hips off the floor. Rest a dumbbell on your hips to make it harder.
Glute Bridge
The wide stance squat works your quads, glutes and inner thighs (adductors).
Wide Stance Squat
Understanding how to perform these exercises and incorporating them into your routine can help you achieve better muscle development and overall lower body strength. Next, we’ll explore specific workouts and how to perform them effectively.
Which exercises make your glutes work hardest? A 2020 review of 16 muscle-activity (EMG) studies pooled the results by exercise type. Here are 7 of its 10 types:
| Exercise type (studies) | Average glute activation* | In this guide |
|---|---|---|
| Step-ups (1 study, 15 people) | 125% | Not in this guide: see the Step Up demo |
| Hip thrusts (5 studies, 58 people) | 75% | Glute Bridge, a floor version done without a barbell |
| Split squats (1 study, 12 people) | 70% | Not in this guide: see the Split Squats demo |
| Lunges (1 study, 15 people) | 67% | Alternating Lunge |
| Deadlifts (4 studies, 78 people) | 61% | Romanian Deadlifts: the closest version in the review, the stiff-leg deadlift, averaged about 41% |
| Back squats (10 studies, 156 people) | 53% | Not in this guide (a barbell across your back) |
| Front squats (2 studies, 38 people) | 41% | Front Squats and the other squats here that hold the dumbbells at your shoulders, such as the Wide Stance Squat |
*Average gluteus maximus activity as a percentage of a maximal voluntary contraction (values above 100% are possible). Most of the studies used barbells and measured activity in different ways, and the two studies that compared front and back squats directly found no difference in glute activity. More activation does not guarantee more growth, so treat the order as a rough guide. Source: Neto 2020, Tables 1 to 3.
2. Top Dumbbell Exercises for Glutes
The best dumbbell exercises for glutes should include consistent, targeted movements that engage the glute muscles effectively, promoting muscle growth and strength.
This can be achieved by selecting activities that you enjoy and can perform regularly. To truly enhance your glute routine and overall lower body strength, it’s essential to incorporate a variety of exercises and maintain consistency in your workout routine.
Close Squat Into Wide Squat – Build Lower Body Strength
How to Perform Close Squat Into Wide Squat
- Prepare Your Position: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells above your shoulders.
- Execute the Movement: Perform a close squat, then step out to a wide stance and perform a wide squat.
- Controlled Return: Return to the starting position and alternate between close and wide squats.
- Repeat: Perform 8-20 repetitions.
Alternating Lunge – Strengthen Glutes and Hamstrings
How to Perform Alternating Lunge
- Prepare Your Position: Stand upright with feet together, holding dumbbells at your sides.
- Execute the Movement: Step forward with one foot and lower into a lunge.
- Controlled Return: Push through the front heel to return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite leg.
- Repeat: Alternate legs for 10-16 repetitions.
Front Squats – Work Your Quads and Glutes
How to Perform Front Squats
- Prepare Your Position: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at shoulder height with elbows pointing forward.
- Execute the Movement: Lower into a squat, pushing hips back and keeping chest upright.
- Controlled Return: Press through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Repeat: Perform 15-20 repetitions.
Goblet Squat Pulses – Keep Your Quads and Glutes Under Tension
How to Perform Goblet Squat Pulses
- Prepare Your Position: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell vertically at chest level with both hands.
- Execute the Movement: Lower into a squat and perform small pulsing movements up and down at the bottom range of the squat.
- Controlled Return: Rise back to the starting position.
- Repeat: Continue for a time-based duration.
Jump Squat – Build Lower Body Power
How to Perform Jump Squat
- Prepare Your Position: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides.
- Execute the Movement: Lower into a squat, then explosively push through your heels to jump into the air.
- Controlled Return: Land softly and transition into the next squat.
- Repeat: Perform 15-20 repetitions.
Remember, achieving optimal glute development involves maintaining a consistent workout routine and incorporating a variety of exercises. It’s crucial to find activities you enjoy and can perform regularly to maximize the benefits.
Try out the exercises in this section, and you’ll be on your way to stronger, more defined glutes.
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3. Exercise Videos and Related Guides
Every exercise in this guide has its own page in our free exercise library, with a video demonstration, step-by-step form tips, common mistakes to avoid and the muscles it works:
- Romanian Deadlift
- Squat Into Side To Side Lunge
- Narrow Pulsing Front Squat
- Glute Bridge
- Wide Stance Squat
- Close Squat Into Wide Squat
- Alternating Lunge
- Front Squats
- Goblet Squat Pulses
- Jump Squat
Browse more in our leg exercises and leg and hip stretches lists.
Related guides: glute exercises, lower glute exercises, hamstring exercises, a dumbbell leg workout and gluteus minimus exercises.
Want a ready-made plan? Dumbbell Home Workout builds dumbbell workouts for every muscle group around your goal, level and schedule.
DUMBBELL GLUTE EXERCISES FAQ
Yes. A review of 21 studies found that lighter loads (60% of your one-rep max or less) built as much muscle as heavier loads when every set was taken to failure, although heavy loads built more maximal strength (Schoenfeld 2017). So home dumbbells work if you push each set until you cannot do another good rep, and add reps or weight as you get stronger.
Heavy enough that the last reps of each set are hard with good form. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a weight you can lift 8 to 12 times if you are new to strength training, and adding 2% to 10% more weight once you can do 1 or 2 reps more than your target (ACSM 2009). With fixed dumbbells at home, add reps, lower more slowly or switch to a single-leg version instead.
Yes, squats work your glutes along with your quads. In a review of 16 studies, step-ups produced the highest glute activation, followed by loaded exercises such as deadlifts, hip thrusts, lunges and squats (Neto 2020). The table above shows the averages for 7 of the exercise types in that review.
For effective glute development with dumbbells, these exercises are top choices:
- Romanian Deadlifts – Hinge at the hips to work your glutes, hamstrings and lower back.
- Squat Into Side To Side Lunge – Work your glutes, quads and inner thighs.
- Narrow Pulsing Front Squat – Work your quads and glutes, with small pulses at the bottom.
- Glute Bridges – Lift your hips to work your glutes and hamstrings.
- Wide Stance Squat – Work your glutes, quads and inner thighs.
To reap the benefits of dumbbell glute exercises, aim to train your glutes 2 to 3 times per week. A review of training studies found that working a muscle twice a week built more muscle than once a week (Schoenfeld 2016). Consistency is key to achieving the best results.
REFERENCES
Stastny, Petr; Lehnert, Michal; Zaatar, Amr M.Z.; Svoboda, Zdenek; Xaverova, Zuzana. Does the Dumbbell-Carrying Position Change the Muscle Activity in Split Squats and Walking Lunges?. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 29(11):p 3177-3187, November 2015.
Williams, Michael J.1,2; Gibson, Neil V.2; Sorbie, Graeme G.1,4; Ugbolue, Ukadike C.1,5; Brouner, James3; Easton, Chris1. Activation of the Gluteus Maximus During Performance of the Back Squat, Split Squat, and Barbell Hip Thrust and the Relationship With Maximal Sprinting. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 35(1):p 16-24, January 2021.
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