Glute Activation: 6 Exercises To Fire Up Your Butt For Growth (2023 Guide)

Glute-Activation-Exercises for bigger butt

Last Updated on January 19, 2023 by Femniqe


You might have “sleeping glutes” and don’t even know it.

Some call it “sleepy butt syndrome” A.K.A SBS.

Dormant or inactive glutes are probably the main reason why most people struggle to grow their glutes.

If you don’t fix this then you might end up wasting months and even years trying to grow your glutes.

This is where glutes activation comes in.

What is Glute Activation & Why It’s Important

It’s basically the art of waking up your glutes so that they actually perform during your butt workout sessions.[1]

Why is it important?

Well, if you don’t do it then you will end up wasting your time (months or years) trying to grow your glutes bigger and rounder.

Also if you don’t, it can lead to injuries during a butt workout session.

At the end of this guide you’re going to become a glutes activation expert. 😉

You’re going to discover the 6 best glutes activation exercises that can stimulate your glutes for growth.

Not only that, but we have created a 5-minute glutes activation workout sequence you can use for all your butt workout sessions.

Glute activation doesn’t need to last more than 5 minutes.

All you need is a routine that is built with the right sequence to hit all of the gluteal muscles.

That is exactly what this routine will do.

You’re just warming up the glutes, as you want to save up most of your energy for the rest of the workout.

The 5 Minute Glutes Activation Exercises Overview

For this glutes activating workout, you won’t need any type of equipment or weights. The only thing you might need, even though it’s optional, is a resistance band.

If you don’t have one you can still wake up your glutes with this routine.

That being said, invest in one as they’re very affordable.

But again it’s optional.

These 6 glutes activators are designed to ensure every single gluteal muscle is fired up.

You’ll be given a workout chart below, it will give you the amount of reps and sets for each move.

Now we’re going to break down each workout, so that you know how to perform it correctly.

This is crucial.

If you don’t have proper form and do the moves right, you will not fire up the glutes properly.

So let’s get started! 🏁

1. Reverse Glute Bridge

This workout is similar to a plank but reverse as you’ll be facing upwards.

This glute activator will start firing up your glutes in the first couple reps.

How to do it

  • Get into a reverse plank as shown in position A in the image above.
  • Make sure that your glutes are slightly hovering over the ground.
  • Now you’re going to straighten your body by pushing it upwards while contracting your glutes as tight as possible.
  • After squeezing your glutes for about 2 to 3 seconds, slowly lower to the starting point and repeat.

Note: It’s very important that you squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement on every rep for at least 3 seconds.

2. Clams

You might have seen this one before.

It works very well when it comes on to hitting all the gluteal muscles.

However, it does a fantastic job at activating the gluteus medius[2] which is one of the hardest glutes muscles to reach.

clams glute activation

How to do it

  • Lie on your right side as shown in position A in the image above.
  • Both legs should be folded.
  • Slowly lift your left leg as far apart as possible, hold for 2-3 seconds then return to starting position.
  • Do the required amount of reps for each leg.

3. Fire Hydrant

If not one of the most popular glute workouts. It’s most likely you have done this before.

Fire hydrants are one of the best glute activating workouts you can do.

Fire Hydrant

How to do it

  • Get into the starting position A on all fours.
  • You can either start with your right or left leg.
  • If it’s the right, slowly lift the leg sideways as high as possible and pause for 2 to 3 seconds then return to starting position.
  • Do the required amount of reps and sets for each leg.

4. External Rotation

A not-so-common glute activation workout that will absolutely fire up those dormant glutes.

This is one of the workouts you can use a resistance band.

glute medius workout

How to do it

  • Get into starting position A, holding onto a chair or something sturdy.
  • Start with your right leg bent at 90 degrees.
  • If you have a resistance band make sure that it is below your pelvic area, just providing enough tension.
  • Slowly raise your right leg sideways as high as possible and hold the position for 2 to 3 seconds.
  • Return to the starting point and repeat.

5. Extension Pulses

For this move you can also add a resistance band to provide more tension.

Remember, the goal is to wake up your glutes, therefore, some form of external resistance like a band will definitely help.

Extension Pulses

How to do it

  • Get into the starting position holding on to a chair or something sturdy.
  • If you’re using resistance band make sure that it’s slightly below your pelvic area.
  • Also make sure your left leg is slightly parallel to the ground as shown in position A.
  • Now lift your leg even higher above parallel and squeeze for 1- 2 seconds, then bring it back to the starting point still maintaining the left leg extended in the air.
  • Complete the required amount of reps for the left leg then move on to the right leg.

6. Fold-over Side Leg Lift

This glute activation in workout is quite similar to the external rotation with a slight variation.

Note: The resistance band for this workout is also optional.

side Leg Lift for glute activator

How to do it

  • Get into the starting position A as shown in the image above.
  • You can start with your right leg with toes touching the ground has demonstrated above.
  • Now slowly lift your right leg sideways as high as possible and hold for 1 to 2 seconds then return to the starting point.
  • Complete the required amount of reps for the right and left leg.

The 5 Minute Glute Activation Exercises Chart

Glute Activation Exercises Routine

See The Same Workouts in Action

How To Use This Glute Activation Workout

There are tons of other glutes activating workouts that you can do but these are some of the best.

There’s no need to complicate your routine with too many variations.

You can use this 5 minute workout as a warm-up for you glutes before hitting them with resistance training.

So if your workout session is 30 minutes then make sure to budget 5 minutes for glute activation.

Start Taking Glute Activation Seriously

Most persons spend majority of the day sitting which is not only bad for your glutes but your health in general.[3]

That’s a reality of life that most of us can’t escape.

Hence, why you should put effort into waking up your glutes before doing a heavy training session.

Another thing is that if your glutes are inactive it can lead to injury and bad posture.

Remember that our goal isn’t just to look good aesthetically but also to improve overall fitness.

Unlock Your Hip Flexors Too

You should also add some form of stretching to your glute activation sequence.

This will help to loosen up those tight hip flexors.

Hip flexors are basically a group of muscles around the top of your thighs that helps to connect your upper leg to your hip.

These muscles are deeply involved in about every kind of movement your lower body performs.

From squats to hip thrusts.

Tight hip flexors are also as a result of excessive sitting.

Here’s a good stretching move that you can add to your glute activation workout.

This one is called The Butterfly Stretch

How to do it

  • Get into the starting position by sitting down on the ground with both soles of your feet touching each other.
  • Make sure your upper body is 90 degrees to the ground, with hands behind you supporting your upper body.
  • Now slowly lower and widen both thighs until the knees are touching the ground.
  • Hold that position for about 1 to 2 seconds then release and repeat.

Using A Glute Activation Band

This inexpensive accessory can improve your glute activating game.

If you don’t have one it’s time to get a resistance band.

Even though they’re small, when applied properly with the right workouts you will definitely feel the burn in your gluteal muscles.

By just adding resistance band to your squats, fire hydrants and bridges can take your glue training to the next level.

You will be able to effectively fire up the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus simultaneously.

How To Know If You’re Quad Dominant

How do you know if your glutes are actually working properly?

It’s quite easy to detect.

For one, if after completing a squat session and you notice that your quads are always sore then it probably means that you’re more quad dominant.

Another big indicator is if when you’re performing lower body moves like deadlifts and weighted squats and having back pain then you know straight away your glutes aren’t activated properly.

Keep Your Rest Times Short

During a warm-up sequence rest time should be as minimal as possible.

For this workout rest times can be between 10 to 15 seconds.

You don’t want to end up resting 40 to 180 seconds during a glute activation sequence.

Keep a track of your time by using the stopwatch on your smartphone.

That time frame should be used when lifting heavy weights like barbell and dumbbell.

Keep The End Goal in Mind

Most persons are trying to grow their glutes bigger and rounder.

And for you to achieve that all of your gluteal muscles must be properly activated before hitting them with resistance training.

So if you missed this one step it can lead to months and even years trying to grow your glutes without results.

So when you’re designing your new training plan make sure you include a variety of glute activation exercises that will hit all 3 muscles from every angle.

Don’t Forget Nutrition

Yes glutes activation will definitely speed up your results when done before your resistance training.

But none of this will work unless you fix your nutrition.

Having the best glute training sequence doesn’t help if your diet is crappy.

That’s a bit harsh but it’s the truth.

For you to grow your glutes you have to be in a daily calorie surplus.

Simply mean eating more calories than you burn throughout the day.

That in itself is a whole new guide, that’s why we created this Monday to Friday plan that you can use.

If you’re a vegan use this one instead.

If you want to learn more about glutes training and maximizing your results in the shortest time possible make sure to read THIS guide.


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