Last Updated on June 16, 2022 by Femniqe
If you aren’t doing glute-focused hyperextension exercises at home or the gym then you’re missing out on some really good gains.
You just need a few variations to add to your butt workout routine to get great results.
In this guide, you’ll learn some powerful glute hyperextension workouts that will fire up your glutes like never before.
So What Is Glute Hyperextension?
If you go to the gym regularly, you probably know the traditional back extension.
This exercise strengthens the lower back and works most of the muscles in the body. Back extensions are usually done on a hyperextension bench. You put the front of your legs against a pad and your feet behind you.
You can use this move to work on your lower back and shoulders, as well as growing your glutes when done properly.
By adding resistance or crossing your arms over your chest, you can make this exercise even more glute-focused.
The glute hyperextension is a variation of the traditional hyperextension. First let’s look at how to do glute hyperextension at home without any machine.
How Do You Do The Glute Hyperextension Without A Machine At Home?
Let’s look at 3 glute hyperextension alternatives that you can do right in the comfort of your home. To do this exercise at home is pretty easy.
1. The Extended Leg Kickback
You just need a flat surface a few feet off the ground. You can use a bed, sturdy table and even a chair.

How to do it:
- Lie face down flat on the surface with your legs lowered and slightly bent
- Now slowly lift both legs while contracting your glutes at the peak of movement
- Hold the glute squeeze for 2-3 seconds then slowly return to the starting position
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps
After doing this for a few weeks your glutes will get stronger which means you’ll need more resistance to see better gains.
Also, you can do glute hyperextensions in a chair as well as shown in the video below:
One easy way to add extra resistance is to use ankle weights. This will make glute hyperextension at home more effective and lead to even better results.
These other 2 variations are pretty similar but have distinct differences that will fire up your glutes even more.
2. The Bent Leg Kickback
With this exercise you perform it the same way except you start off with your leg bent at least 90 degrees as shown in the image below.

3. The Bend Kickback Squeeze
This glute hyperextension exercise optionally uses a resistance band. You don’t need a band but it helps a lot to add more resistance to the movement.
You perform this exercise just like the ones above except you’re going to lift your legs and hold the glute contraction for at least 30 seconds. Do 5 sets of 30 seconds

Make sure to squeeze the glutes as hard as possible during hold. This forces your glutes to adapt to stress which makes them bigger and rounder when done consistently.
How To Do Glute Hyperextension At The Gym
Now if you have regular access to the gym, this will be even easier as you can use the dedicated equipment for this type of exercise.
The video below demonstrate the proper way to do glute hyperextensions:
To do this move, you’re going to need a hyperextension bench.
- Place your feet in the foot rests and hook your ankles in
- Cross both arms in front of your chest for more stability
- Slowly raise your upper body off the bench until your back is straight
- Hold for 2-3 seconds and then slowly lower back down
- Repeat for 12-15 repetitions
Is Hyperextension Good For Glutes?
Hyperextensions are amazing workouts for your entire body, plus they can be performed with or without weights.
However, if you want to grow your glute muscles, you will need to add weights to your hyperextensions. Start with a small weight and gradually increase the amount of weight you use.
Remember to place the weight against your chest when lifting your body.
Great Benefits of Glute Hyperextension
There are a number of reasons why you should include them in your lower-body routine.
- You can do them without weights or a gym machine
- It’s one of the best glute isolation exercises for activating all gluteal muscles
- It helps to improve your overall form
- Your lower back becomes stronger
- Your abdominal muscles become stronger which leads to a smaller waistline
Are Hyperextensions Really The Best Way To Build Your Glutes?
If you’re looking to build bigger glutes, make sure to add these hyperextensions exercises to your workout routine. However, it’s important to remember that your muscles have memory, so you’ll need to switch up your routine and incorporate a variety of glute exercises to see optimal results.
Doing the same exercise over and over again will only get you so far. This is something a lot of people discover when they focus solely on squats to grow their glutes.
To achieve a round, perky bum, you need to change up your exercises now and then. Glute hyperextensions are excellent for growing and shaping your glutes, but they are not the only exercises you should include:
- Bodyweight or weighted Hip Thrust
- Glute Bridge
- Single-Leg Glute Bridge
- Deadlift variations to hit the glutes
- Forward and reverse lunges
Achieving Glute Hypertrophy With Hyperextension Exercises
If you’re serious about building a bigger, stronger butt, then you need to focus on glute hypertrophy.(1)
This is the process of increasing the size and density of the gluteal muscles, which are the muscles that make up your butt. These hyperextension exercises help you achieve that. There are a few key things that you need to do in order to stimulate glute hypertrophy.
First, you need to gradually add more resistance to your bodyweight exercises or more weight if you’re a gym goer. This is essential for stimulating glute growth. You can lift lighter weights, but you will plateau very quickly.
Second, you need to add on other exercises that work the glutes from multiple angles.
Make sure to read this guide on how to shape glutes rounder.
These exercises are the most effective for building muscle.
Third, you need to make sure you’re eating enough calories to support glutes growth. This means eating a bit more than you’re used to, especially if you’re trying to gain weight.
Fourth, you need to give your muscles time to recover. This means taking at least one day off from lifting each week.
If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to building a bigger, stronger butt.
Wrapping up
In general, the glute hyperextension is a good way to add variety to your lower body workout whether at home or gym. Work at your own pace and only add weight once you’re confident you can do the move without help.