Glute Compass exercise library
Compare 50 exercises by equipment, movement pattern, quad demand, stability, and where they fit in a training plan. Use the filters to narrow the list without pretending there is one universally best glute exercise.
Exercise database
50 of 50 exercises
A bench-supported hip-extension exercise that can be loaded heavily while keeping knee movement modest.
A loadable bridge pattern when you want the glutes to do substantial work without making a squat pattern the center of the session.
A guided hip-thrust variation that reduces setup and balance demands while allowing progressive loading.
Gym users who want a stable, repeatable thrust setup and easy load progression.
A hip thrust performed under a fixed bar path, trading some freedom of movement for a more guided setup.
Progressive loading when a free barbell setup is awkward or when extra stability helps you train consistently.
A bench-supported thrust using a dumbbell across the hips instead of a barbell or machine.
Home or small-gym training when a barbell is unavailable but you still want a progressively loadable bridge.
A thrust using elastic resistance, with resistance increasing as the band stretches toward the top.
Travel, home training, or adding resistance when free weights are limited.
A bench-supported hip thrust performed without external resistance.
Learning the movement pattern or restarting training before adding external load.
A unilateral thrust that makes each working side work harder without requiring a heavy external load.
Limited-equipment training or addressing side-to-side strength differences when you can keep the pelvis controlled.
A floor-based bridge with a shorter range than a bench-supported hip thrust.
Beginners, warm-ups, home training, and learning controlled hip extension with minimal setup.
A floor bridge loaded with a dumbbell across the hips.
Simple home progression when bodyweight bridges have become too easy.
A heavily loadable bridge from the floor with less hip range than a bench-supported thrust.
Heavy hip-extension work when you prefer the floor setup or do not have a suitable bench.
A floor bridge using elastic resistance instead of, or in addition to, bodyweight.
Portable home resistance and higher-repetition bridge work.
A one-leg floor bridge that increases the challenge to each side without external weight.
Home training after bilateral bridges become easy, provided you can keep the pelvis level and controlled.
A bridge with the feet elevated, which changes joint angles and usually increases the hamstrings' contribution.
Bodyweight progression when you are comfortable with more hamstring involvement and have a stable platform.
A short-range bodyweight bridge performed with the soles of the feet together and knees opened outward.
A simple high-repetition accessory when equipment is limited, not as a replacement for every loadable hip-extension exercise.
A loaded hip hinge that trains the glutes and hamstrings while keeping knee movement relatively small.
Pairing with a bridge or thrust to train hip extension through a different part of the range.
A staggered-stance hinge where the front leg does most of the work while the rear foot provides light support.
More emphasis on one side than a bilateral RDL, without requiring as much balance as a single-leg RDL.
A one-leg hinge combining hip-extension loading with a substantial balance requirement.
Single-leg strength when balance does not end the set first; support can be added if needed.
A supported hip hinge that trains the glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors with little knee movement.
A supported hinge when balance or grip makes free-weight hinges inconvenient.
A hip hinge with the bar supported on the upper back rather than held in the hands.
Experienced lifters who can hinge consistently and want a posterior-chain exercise that does not depend on grip strength.
A portable hip hinge using a resistance band looped under the feet and across the upper body.
Home or travel hinge work when dumbbells and barbells are unavailable.
A cable hip hinge with resistance pulling backward from between the legs.
A hinge pattern with continuous cable resistance and no load held in front of the torso.
A fast, ballistic hip hinge that develops power and conditioning more than slow, easily standardized hypertrophy work.
Hip-extension power and conditioning when you already understand the hinge pattern.
A floor pull using both hip and knee extension, with substantial demands on the glutes, hamstrings, back, and grip.
Whole-body strength when glute growth is one goal among several rather than the only goal.
A wide-stance floor pull combining hip and knee extension with a more upright torso than many conventional deadlift setups.
Whole-body strength for lifters who prefer a wide stance and tolerate the position comfortably.
A supported single-leg hip-extension accessory using a cable and ankle cuff.
Adding glute work after heavier bridges or hinges without adding another squat or lunge pattern.
A standing cable hip extension performed with the knee relatively straight and the torso supported as needed.
Single-leg accessory work with very little knee-extension demand.
A portable kickback variation using elastic resistance rather than a cable stack.
Home accessory work when a stable anchor and suitable band are available.
A hands-and-knees hip-extension drill that is easy to learn but difficult to load heavily without changing the setup.
Low-equipment accessory work, warm-ups, or learning to extend the hip without much knee movement.
A supported hip-extension exercise in which the torso stays fixed while the legs move behind the body.
Posterior-chain training when a suitable machine is available and you can control the swinging motion.
A low-load hip-extension drill performed face down with the working knee bent.
Simple bodyweight accessory work when heavy loading is not the goal.
A seated accessory that trains hip abduction with little knee-extension demand.
Adding abduction work after your main hip-extension exercises.
A machine-based abduction exercise with an adjustable external load and a highly stable seated setup.
Abduction work you can progressively load with minimal balance demands.
A portable seated abduction exercise using a loop band around the thighs.
Home or travel abduction work when a machine is unavailable.
A standing one-leg abduction exercise using a cable and ankle cuff, usually with hand support.
Single-leg abduction work with continuous resistance that can be progressed over time.
A standing band exercise moving one leg out to the side while the other leg provides support.
Portable unilateral abduction work with a wall or post available for balance.
A side-lying exercise that trains hip abduction without standing balance demands.
Simple home abduction work and learning a controlled side-lying setup.
A banded side-stepping drill that challenges the hip abductors while both legs repeatedly support bodyweight.
Warm-ups, short accessory sets, and portable hip-abductor work rather than heavy progressive loading.
A side-lying hip external-rotation exercise commonly used as a low-load accessory or rehabilitation drill.
Low-load external-rotation work when simplicity matters more than heavy progression.
A single-leg pelvic-control exercise in which the stance-side hip abductors raise and lower the opposite side of the pelvis.
Pelvic-control and hip-abductor work when you can maintain safe single-leg balance.
A single-leg step pattern that trains both the glutes and quadriceps; step height and execution change the demands.
Single-leg strength when some quad involvement is acceptable.
A step-up using a taller platform and greater hip flexion, provided the height remains controllable.
Increasing hip range in a step-up when you can keep the full foot planted and avoid pushing excessively from the trailing leg.
A sideways step-up combining hip and knee extension with side-to-side pelvic control.
Single-leg strength plus hip-abductor control when some quad work is acceptable.
A rear-foot-elevated split squat that loads the glutes and thighs heavily while demanding balance and control.
A loadable single-leg squat pattern when substantial quad involvement is acceptable.
A stationary staggered-stance squat that trains the glutes, quadriceps, and adductors without stepping between repetitions.
Lower-body strength with more emphasis on one leg and less coordination demand than a walking lunge.
A lunge in which the moving leg steps backward before both hips and knees flex and extend.
A dynamic single-leg pattern when you want mixed glute and thigh training.
A traveling lunge that combines repeated single-leg loading with balance and coordination demands.
Mixed glute and thigh training when space and balance are not limiting factors.
A forward-stepping lunge that requires the lead leg to absorb and reverse the movement before returning to standing.
General lower-body training when controlled deceleration and mixed glute/quad work are useful.
A split squat with the lead foot on a small platform, often allowing a greater comfortable range of motion.
A single-leg squat pattern through a longer range of motion when mobility, balance, and joint comfort allow it.
A highly loadable squat pattern that can grow the glutes but also places substantial training demand on the quadriceps and adductors.
Whole lower-body strength and hypertrophy when minimizing thigh growth is not the main goal.
A supported machine press using both hip and knee extension, allowing heavy lower-body loading with little balance demand.
Progressive lower-body loading when you want support and accept substantial quad involvement.
Methodology
The labels are deliberately broad. They combine the movement pattern, the amount of knee extension the exercise normally requires, how much external load can realistically be added, the stability demands, and whether the exercise is mainly used as a heavier main lift or as an accessory.
This is a relative mechanical category. Hinges, kickbacks, bridges, and abduction work usually require less knee extension than squats, presses, lunges, and step-ups. Technique and individual proportions can still change how much the quadriceps contribute.
This prevents “low quad” from being mistaken for “low thigh.” A Romanian deadlift can have low quad demand while still training the hamstrings heavily.
High means the setup usually allows substantial progressive external loading. Moderate means resistance can be increased, but the setup may become awkward as loading gets heavier. Limited means the exercise is useful mainly as a low-load drill or accessory.
The database does not award a “best” score. A useful exercise still has to fit your equipment, comfort, skill, training plan, and ability to progress it consistently.
Long-term training research supports multiple routes to glute growth. A 2025 systematic review found gluteus-maximus hypertrophy across several resisted hip-extension approaches, while a 2023 trial found similar glute growth from hip-thrust and squat training despite different thigh-growth and EMG patterns. Reviews of hip-abduction exercises also show that several different movements can meaningfully load the gluteus medius. Those findings support comparing tradeoffs rather than inventing a single exercise ranking.
Want the full plan? Read our guide on how to get a bigger butt, including training, nutrition, recovery, and progression.
This database is general training education, not a diagnosis or individualized rehabilitation plan. If an exercise causes sharp pain, numbness, instability, or another concerning symptom, stop and get appropriate individual guidance.