“Deceptively simple but highly effective”—Pilates instructor recommends beginners try these three glute exercises to build strength and muscle

Woman wearing orange red leggings on hands and knees with one leg extended straight behind her, sideways to the camera with large windows behind.

To build strength, improve mobility and remain mobile as you age, glute strength is essential. Your buttocks are made up of three major muscles that power you when you walk, run, climb stairs, and even sit down on and stand up from a chair. In fact, they play an integral part in most of our day-to-day movements.

Incorporating moves like the squat, lunge and hip thrust into your workouts is great, but if you’re after more variety or don’t have access to weights to keep progressing, then Pilates could be a smart alternative.

I asked Jade Winter, founder of Studio Pilates International, for his top three beginner-friendly exercises to strengthen your glutes. You can add this sequence to a bigger workout or slot it into your day as a standalone if you’re short on time.

1. Pelvic curl

(Image credit: Studio Pilates International (demonstrated by Natalie Dwyer))

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 10-12

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-distance apart, your arms by your sides, shoulders relaxed and spine neutral.
• Inhale and squeeze your buttocks.
• Exhale, curl your pubic bone toward your belly button, tuck your buttocks under and roll your pelvis and spine off the floor, lifting one vertebra at a time.
• Roll up onto your shoulders, maintaining a neutral spine.
• Inhale, hold your hips up and squeeze your buttocks.
• Exhale, roll back down slowly, one vertebrae at a time, keeping the movement smooth and controlled.

“This foundational exercise targets the glutes, engages the core and strengthens the hamstrings,” says Winter.

2. Clam at 90°

(Image credit: Studio Pilates International (demonstrated by Natalie Dwyer))

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 15-20

• Lie on your side, with one hip bone stacked on top of the other, your knees together and bent to 90°, and your lower arm extended under your head.
• Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine throughout.
• Inhale, press your heels together and squeeze your top buttock.
• Exhale, slowly raise your top knee, keeping your feet together. Raise your knee only as far as you can without rolling your hip back.
• Inhale, lower your knee with control, keeping your hips still throughout.
• Complete all the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

3. Horse kick

(Image credit: Studio Pilates International (demonstrated by Natalie Dwyer))

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 15-20 each side

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Engage your core and keep your spine neutral throughout.
• Move one knee slightly in toward your midline and press it into the floor for support.
• Inhale, squeeze your buttocks.
• Exhale, extend your other leg behind you, lifting it to hip height and pointing your toes.
• Inhale, bend your knee and bring it back under your hip without touching the floor.
• Complete all the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.