Strengthen Your Glutes Without A Single Squat Or Lunge

If you’ve just come off the back of a heavy leg day or you’re looking for a knee-friendly workout for your glutes, then this one’s for you.

This 20-minute kettlebell workout comes from Roxanne Russell, a personal trainer with a BSc in exercise, physical activity and health. It uses 15 exercises—including the single-leg Romanian deadlift, conventional deadlift, Romanian deadlift, clamshell and a host of glute bridge variations—to work all three of your glute muscles. It will also work your posterior chain (the muscles on the back of your body), and challenge your balance and coordination, too.

To do this workout, you’ll need light and medium heavy kettlebells and an exercise mat. A small looped resistance band is an optional extra for the finisher. Once you have your equipment ready, press play on Roxanne Russell’s follow-along YouTube video.

Russell stresses that to make gains in your glutes, whether that be for strength or size, you need to choose the weights you use carefully. “Use a weight that challenges the muscles so that you almost reach failure,” she says. You may not get this just right the first time you do the workout, but make a mental note and adjust the next time you try the workout.

Keep repeating this workout, gradually increasing the weight each time, and you’ll develop stronger glutes and a robust posterior chain, which can lead to better posture and even reduce your chances of developing lower-back pain.

If you’re working at home and can’t increase the weights without buying a new kettlebell every week, you can increase the work periods, decrease the rest periods, or add more sets of each exercise.

If you don’t have kettlebells or weights at home, try this bodyweight glutes workout, which uses Pilates techniques to strengthen your muscles, or this beginner-friendly no squat leg workout.

Need help deciding which kettlebell is right for you? Our guide to the best kettlebells can help.