Looking for a booty workout that will help kickstart your fitness goals? We have one for you! This 20 minute glute workout will focus on the glutes and the rest of the posterior chain. The posterior chain is the group of muscles located on the back of the body, anchored by the glutes and hamstrings as some of the bigger muscles of the chain. These muscles are the ones that help us run, jump, lift and land when they all work in unison. If one of the muscles of the posterior chain isn’t properly functioning, the risk for injury increases exponentially. Working out your glutes isn’t just for looks — it’s a great way to strengthen an important muscle group in your body, too!
To set this workout up, you will need a set of weights and some sort of bench, box or step that you can use for Bulgarian split squats. The box or step will need to have enough support for you to fully stand on it, and can be anywhere from 10–24 inches tall. Barbells will work best for the hip thrusts and split squats, but you can use dumbbells or kettlebells if necessary.
For this workout, we’re going to use the EMOM format. EMOM stands for Every Minute On the Minute, and means that you run a timer during this workout and start a new move at every minute mark. As you work through each move, keep an eye on the timer, and pause at around the 45-second mark to take a short rest and set up for your next move. You’ll definitely want to preview the workout and gather your equipment ahead of time so that you can prepare your space and minimize your transition time (which in turn means maximizing your workout time). This workout features five moves, so you’ll perform four rounds in a row. With EMOM, you’ll be amazed at how quickly it flies by!
Hip Thrusts
- Lie with your shoulders and head on a bench, knees bent, feet flat and hips low, holding a barbell across your midsection.
- Raise your hips up, making a straight line with your body from your shoulders to your knees.
- Lower back to the start position and repeat.
Bulgarian Split Squat
- Stand with a barbell across your shoulders and one foot up on a bench behind you.
- Lower your body down toward the floor, bending at your hips and knees and lean your torso slightly forward.
- Push up through your front foot to return to the upright position.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side.
Glute Kickbacks
- Begin on all fours with knees and hands on the floor in the tabletop position. Then, tuck a light dumbbell behind your knee and use your leg muscles to hold it there.
- Kick the weighted leg back and up with a 90 degree angle at the knee, pushing your foot towards the ceiling, keeping the dumbbell tucked in the back of your knee.
- Lower the leg back down to the start position and repeat.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side.
Fire Hydrant
- Begin on all fours with knees and hands on the floor in the tabletop position. Then, tuck a light dumbbell behind your knee and use your leg muscles to hold it there.
- Open the hip and lift your knee up to hip height, then bring it back down to the floor.
Step Down Reverse Lunges
- Stand upright on a box or step with dumbbells in each hand.
- Take a step backward off the box, dropping your back knee towards the floor and leaning your torso slightly forward with your weight on your front leg.
- Push off your front foot to return to the start position.
- Repeat, stepping back on the other leg.
- Perform one rep on one side, then switch to the other side. Alternate sides with each rep.
Want more? Try this Powerful Leg and Back Workout for a Stronger Posterior Chain.
