Best Exercise Machine for Buttocks Lift + Workouts

A round and firm butt isn’t just a look to die for but also a necessity for a strong core and better posture. So how can you target your glutes?

Many people make the mistake of focusing on their legs and overlooking their glutes when working their lower bodies. However, just because your legs are working doesn’t mean your glutes are having their fair share of exercising. 

A butt workout is more of a posterior chain workout than a leg one; therefore, you need to use specific glute machines and perform glute exercises to target this area. 

In this article, we’ll discuss everything related to booty building, from the best glute machines and exercises to how often you should work your glutes, so stick around! 

Can Exercise Make Your Bum Bigger?

Exercising any part of your body results in burning the fat in this area and building muscles. Your buttocks are no different. When you engage your glute muscles in a strength training workout, you increase their size and help shed the outer layer of fat surrounding them.

Logically speaking, that should make your buttocks look smaller, not bigger, since the fat, which is giving your butt a bigger size, melts. 

However, strength training helps shape and tone your glute muscles, making them rounder and perkier. So although your bum won’t necessarily increase in size with exercise, it’ll definitely look more aesthetically pleasing.

To understand how that works, you need to know that your buttocks consist of three muscles:

• Gluteus Maximus: This is the biggest muscle of the group and the one located in the center of the glute. Because of the large place it takes, it’s responsible for the shape of the glutes. 

• Gluteus Medius: This one is smaller than the Gluteus Maximus and is positioned higher to the side of the butt. Its function is to assist the hips and provide a wide range of motion for the lower body. 

• Gluteus Minimus: The smallest of the group is the Minimus, which is located below the Gluteus Medius and Maximus to support the pelvis. 

The key to building strong buttocks is to target these three muscles equally. Most people have strong Gluteus Maximus and weaker Gluteus Medius and Minimus. That’s because the former works automatically with the legs when you do simple movements like walking or climbing the stairs, while the other glute muscles rarely work. 

To shape and tone your bum, all muscle groups in your glutes and legs must be engaged in your workout, and that’s where glute machines come into play. 

What Exercise Machines Lift Your Buttocks?

The best glute workouts aren’t those which target the glutes or the legs only. To achieve the required lift in this area, you need strong muscles there and even stronger muscles in your thighs and legs to support them. A workout routine that includes the following exercise machines can help you achieve that, so let’s see how they work.

1. Leg Press Machine

The leg press machine is a type of resistance machine you can train on while seated. Its movement mimics the weighted squat you do on a smith machine, but while sitting. 

It’s one of the easiest and safest gym machines to use, provided that you don’t put on weights beyond what you can handle. It’s also a great option for beginners looking to strengthen their lower body muscles while giving their glutes a good workout. 

At first glance, the leg press machine might not look like a glute exercise machine. Yet, it does more than work the hamstrings and quads. Depending on the way you position your legs, you engage different muscles in the workout. 

Standard and high-feet leg press placements target the quads, hamstrings, and calves more, while low-feet and wide-stance leg press positions focus on the glutes. 

To perform a low-feet leg press, lower your feet to the bottom of the plate while keeping them shoulder-width apart. Make sure that your back is pressed flat against the seat, then push your legs. You should feel your glutes squeezing while your quads are contracting to push the weight. 

Another way to activate your glutes is by adopting a wider stance. To do that, spread your feet wide on the platform so that each foot is by one side of the plate, then squeeze your glutes and push with your heels. 

Whether you go for a low-feet or wide-stance leg press, aim for 3 sets with 10-12 reps each. 

2. Elliptical Machine 

If you’re more into cardio machines than strength training and bodyweight exercises, then the elliptical trainer should be your choice for a glute machine. Despite being a low-impact cardio machine, it can tone and shape your glutes, depending on the resistance you exercise with.

The key here is to provide enough resistance for your muscles to work against instead of going at high speed. A good resistance level would be three or higher. 

Another tip to activate your glutes while working out on the elliptical machine is to alternate between forward and backward pedaling every so often. This will help you engage your rear muscles to keep your body balanced.

The same effect can be achieved by pedaling without holding onto the handrails as you force your core and glutes to support your body during the workout instead of your arms. 

3. Stair Climbers 

Nothing fires up the booty muscles like climbing stairs. You don’t have to go up and down a five-story building to get on with this workout, though. The stair climber mimics this movement, and therefore it’s one of the best gym machines for glutes. 

The action of lifting your body weight and propelling your legs forwards while climbing applies pressure on your glutes, causing them to contract and participate in the workout. The machine also allows you to change the speed and resistance settings to challenge yourself further.

That’s besides being a tremendous calorie-crush exercise. So if your goal is to burn some booty fat and strengthen the muscles beneath simultaneously, including the stair climber in your routine will be the right move. 

To maximize your benefit from this workout, make sure to keep your back straight all the time. Also, refrain from holding too much on the handlebars, as that will take some of the pressure off your glutes, reducing the workout’s effectiveness.

4. Cable Machine 

The cable machine or cable pulley is one of the most versatile gym equipment that provides endless ways to train every muscle in your body. 

It’s essentially a large stand that sports numerous adjustable cable pulleys. The position and resistance of the cables allow you to perform different workouts with different intensities. 

What makes the cable pulley one of the best machines for glutes is that it’s very effective for building body mass. Unlike cardio machines, this one strains the muscles and applies constant tension on the glutes throughout the exercise, so it can help strengthen and enlarge the glute muscles. 

Plus, it’s a safer option for beginners than free weights as it’s easier to use and puts less stress on the joints. So the chances of hurting yourself with a cable machine are less since you don’t pull weights against the force of gravity but rather against the tension of the cables. 

Another edge of this machine is that it can exercise the three portions of the glute all at once. You can choose to work either a single leg or both of your legs using this exercise machine.

A single-leg exercise will help you activate the Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus, which are often underworked in most exercises. At the same time, a two-leg workout can target the Gluteus Maximus. 

There is more than one glute workout that you can do on a cable pulley, including Cable Pull Through, Zercher Squat, Stiff-Legged Deadlift, Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift, and Belt Squat. 

5. Glute-Ham Developer

The glute-ham developer or glute-ham raise is an exercise designed to work your back and glutes simultaneously, and it’s primarily included in the programs of professional weightlifters and powerlifting athletes. 

Although it’s more suitable for people of moderate to high fitness levels, it’s not difficult to learn. Besides, it’s one of the best glute exercises that can work magic in your booty and improve your posture. 

To use this exercise machine correctly and avoid injury, you’ll need to pay attention to your form while doing the exercise.

When you get on the glute-ham developer, make sure your feet and ankles are in line with your knees. Your shoulders should be relaxed and directly over your hips. 

Lastly, to gain the benefits of this exercise, squeeze your glutes and engage your core while moving. 

6. Hip Abduction Machine

If you’ve never used a hip abduction machine before, you’re yet to know what a “booty burn” means! It’s one of the most effective gym machines for the glutes, especially the Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus. People always use it as a finisher on leg days, and that’s because it leaves a burn that makes it hard to continue with the workout. 

Don’t be intimidated, though. The hip abduction machine is so easy to use and has great benefits on the hip and core muscles as well, which improves your stability, alleviates back pain, and helps you lift heavy weights. 

To use this exercise machine correctly, make sure you’re sitting upright with your back straight against the seat back. Push your legs apart to open the pads, then once you’ve reached your distance limit, slowly return to your starting position. 

7. Hip Thrust Machine 

You’re probably familiar with hip thrusts as an exercise. Well, the hip thrust machine allows you to make the same motion but with weights. This workout’s range of motion will enable you to target your glutes, core, hamstrings, quads, and hip muscles all at the same time. 

Although it’s an easy glute workout, some mistakes can reduce its benefits. For example, if you position your feet far ahead, you’ll feel the motion mostly in your hamstrings. Likewise, if you place your feet too close to your hips, you’ll get more quad activation than glutes. The correct foot position is right in the middle to get some glute engagement. 

Another common mistake is stopping short of thighs parallel while thrusting upwards instead of reaching a 90-degree angle with your legs. If you avoid both these mistakes, you’re on for a challenging and powerful glute workout. 

Easy At-Home Workouts for a Bigger Bum 

You don’t have to hit the gym to add some mass to your booty. Instead, you can do that from the comfort of your living room. 

The following butt-boosting exercises can give the same benefits as gym equipment. You can do all of them in one setting or add them to your lower body routine. You can also add resistance bands to the mix to make them more challenging. 

Whichever way you choose to do them, remember to start slowly and aim for just one set of each workout at first. Then, as you gain more strength in your backside, you can increase the number of sets. 

Jumping Squats

• Stand with a bit of space between your feet and with your arms in front of your body.
• Slowly send your hips back and bend your knees to squat toward the floor.
• While in the squat position, use your whole feet to jump upwards.
• Then, land in a squatting position to complete one rep.
• Do 8-10 reps for each set. 

Resistance Band Donkey Kicks 

• Position yourself on all fours on a yoga mat, keeping your knees hip-width apart and your hands below your shoulders. 
• Grab the resistance band handles with both your hands and hook your left leg into the elastic wire.
• While engaging your core, lift your leg up while pushing at the band. Keep your knee bent and hinging at the hip. 
• Then, push your leg towards the ceiling while squeezing your glutes.
• Draw your leg back to your chest to complete one rep. 
• Do 8-10 reps for each leg to complete a set. 

Front Lunges

• Stand straight with your legs shoulder-width apart.
• While keeping your back straight, step forward with your right leg shifting your weight on it. Your heels should be the first part to touch the floor.
• Slowly lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Push with your right leg to drive yourself back up to the starting position. 
• Repeat on the opposite leg.
• Do 8-10 reps for each leg to complete a set. 

Dumbbell Walking Lunges

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet slightly apart.
• Step forward on your right leg until your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your left knee touches the floor.
• Putting your weight on your right leg, drive yourself upwards to stand straight again. 
• Then, do the same for the other leg. 
• Do 8-10 reps for each leg to complete a set. 

Plank Leg Extension

• Assume a plank position with your body straight, your hands below your shoulders, and your feet in line with your shoulders.
• Lift your right leg upwards without arching your back.
• Slowly lower your leg, then lift it again before it completely touches the floor to complete one rep.
• Do 8-10 reps for each leg to complete a set. 

Clamshell with a Resistance Band

• Grab a resistance band and place it around your legs, just above your knees. 
• Lie on your side with your legs parallel to each other, and your knees bent at a 45-degree angle. 
• Place one of your hands in front of your body to stabilize yourself and the other below your head. 
• Raise your upper knee as high as you can with the resistance of the band opposing the movement. Make sure your hips and lower leg are steady on the floor. If they move up with your upper leg, then you’re doing the exercise incorrectly. 
• Pause at the top for a couple of seconds until you feel a strain in your glutes. Then, lower your knee to its original position. 
• Repeat the same steps on your other side.
• Do 8-10 reps for each leg to complete a set. 

Weighted Step-Ups

• Stand tall on the floor with a bench, a PLYO box, or a low chair in front of you.
• Hold a set of dumbbells in your hands and put them in front of your shoulders. 
• Step onto the box with your right foot, pressing through your heel to straighten your right leg.
• Bring your left foot up the box.
• Step down from the box by bending your right knee and reaching for the floor with your left foot.
• Bring your right foot down.
• Repeat the same steps for your other leg.
• Do 8-10 reps for each leg to complete a set. 

How Long Does It Take for the Buttocks to Get Bigger?

With regular training and a healthy diet, it takes three to four weeks to see some results in your backside. Remember, though, that your buttocks may not get bigger at all. Bodies respond to exercise differently. So after weeks of exercise, your butt might not get bigger, but it’ll sure be rounder and more toned than before. 

How Often Should You Train Your Glutes?

Whether you integrate your glute exercises into your leg day or do them solely, aim for two to three times a week. Any more than that can lead to serious injuries to your backside. 

Overtraining your glutes can cause the muscles there to be extremely tight. Because your glutes are a part of your core, this overstraining can lead to misalignment and muscular imbalance. 

It’s also important to do some spinal stretches before each training session to warm up your glute muscles and avoid injury.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re looking to achieve a Kardashian-style butt or strengthen your glutes for better balance and a wider range of motion, it’s a feasible target. You just have to know what exercise machines to use and which workouts target the glutes. 

If your concerns are more about the aesthetic side of your rear, there are many cosmetic procedures like butt lifts and implants that you can opt for. A cheaper option is to use butt-enhancing pads and wear high-waisted pants to emphasize this area. 

However, we always recommend going the healthier way to tone your bum. Although training exercises take more time and effort, they’re a better and more permanent method to lift your butt. So if a perky bum is on your bucket list, all you have to do is hit the gym!