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Designing a booty workout that allows you to feel more confident is key to improving your self-image and physical strength.
Also, who doesn’t love having a bum crease?
Luckily, numerous exercises can help you build and shape your bum, so it looks exactly how you desire!
I am a personal trainer and have helped many women transform their lower bodies. Now, it is time for you, too.
Whether you are seeking advice because you just gave birth or want to feel better in your bathing suit, we have the perfect list of underbutt exercises.
To create this list, we looked at what exercises isolate the underbutt best, which ones you could do in the gym or at home, and what we thought would be the most effective overall.
In addition to helping improve your physique, having solid glutes can deliver many benefits.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about developing a bum crease by building your underbutt!
What is the Underbutt?
The underbutt is where the bottom of your glutes connect with the tops of your hamstrings.
If you have larger glutes, you will have more of a crease in this area, which forms the “bum crease” that many people desire.
Whether or not you have a bum crease can do with your genetics and how or if you exercise.
So, don’t be hard on yourself when you see other people who appear to have one effortlessly – their genes may have helped them out!
How to Target and Train the Lower Glutes
Related: Stairmaster Benefits
The lower glutes are composed of the gluteus maximus. You want to utilize exercises that primarily target this specific muscle.
For instance, exercises that have you pushing up through your heels in a squat or hip thrust motion are ideal.
No matter what exercise you are doing, it is always helpful to concentrate on the area you are trying to grow. You may find this mental addition brings even more benefits and efficiency to your workouts.
How often you train the lower glutes also matters.
If you are a beginner, aim for two times a week. More advanced lifters should aim for three times a week.
Going beyond three days weekly is not recommended because the glutes need time to repair and recover.
What are the benefits of training lower glutes?
Related: Slim Thick Workouts
In addition to creating an appealing shape and contributing to the look of your overall physique, having strong lower glutes can help you in many other ways, including the following:
- Provide the strength needed to push your body forward while walking, running, etc.
- Aid with proper pelvic alignment
- Prevent knee injuries
- Support the lower back
- Help with functional movements like sitting
Are there any drawbacks?
Having strong glutes never really hurt anyone!
As long as you work all the other muscle groups of the body for balance and don’t just focus on your glutes, you should be fine!
When you train one muscle group too often, it is not given enough time to recover and grow. Muscles need time to rest, just like we need time to sleep.
When the muscle is not constantly under a lot of stress, the muscle fibers are allowed to grow back bigger and stronger, which is how your underbutt builds.
You also risk strains and tears if you lift too heavy or too often.
Some of these injuries may heal relatively quickly, but others can prevent you from performing your glute exercises for weeks or even months to come.
Glutes Anatomy
Gluteus maximus – This part of the glutes helps form that underbutt and bum crease. It covers the largest area of your backside.
Gluteus minimus – This part of the glutes lies more on the outside and can be worked with exercises that involve the abduction movement.
Gluteus medius – The upper part of the glutes connects with your lower back. It’s one of the main muscles responsible for stabilizing your pelvis.
When should I train my lower glutes?
Related: Hourglass Body Workout
Training Split Example #1
Day 1: Upper Body
Day 2: Lower Body – Work underbutt here.
Day 3: Full Body – Work underbutt here.
If you can exercise four days a week, repeat the full body day. If you can work out six days a week, repeat this 3 day workout split. However, keep the intensity lower by working your underbutt to prevent overtraining.
Training Split Example #2
Day 1: Push Day (chest, shoulders, triceps)
Day 2: Leg Day (glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves) – Work underbutt here.
Day 3: Pull Day (back, biceps, abdominals)
Day 4: Booty Day (glutes, hamstrings) – Work underbutt here.
In addition to performing these four days of exercises, try adding cardio that works your glutes while helping you burn fat to show them off.
Examples would be the StairMaster, incline walking, biking, and sprinting.
16 Best Underbutt Lower Glutes Exercises for Bum Crease
Related: How To Turn A Square Butt Into Round Glutes
1. Glute Machine
If you need help with balance, the glute machine is an excellent option because you have handles and the pedal provides stability.
The glute machine is designed to focus on isolating your glutes, but it also works your quads and hamstrings a bit, depending on your positioning.
How to Perform on the Glute Machine
- Securely grab onto the handles of the glute machine to help with your balance.
- Place one foot against the pedal and stand up straight.
- Push the pedal back while squeezing your glutes.
- Slowly bring your foot back to the starting position before repeating the motion.
- After you have completed your reps on one leg, switch sides.
Pro Tips
- Ensure that the pedal is placed at the lowest setting, so the machine is more focused on your glutes than your quads.
- Play around with bending the knee of your leg that is not working to see if certain angles work your glutes more than others.
2. Glute-Focused Squats on Smith Machine
While barbell squats effectively build the glutes and form that bum crease, this exercise isolates your glutes even further.
You can derive most of the power required to come up through the glutes instead of the quads by leaning into the bar. This squat form also provides more stability for those who are a bit nervous to try barbell squats and teaches proper form.
How to Perform Glute-Focused Squats on Smith Machine
- Position yourself under the Smith machine with your upper back resting against the bar.
- Slightly lean your weight back into the bar and position your feet further out in front of you than you would if you were just using a barbell with your toes pointing slightly out. You should feel as if the machine prevents you from falling backward.
- Keeping your back straight, push your glutes back as you bend your knees and drop down into a squat.
- Come down until your legs form a 90-degree angle. You should look like you are sitting down in a chair because you are leaning back against the bar.
- Pause for a few seconds before pushing back up into the original position.
Pro Tips
- If you want to take this exercise to the next level, try dropping down a little lower than 90 degrees to feel more of a burn.
- Try placing your toes on two plates to elevate your toes and drive your heels into the ground. This will work your glutes even more!
3. Kneeling Half Squats on Smith Machine
If squats feel like too much for you one day, these half squats are a great alternative!
Even though the movement is shorter and less strenuous, it is still effective for building your glutes and hamstrings with a heavier weight.
How to Perform Kneeling Half Squats on Smith Machine
- Place a mat on the floor for your knees, and bring the Smith machine bar down to an appropriate height.
- While kneeling on the mat, position your body under the bar so it rests against your upper back.
- Grasping the bar on either side, slowly raise your hips until your body is straight from your knees up to your head.
- Slowly squat back down until your glutes sit back on your feet before repeating the movement.
Pro Tips
- Because this movement is half of what you would do with a normal squat, feel free to try and go heavier on this exercise to maximize the results.
- Experiment with having your feet together or further apart to see which feels best for your knees.
4. Cable Pull Throughs
If barbell hip thrusts are too intense for your back, cable pull throughs are a great substitute! With a cable machine, you have more control over the movement, and it is easier on the body when you are thrusting your hips forward to work the glutes.
Cable pull throughs are also effective for stretching out and building your hamstrings. They can be used as a warm-up for heavy squats.
How to Perform Cable Pull Throughs
- Attach a handle to a cable and set the cable a few levels above the lowest setting.
- Turn away from the cable machine, place your feet hip-width apart, and reach through your legs to grab the handle.
- Keeping your back straight and chest up, tense your abdominals and glutes as you pull the handle through your legs until you are standing straight up.
- Leading with your glutes, hinge at your hips and slowly let the handle go back through your legs until you are back in the starting position.
Pro Tips
- Focus on pushing your hips forward as you bring the handle through your legs to maximize the effects.
- Using hand wraps will allow you to use more weight with this exercise because the handle may otherwise slip out of your hands.
5. Cable Kickbacks
Finding an exercise that truly isolates the glutes can be difficult, but cable kickbacks are your solution! This movement is one of the most effective for creating that bum crease, and they don’t require lugging around heavy plates.
How to Perform Cable Kickbacks
- Place the cable at its lowest level and attach your ankle straps.
- Facing the cable machine, grab onto something to help with balance during the movement.
- Take a few steps away from the cable machine and lean forward so your gaze is on the floor.
- Keeping your foot flexed, kick it back and up before slowly bringing it back down through the same motion.
- Repeat this movement for the desired number of reps, and then switch legs.
Pro Tips
- When you are pushing your foot back, imagine you are kicking a box to make the movement more consistent and purposeful.
- If you do not have access to ankle straps, you can use a handle and slip your foot through it so it rests between the balls of your feet and your ankle.
6. Squats With Cable Machine
If you do not want to go through the whole setup process of squatting with barbells, this cable squat will save you time and energy.
With this exercise, you are still reaping the benefits of the squatting motion by building muscle in your lower body. And, if you properly position your feet and toes, your glutes will receive most of the attention!
How to Perform Squats With Cable Machine
- Attach a bar to your cable machine, and set it at the lowest level.
- Facing the machine, place your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart with your toes pointed out at 45 degrees.
- Squat down and grab your bar with both hands.
- Keeping your back straight and chest up, push through your heels to bring the weight of the cable up until you are standing straight up.
- Pushing your glutes back first, slowly squat down until your legs form a 90-degree angle, and then repeat the motion.
Pro Tips
- If holding onto the bar doesn’t work for you, try letting it rest on the inside of your elbows. This may allow you to do more weight!
- Focus on leaning back more to transfer the weight more toward your glutes and hamstrings than quads.
7. Barbell Back Squats
If you are short on time and want only the most effective exercises in your workout, put barbell back squats on the top of your list.
Not only do squats help you shape and build your entire lower body, but they also help with posture, injury prevention, and weight loss through extra calories burned.
How to Perform Barbell Back Squats
- Set your bar at the right height for you with an appropriate amount of weight.
- Position your bar on your upper back, stand straight up to release the bar, and take a few steps back.
- Place your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward.
- Breathe in, push your glutes back, and start to bend at the knees.
- Once your legs form a 90-degree angle, breathe out as you push back up to standing.
Pro Tips
- If you aren’t sure if you are going low enough in your squat, place a bench or box behind you. You can briefly tap your bum on it when you come down to know you have reached the proper depth.
- If you find that the bar hurts your neck, try using a bar pad to make it less painful.
8. Barbell Hip Thrusts
Similar to cable kickbacks, barbell hip thrusts are a fantastic glute isolation exercise.
If you want to speed up the process of growing your glutes a bit, make sure this exercise is in your workout plan! The motion also helps with building your hamstrings and improving your hip flexors.
How to Perform Barbell Hip Thrusts
- Grab a bench, bar pad, and barbell with plates.
- Sit on the ground with your back against the bench and the center of the bar resting on your hips.
- Place your feet flat on the floor as you maneuver your back against the bench so your arms are not touching it and the bench supports your weight.
- Holding onto the barbell, push through your heels and thrust your hips up until your body forms a straight line from your head down to your knees. This top position should involve your legs forming a 90-degree angle.
- While keeping your feet flat on the floor, slowly bring your hips back down until they are just an inch or two above the ground before repeating the motion.
Pro Tips
- Keep your chin tucked against your chest to prevent any neck strain.
- If this whole exercise is too intense for you with the barbell, try performing it on the Smith machine or hip thrust machine.
9. Curtsy Lunges
If you want to work on improving your balance in addition to building your glutes, this exercise is a challenge! Doing these at least once a week can help you dedicate time to improving your balance while toning the lower body.
Curtsy lunges can also help with stabilizing your ankles. They tend to be less painful on the knees than some other lower body movements.
How to Perform Curtsy Lunges
- Start in a standing position with your hands on your hips.
- Step back with one leg as if you were going to do a reverse lunge, but instead of placing your foot directly back, place it behind your other foot. The shin of the foot stepping back should be at a diagonal while your other leg should be bent at a 90-degree angle with the knee and foot pointing straight ahead.
- Push up through the balls of your feet to come up and return to the standing position.
- Repeat on the other side and continue to alternate legs.
Pro Tips
- Feel free to place one hand on something to keep you steady if you struggle with balance. Curtsy lunges require more balance than a normal lunge.
- To make this exercise more of a challenge, feel free to hold onto a kettlebell or dumbbells to add some weight!
10. Weighted Step-Ups
Need an exercise you can do anywhere, even outside? Weighted step-ups can be done anywhere there is a bench or stairs!
Even if you don’t have access to any weight at the moment, this movement will still work those glutes as you challenge them through the upward stepping motion. This exercise can also be great for someone who has knee issues when a shorter step is used.
How to Perform Weighted Step-Ups
- For this exercise, you need a bench and either dumbbells or kettlebells. If your balance is better, feel free to grab two, but if not, then grab just one and something to hold onto to steady yourself.
- Holding your weight by your side, place one foot on the bench, and push up through your heel until you can tap your other foot on the bench.
- Step down and repeat the movement on the other leg.
Pro Tips
- Do not alternate legs if you want to make this movement more difficult. Do all the reps on one leg before switching sides, so you feel the burn.
- If a bench is too high for you to start with, there is nothing wrong with using a step!
11. Goblet Squats
This exercise can still be performed effectively if you only have access to a single dumbbell, kettlebell, or plate. Goblet squats can be done in the gym or at home and are a great way for you to build your bum!
How to Perform Goblet Squats
- Grab a single dumbbell or kettlebell and hold it with both hands in front of your body.
- Position your feet to be slightly wider than hip-width with your toes pointed out.
- Keep your chest up, back straight, and slowly squat down by pushing your glutes back first while holding your weight.
- When your legs form a 90-degree angle, push through your heels to come back up before repeating the movement.
Pro Tips
- If you aren’t sure how low to go, keep descending through the motion until your weight taps on the ground.
- If you want to target your glutes, even more, place your toes on two plates on the ground to drastically put the weight on your heels.
12. Bulgarian Split Squats
This exercise is for those looking for a more advanced movement that can be done with minimal to no equipment if you do not have a weight, no problem! Just doing it with your body weight will still burn.
Don’t have a bench? That’s okay, too. Just use a step or chair! Bulgarian split squats work your glutes, hamstrings, and quads to be a great overall lower body exercise.
How to Perform Bulgarian Split Squats
- Stand with the back of your legs against a bench.
- Take two steps away from the bench, and place one foot on the bench while the other stays where that second step landed. Ensure that your knee is in line with your toe, and feel free to grab onto something with your hands to steady yourself.
- Bend your front leg into a lunge position until it forms a 90-degree angle before coming back up.
- Perform this exercise for the desired number of reps before switching legs.
Pro Tips
- Holding dumbbells or kettlebells can make this exercise harder and create a progressive overload.
- To work your glutes, even more, hinge at the hips and lean forward until your stomach is almost resting on your thigh.
13. Donkey Kicks
If you need a simple exercise that will isolate your glutes that you can do anywhere, you should try donkey kicks. This movement is also great because it is low impact and doesn’t aggravate any knee or ankle pain.
How to Perform Donkey Kicks
- Get onto your hands and knees with a neutral spine.
- Flexing one foot and keeping the leg bent at the knee, kicking your leg up and bringing your heel to the sky.
- Slowly bring your leg back down, and then briefly tap your foot on the ground before kicking it back up again.
- Perform the movement for as many reps as you can before moving on to the other leg.
Pro Tips
- Focus on flexing the glutes for the entirety of this movement to help them grow.
- Wear a resistance band right above your knees if you need extra resistance.
14. Donkey Leg Raises
This exercise is a variation of the donkey kicks that is also very effective for working on the glutes. You can even do one right after the other in a superset to feel a real burn!
How to Perform Donkey Leg Raises
- Get onto your hands and knees with a neutral spine.
- Pointing the toes of one foot and keeping your leg straight, kick your leg up toward the sky.
- Slowly bring your leg back down, and then briefly tap your foot on the ground before kicking it back up again.
- Perform the desired set before moving on to the other leg.
Pro Tips
- Play around with this movement by tapping your foot on the other side of your other leg rather than coming straight up and down to feel a different burn.
- Wear a resistance band right above your knees if you need extra resistance.
15. Glute Bridges
If barbell hip thrusts aren’t for you, we discussed replacing them with cable pull throughs. If even those are not your favorite, try glute bridges.
This exercise goes through the same essential motion, but weight is optional, and it is a lot easier on the body as a whole.
How to Perform Glute Bridges
- Lay on your back with your feet firmly planted on the floor.
- Place your hands on the ground by your sides with your palms down.
- Ensuring that your knees are right above your ankles, tense up your glutes and send your hips toward the sky.
- Pause at the top of your bridge for a moment before slowly coming back down and repeating the movement.
Pro Tips
- To make this exercise burn, count to three on your way up, count to three at the top of the movement, and then count to three on your way down.
- Add a resistance band above your knees to make the exercise more challenging.
16. Single-Leg Glute Bridges
We know that you were just wondering how to make the glute bridge harder, right? Well, lucky for you, here’s the single-leg glute bridge.
Try this exercise if you don’t have access to equipment but want a challenge!
How to Perform Single-Leg Glute Bridges
- Lay on your back with one foot firmly planted on the ground and the other leg lying straight on the floor.
- Place your hands on the ground by your sides with your palms down.
- Ensuring that your bent knee is right above your ankle, tense up your glutes, and send your hips towards the sky while maintaining that straight leg.
- Pause at the top of your bridge for a moment before slowly coming back down and repeating the movement.
Pro Tips
- To make this exercise burn, count to three on your way up, count to three at the top of the movement, and then count to three on your way down.
- Add a resistance band above your knees to make the exercise more difficult.
Underbutt Workout Program
Related: Virtual Personal Trainer
Beginner Program
| Day 1 | Sets | Reps | Rest Time |
| Cable Pull Throughs | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Goblet Squats | 3 | 10-12 | 30 sec |
| Donkey Kicks | 2 | 12-15 | 30 sec |
| Glute Bridges | 2 | 15-20 | 30 sec |
| Day 2 | Sets | Reps | Rest Time |
| Glute Machine | 3 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
| Goblet Squats | 3 | 10-12 | 30 sec |
| Single-Leg Glute Bridges | 2 | 12-15 | 30 sec |
| Donkey Raises | 2 | 15-20 | 30 sec |
Advanced Program
| Day 1 | Sets | Reps | Rest Time |
| Glute-Focused Squats on Smith Machine | 4 | 8-10 | 60 sec |
| Cable Kickbacks | 4 | 10-12 | 30 sec |
| Goblet Squats | 3 | 12-15 | 30 sec |
| Curtsy Lunges | 3 | 12-15 | 30 sec |
| Day 2 | Sets | Reps | Rest Time |
| Barbell Back Squats | 4 | 6-8 | 60 sec |
| Squats With Cable Machine | 4 | 8-10 | 60 sec |
| Weighted Step-Ups | 3 | 10-12 | 30 sec |
| Single-Leg Glute Bridges | 3 | 15-20 | 30 sec |
| Day 3 | Sets | Reps | Rest Time |
| Kneeling Half Squats on the Smith Machine | 4 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
| Barbell Hip Thrusts | 4 | 8-10 | 60 sec |
| Bulgarian Split Squats | 3 | 10-12 | 30 sec |
| Glute Machine | 3 | 12-15 | 30 sec |
Lower Glute Recommended Rep Range, Load, and Progression
Strength
When training to improve your strength, it is best to utilize sets that contain fewer reps with heavier weights. Fewer repetitions usually mean a range of four to ten.
It can depend on the exercise and how strong you are feeling the day of your workout. But you want to focus on really challenging your muscles during those few reps.
You may also need more time to recover in between sets, which is totally fine.
Generally, aim for between one and three minutes so your body has time to regain energy, but your blood is still pumping and your muscles are warm.
Progressive overload is a necessary element in building strength. To use your time efficiently, try keeping track of how much you lift every session. Slowly increase the weight as time goes on to show real progress with your strength.
Hypertrophy
Hypertrophy involves increasing the actual size of your muscles with high-volume workouts. These workouts may include lifting a bit lighter, but you are putting your energy into a more significant amount of reps and sets with less rest time.
A general guideline with this type of goal would be to utilize reps within the range of 12 to 25. You may also find yourself veering into four to five sets, as well, to add to the volume.
Try to only rest for 30 seconds to one minute between sets to amp up the intensity and keep sweating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related: How To Ged Rid Of Armpit Fat
What exercises lift your buttocks fast?
Barbell back squats, barbell hip thrusts, and cable kickbacks are a few of the most effective exercises for lifting your buttocks fast.
How long does it take to lift your bum?
Lifting your bum is a process, and it takes many people a while to achieve the look they are going for. Be patient and trust the process – you should start seeing some results after a few weeks.
Why don’t I have a bum crease?
If you do not have a bum crease, it may be because your glutes do not have enough mass on them. Luckily, you can fix this with a proper diet and a regular workout routine.
Remember, this process looks different for everyone depending on their genetics.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you enjoyed our list of the best underbutt exercises. Hopefully, you have already noted which ones you want to include in your workout schedule!
If you stick with a routine consisting of the most effective exercises, you should soon see your underbutt develop and a bum crease appears.
Consistency and patience are key throughout this whole process!
Make sure to take both pictures and measurements as you embark on getting a bum crease.
This can help when you lack motivation and need to look back and see how far you have already come!
Everyone’s health journey looks different, no matter their goals, so keep your eye on the prize and keep working towards becoming a more confident you.
Please let us know in the comments below if you think we missed an exercise or which one you like the best.
Finally, don’t forget to share this article with anyone you think would benefit from it!
