Who doesn’t like checking out a nice pair of glutes? 

But if any of the following words or phrases describe your own–flat like a pancake, saggy, no shape or definition–then you, my friend, are right where you want to be.

We’re going to be talking about 5 of the best dumbbell glute exercises to incorporate into your strength training workouts so you can start actually sending the peach emoji with some confidence. 

I’m well aware that building better glutes is typically a goal mostly for women.  

But fellas, I’m talking to you too….

You may not want a Kim K booty but having a flat ass just is not a good look 😂

The point I’m trying to make is that glute training is for EVERYONE. 

And also, aside from looking good, a strong pair of glutes is key to performing better in the gym and alleviating lower back pain, among other things.

So let’s get started on helping you build a firmer, more shapely, and more functional backside. 

What muscles make up your glutes?

First, a little background info…

Your glutes aren’t just one muscle.

You have three primary ones that, in total, makeup what you think of as your “glutes”:  

• Gluteus maximus–this is the biggest muscle in your glutes and probably the one you first think about when someone mentions the word “glutes”
• Gluteus medius–think side glutes (lateral hip muscle)
• Gluteus minimus–smallest muscle in your glutes (also a lateral hip muscle)

 

4 prime benefits of dumbbell glute workouts

1. You’ll have a better foundation with stronger glutes 

Not only does a sexy pair of toned buns make you look and feel good but strong glutes are like the foundation of a house–everything else is better when you have a solid one.

You’ll be more athletic and able to run faster but whether you’re an athlete or not, glute training is essential. 

They make for a bigger squat and better deadlift, which you’ll see here in a second on our list of the best dumbbell glute exercises.

Why is that important?

Being able to lift more weight on compound movements like those enables you to recruit the most muscle fibers, which translates into more glute growth. 

You won’t build better glutes by doing donkey kickbacks with a 3 lb dumbbell wedged behind your knee.

Or by doing banded kickbacks on the StairMaster.

Heavy weights = growing your glutes.

2. Strong glutes reduce lower back pain

Your lower back isn’t a fan of weak or tight glute muscles.

When your glutes aren’t pulling their own weight (no pun intended), your lower back has to step in to pick up the slack.

But your lower back isn’t designed to take on the extra load meant for your glutes so the end result is back pain. 

And as you get older, the likelihood of experiencing back pain increases.

Save yourself from future pain and start developing those glutes now. 

3. Buns of steel provide better posture and balance

Do you spend the majority of your days hunched over a desk, typing away at a keyboard?

This benefit of including dumbbell glute exercises in your workouts is especially true for you. 

Having strong glutes improves posture by keeping you more upright, as opposed to slouched over your keyboard.

Your glutes are key to hip stabilization, which helps you balance and prevents falls. 

Strengthening your glutes also makes it easier for you to change direction when walking or running.

4. You’ll have better mobility in your hips, knees, and ankles

Everything in your lower body–from your hips to your knees, ankles, and glutes–works together like one, big unit. 

So when one part is off, it has a cascading domino type of effect.

The good news is that strong glutes improve the range of motion in your lower body. 

They stabilize your hips and when you have adequate hip mobility your knees and ankles remain stress-free because they don’t have to jump in to overcompensate for anything.

How do you get big glutes with dumbbells?

It’s time to get into the best dumbbell glute exercises that will help you develop a stronger, firmer, and more peach emoji-worthy pair of buns.

1. Dumbbell Bulgarian split squats

I can’t think of a better way to start off this list of best dumbbell glute exercises.

These honestly suck…

Not in a bad way though.

But in a “this exercise will light your glutes up like a Christmas tree so be ready to work” kind of way.  

Elevating your back foot up on a bench allows you to get deep into the squat and really target your glutes. 

Since Bulgarian split squats are a unilateral movement–meaning you work one side or leg at a time–you can work on any strength imbalances you might have (I think we all tend to have one leg or arm that’s stronger than the other).

How to perform dumbbell Bulgarian split squats

• Grab two dumbbells and hold them at your side.
• I’d recommend getting your foot placement and balance down first, so take your back foot and put it behind you on an elevated bench. Then, with your front foot, find a position that feels comfortable to you. 
• Sink your back knee down toward the floor while squatting down with your front leg. 
• Press up, driving through the heel of your front leg like you’re trying to put a hole in the ground. 

Pro tip: You don’t need to be straight up and down like a statue. Instead, hinge at the hips and have a slight lean forward (this will put more of an emphasis on your glutes). 

Tutorial video: Bulgarian split squats.

2. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift (aka RDLs)

This is one of the best dumbbell exercises for glutes AND hamstrings.

It’s a variation of a conventional deadlift but the key difference with RDLs is that you don’t touch the ground with the weight.

Your weights actually shouldn’t be anywhere near the ground (I’ll explain why here in a sec).  

How to perform dumbbell Romanian deadlift

• Grab a pair of dumbbells and place your feet so that they’re shoulder-width apart. 
• Get a slight bend in your knees, keep your chin tucked, and send your hips back (pretend there’s a door behind you and you’re trying to shut it with your butt).
• As you’re sending your hips back, guide the dumbbells down the front of your legs, keeping them as close to your legs as possible (don’t let them just swing out in front of you). 
• Feel a little stretch in your glutes and hamstrings? Great, come back up to the starting position nice and controlled and you’ve just done an RDL. 

Pro tip: You shouldn’t be going so low that your dumbbells practically touch the floor. When you overextend yourself like this, it not only leads to back pain and injury but it takes muscular tension off of your hamstrings and glutes, which defeats the purpose of the movement. 

Once you feel that stretch in your hammies and glutes, just come back up to the starting position. 

Also, keep your chin tucked as you perform the movement (this is a cue that will allow you to send your hips back and maintain a neutral spine). 

When you try to look up, it places added pressure on your back.  

Tutorial video: Romanian deadlift (RDLs).

3. Dumbbell hip thrust

Next up on our list of best dumbbell glute exercises we have hip thrusts. 

You know how when you’re squatting or deadlifting and you’re pushing to finish the last rep but you need just a little bit more “oomph” to get the weight up? 

You’re almost there. You just need to lock it out. 

It’s kind of like having a good finishing kick at the end of a race.

Well, hip thrusts help you develop that finishing kick strength, in addition to shaping and growing your glutes. 

 

How to perform dumbbell hip thrusts

• In the starting position your back should be resting on the edge of a bench. Think of your upper/mid back as an anchor (i.e. it shouldn’t be moving and sliding all over the place). Your feet should be out in front of you roughly shoulder-width apart  (or slightly outside that). You can also point your toes out a little if that’s comfortable for you.
• Place the dumbbell on your pelvis (holding it horizontally) and secure it with both hands. You can use a pad or some type of cushioning so the dumbbell isn’t jabbing up against your pelvis. 
• Drive through your heels as you thrust your hips up. Your chin should be tucked. This will bring your shoulder blades up onto the bench, at which point you should be able to draw a straight horizontal line from your upper body to your hips. 
• Pause for a second at the top of the movement and focus on the contraction and squeezing your glutes.
• Slowly lower yourself back down to the ground and repeat for the desired number of reps. 

Pro tip: Your knees should be directly above your ankles when thrusting up (knees coming out over ankles places unnecessary stress on your quads while ankles being further out than your knees works more hamstrings instead of glutes). 

To keep your glutes engaged, this is how things should look–when you’re at the top of the movement you should be able to draw a straight line from your knees down to your ankles.

Tutorial video: Hip thrust.

4. Dumbbell curtsy lunges

Curtsy lunges are exactly how they sound. You’re going to be performing a curtsy, just with dumbbells in your hands, all while achieving a phenomenal contraction in your glutes. 

Admittedly, this exercise does take a little bit of coordination to get down but once you d0…

I’m confident you’ll see why it belongs on the list of best dumbbell glute exercises. 

How to perform dumbbell curtsy lunges

• Start by standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart, dumbbells resting at your side.
• Take one leg and cross it behind the other so that your legs are diagonal to each other. Keep your hips and torso straight (don’t twist or rotate). 
• Maintain a slight lean forward and lunge down. Focus on driving back up through your heels and using your glutes to return to the starting position. 

Pro tip: Don’t feel like you have to be straight up and down like a board with your lunges. It’s better to hinge a little at the hips and have a slight lean forward (it targets your glutes more). 

You also want to try to keep the shin of your front leg as vertical as possible with each lunge. 

Tutorial video: Curtsy lunges.

5. Dumbbell Squat

Last but certainly not least we end our list of best dumbbell glute exercises with the tried and true, always reliable, lower body exercise GOAT–dumbbell squats.

I get it, it’s not flashy or the sexiest exercise but don’t sleep on it.

A basic squat is one of the best dumbbell exercises for legs and glutes. 

Squatting recruits so many muscles (your glutes, hammies, quads, core, and even your back). 

How to perform dumbbell squats

• Set up your feet so that they’re outside shoulder-width apart with toes pointed out. 
• Bring the dumbbells up to roughly shoulder height (they should be at about the height you would set up a barbell for barbell squats). 
• Slowly lower yourself down, making sure to keep a neutral spine and NOT round your back. 
• Drive up through your heels and return to the starting position. 

 

Pro tip: A little bit of a wider stance with your feet hits your glutes more effectively. Also, make sure you’re not doing that weird humping the air thing at the top of the movement. 

Tutorial video: Squat.

Best dumbbell glute exercises FAQs

Can I grow glutes with just dumbbells?

Yes, you can build your glutes using free weights like dumbbells. 

But there may come a time when you’ll need heavier weights than your pair of adjustable dumbbells can provide.

How do you target glutes with dumbbell squats?

Having a wider stance will help activate your glutes more, as well as hinging at the hips and leaning forward a little (just pretend someone’s karate chopping you at the hips). 

What is the #1 best glute exercise?

Questions like these are like asking someone what the best pizza topping is. 

There’s no definitive, universal answer that applies to everyone.

I say it’s pineapple and chicken with barbecue sauce as a base. 

You might think I’m a complete weirdo for that.

But if I HAD TO choose just one of the best dumbbell glute exercises we’ve talked about, I’d have to go with Bulgarian split squats. 

How long does it take to get bigger glutes?

It’d be nice if we could all just snap our fingers and have stronger, sexier, and more firm glutes overnight but it doesn’t work like that.

I can’t sit here and say it will take you exactly X amount of weeks or months to achieve better glutes. 

But for the sake of full transparency, what I can tell you is that it’s going to take longer than you want it to.  

I don’t say that to make you feel bad. 

I just want you to have realistic expectations about building up your glutes going into this.

When you don’t see some crazy transformation after a few weeks-worth of glute workouts, I don’t want you to just quit because you think what you’re doing isn’t working. 

It is, you just need to have some patience, remain consistent, and keep going.

Building better glutes is a long game. 

What should my diet look like if I want to grow my glutes?

If you want to grow your glutes, it’s imperative that you’re eating in a calorie surplus.

That just means you’re consuming more calories than you burn. 

It’s the opposite of being in a calorie deficit, where your goal is fat loss. 

I linked to this post at the very beginning of the article but…

If you want a complete guide that walks you through literally EVERYTHING you should be doing to grow your glutes–not just specific exercises like we’ve gone over in this post but how you should eat, how often you should hit glutes, what your workouts should look like, etc–here it is.