Glute goals: 6 best exercises for bums and legs

Glute Goals - when summer is coming up we all have them. It doesn’t matter how long you spend on a treadmill or elliptical - if you want to get really good returns for your sweat-fuelled workouts, you need to target the areas you’re aiming to improve. Two of the biggest areas of focus, particularly for women, are below the waist. Luckily, there are plenty of exercises you can try to tone up your lower half.

When it comes to exercises for bums and legs, go compound. Put simply, compound movements are exercises that work multiple muscle groups. These ones target the glutes, hamstrings (back of thighs), quadriceps (front of thighs) and adductor muscles (inner thighs). Bonus: they’re great for fat loss and conditioning, too.

Glute Goals 6 best exercises for bum and legs:

Best exercises for bums

Sumo deadlift

• Stand in a wide stance with your feet slightly pointed outwards (around a 30-degree angle).
• Grip a barbell, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Lower down into a squat by shifting your hips backward and keeping your chest and body straight. Bring your knees out directly over your ankles.
• Repeat for five sets of 12 reps.

Kettlebell mountain climbers

• With each hand on a kettlebell, get into push-up position, keeping your legs hip-distance apart.
• Brace your core and keep your hips lowered to form a straight line with your body. Pull one knee as high as you can towards your chest.
• Bring your leg back into push-up position and repeat with the other leg.
• Repeat for five sets of 12 reps.

Glute bridge

• Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat, and your arms by your sides with the palms down.
• Raise your hips off the floor until your knees, hips and shoulders form one straight line.
• Squeeze your glutes hard and draw in your abs.
• Hold for a couple of seconds and slowly release back to starting position.
• Repeat for two sets of 10 bridges.

Best exercises for legs

Pistol squats

• Stand with your arms out in front of your body at shoulder height, parallel to the floor.
• Raise your right leg off the ground and hold it there.
• Push your hips back and dip your body down as far as you can.
• Pause for a second then push your body back to the starting position.
• Repeat for three sets of 10 reps.

 Dumbbell split jump

• Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length, letting them hang by your sides with your palms facing each other.
• Stand with your left foot in front of your right foot, then flex your knee and hip to lower your body down.
• Immediately switch directions and jump with enough force to propel both feet off the floor.
• Repeat for five sets of 12 reps.

Side-lying leg raise

• Lie on your left-hand side with your left knee bent at a 90-degree angle and your right leg straight and in line with your back.
• Press your right fingers into the top of your buttock to prevent your left hip from moving forwards.
• Raise your right leg as far as it will go without tilting your hips back.
• Slowly lower to starting position.
• Repeat for three sets of 10 reps.