The Best Glute Exercises That Don’t Require Squats or Lunges

Strong Glutes, No Squats Required

You can build stronger glutes without doing a single squat or lunge. Glute bridges, hip hinges, side-lying leg lifts, band walks, and kickbacks all challenge the muscles around your hips in different ways. The best place to start is with a few movements you can perform comfortably and control well—then make them more challenging as you get stronger.

Maybe squats and lunges don’t feel good on your knees. Maybe you’re looking for variety, or simply want a workout you can do on the living-room floor. Whatever your reason, skipping two popular exercises doesn’t mean skipping glute training.

What Makes a Well-Rounded Glute Workout?

Your glutes do more than help you stand up from a chair. The gluteus maximus plays a major role in extending the hip, as it does in a bridge or hip hinge. The smaller gluteal muscles help move the leg out to the side and steady the pelvis. That’s why a mix of backward-and-forward movements and side-to-side movements makes more sense than repeating one exercise in endless variations. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) includes bridges, hip hinges, and side-lying hip abduction among its butt and hip exercises.

You don’t need to feel an intense “burn” for a movement to be worthwhile. Aim instead for steady effort, a range of motion you can control, and a challenge that increases gradually over time.

Start With These Floor-Based Favorites

1. Glute bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, about hip-width apart. Gently brace your abdomen, press your feet into the floor, and lift your hips until your torso and thighs form a comfortable line. Pause briefly, then lower with control.

Start with 8–12 repetitions. If you feel the movement mainly in your lower back, lift a little less high and focus on moving from your hips rather than arching your spine. ACE’s glute bridge instructions likewise emphasize abdominal engagement and avoiding an exaggerated arch.

When regular bridges feel easy, try a single-leg version: lift one foot just off the floor and keep your hips level as you raise and lower. Return to two feet if you find yourself twisting.

2. Side-lying leg lift

Lie on your side with your legs extended and your head supported. Keep your hips stacked rather than rolling backward. Raise your top leg a modest distance, pause, and lower it slowly. Try 8–15 repetitions per side.

This small movement targets the muscles along the outer hip. Height isn’t the goal: stop lifting when your pelvis starts to tilt. ACE notes that raising the leg too high changes the movement rather than making the intended hip exercise better.

3. Clamshell

Stay on your side, but bend both knees and stack your feet. With your feet touching and pelvis still, open your top knee like a clamshell, then close it slowly. Try 10–15 repetitions per side.

A small range of motion is perfectly fine. If you have to roll your whole body backward to open your knee farther, make the movement smaller. You can add a light loop band above your knees once the unbanded version feels controlled.

4. Quadruped hip extension

Start on your hands and knees, with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Keeping one knee bent, lift that leg behind you without letting your lower back dip or your pelvis turn. Lower slowly and repeat 8–12 times per side.

Think “move the leg,” not “kick the ceiling.” ACE recommends limiting the lift to the height at which you can keep your lower back stable. If kneeling bothers you, skip this exercise and choose a standing variation instead.

Add Standing Exercises for a Different Challenge

5. Hip hinge or Romanian deadlift

A hip hinge trains you to move your hips backward while your torso tips forward. Stand with feet about hip-width apart and knees softly bent. Push your hips back as though reaching toward a wall behind you, keeping your back comfortably neutral. Then press through your feet and stand tall.

Begin with 8–10 unweighted repetitions. Once the pattern feels natural, hold a light dumbbell in each hand or one weight close to your body. Lower only as far as you can while maintaining control; you don’t need to reach the floor. You’ll likely feel your hamstrings working alongside your glutes.

This is not a squat in disguise. Your knees bend a little, but most of the movement happens at your hips. If you’re interested in how lower-body strength connects with steadier movement, A Healthy Living’s guide to strong feet and ankles explores that broader picture.

6. Lateral band walk

Place a light loop band above your knees. Soften your knees slightly, stand tall, and take small steps sideways while keeping gentle tension on the band. Go 6–10 steps in one direction, then return.

Your feet can stay mostly forward, and your upper body shouldn’t sway with every step. A lighter band and smaller steps often work better than forcing your way through a band that pulls your knees inward. For more ways to use bands throughout your routine, see A Healthy Living’s full-body resistance band workout.

7. Standing kickback

Hold a sturdy countertop for balance. Shift your weight onto one leg, keep your torso upright, and extend the other leg gently behind you. Pause, return, and complete 10–15 repetitions per side.

Keep the movement small enough that your lower back doesn’t arch. A light ankle band can add resistance later, but bodyweight is a sensible starting point.

Put the Moves Together in 15–20 Minutes

You don’t have to do all seven exercises in one session. Pick one bridge, one hinge, one side-to-side exercise, and one other movement you enjoy. Here’s a simple place to begin:

1. Warm up for a few minutes: Walk around the room, march gently in place, or move your hips through a comfortable range.
2. Glute bridges: 2 sets of 8–12.
3. Hip hinges: 2 sets of 8–10.
4. Side-lying leg lifts: 2 sets of 8–15 per side.
5. Standing kickbacks: 2 sets of 10–15 per side.

Rest as needed between sets. If that feels like too much at first, do one set of each. As the workout becomes easier, add repetitions, a second set, a pause, or a little resistance—one change at a time.

For most adults, strength training the major muscle groups at least two days a week is a useful goal. Your glute sessions can be part of a balanced routine that also includes upper-body work and other movement you enjoy. The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2026 resistance-training guidance emphasizes consistency, gradual progress, and choosing an approach that fits your life.

A stronger routine doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s; it only has to help you keep moving forward.

Make Comfort Part of the Plan

These exercises offer alternatives to squats and lunges, but no movement is automatically comfortable for everyone. A little muscular effort is expected; sharp pain, pinching, or symptoms that worsen as you continue are reasons to stop and adjust. You might shorten the range of motion, remove a band or weight, or try a different exercise.

If an injury or persistent hip, knee, or back pain is shaping your choices, a qualified healthcare professional or physical therapist can help you find movements that suit you. Otherwise, keep the plan refreshingly simple: choose exercises you can do well, give yourself time to recover, and notice the everyday moments—walking, carrying groceries, getting up from the floor—that begin to feel a little steadier.