The best glute machines and exercises to tone and sculpt your buttocks

So, you want a nice strong butt, eh? Wondering what the best exercise machine to tone your buttocks is? I know, there’s tons of information, so much exercise equipment, it can be overwhelming. The good news is when it comes to your lower body, there are many exercises, so many machines, the options are endless! It’s up to you to figure out what the best ways to build those glute muscles are. This post is all about the best glute machine and exercises to sculpt and tone your butt!

So what is the best exercise machine to tone buttocks?

Allrighty friends, we have options! So you are wanting that perfect butt, but you’re not sure where to start. First, we need to understand the muscles of the butt! The gluteus maximus and the gluteus medius. This little chart here is a great diagram. If you are looking to have that lifted, round bootie ???? these are the muscle groups we want to focus on!

Okay, science lesson over! ???? The best glute machines IMO build strong glutes (aka a round butt) in a traditional gym would be the squat leg press machine, the smith machine and cable machines. Let’s chat about each one of these and why you’ll want to start incorporating them into your leg workouts!

Squat leg pres machine – You can really target you glutes using this machine. You definitely want to make sure you have proper form and here’s how:

Be sure to have your core engaged and your knees right under your ankles. Also, brace your core BEFORE you lower the safety bars.
Allow the weight to come down in a controlled way and engage your quads, hamstrings and glutes as your press up. Make sure you keep a slight bend in your knee. There’s one rep!
Repeat. And, breathe!
After you’ve completed your rep scheme, make sure you lock back the platform before leaving the machine!

Smith Machine –If you are new to squatting or working on proper form, or maybe you are nervous about heavy weight, this is the machine for you! This squat machine is great because it has a safety feature on it so you can squat, and add that heavy weight! This is wonderful for toning your glutes! A few things to keep in mind if you are squatting on the smith machine:

First, make sure you are not letting your knees go over your toes! When your toes are forward, you put too much pressure on your low back and that is a BIG NO! ????‍♀️
Next, double check are bracing your core and abs as you move down and back up! No rounding the back – again, we want to grow our butt, not injure our back!
Lastly, don’t let those knees cave in toward each other! It’s so important to keep our knees healthy and use the muscles around the knees like our glutes, hamstrings, outer thighs and quads.

You also can use the smith machine to perform lunges! Lunges are another wonderful exercise for building that butt! You’ll just want to make sure you are taking the same safety measures as you would when you squat. For proper lunge form, take a look under the section best gym exercises for glutes then go to the section lunges. ????

Cable Machines- I absolutely love the cable machine and you should too! Exercises like donkey kicks aka cable kick backs are second to none when it comes to developing and shaping your buttocks. And, OMG will you ever feel it! Here’s why cable donkey kicks are one of the best machines to tone your butt!

The obvious one is of course those muscles will be stronger. This machine is amazing for shaping and strengthening the butt all at once!
Another wonderful reason to try this exercise is that there will be glute isolation! We most definitely want this when working to tone and build that butt. Other exercises like deadlifts and squats are great, but they also recruit other muscles in the legs. Seriously, try 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg and tell me your butt is not on fire! ????????????
And an unexpected benefit of this exercise (besides the aesthetic) is balance. You will work on body control. This really helps with balance due to the mind body connection that has to occur with this exercise!

Best Exercise Machines to tone your buttocks – let’s talk cardio machines!

Yes, there are several people out there who just prefer to do cardio exercises. I get it, but I PROMISE YOU it is SO. MUCH. EASIER. to get the result and aesthetic you want if you’ll add weights to your workout routine. I digress. Now, let’s chat about some great options and best exercise machine to tone your buttocks -cardio style!

Stair Climber –This is the obvious one, I think. If you read my article about Best cardio for legs: 3 workouts all women over 40 must try this week then you know all about my obsession with the stair stepper in high school. It has definitely stood the test of time, and I promise, if you spend 30 minutes a day on this machine, not only will you get a crazy good cardio workout, but you will also see a marked difference in your butt. And, I mean this in the best way! This is a great glute workout!

Spin Bike- This is a great choice if you want a HIIT workout but don’t want to run. The upright bike is also a great choice if you have knee pain and want a low impact workout. I think the best way to work that butt is to find an app or a workout program that incorporates some bike sprints, with bike hills (turning the resistance up) as well as some standing on the bike!

Rowing Machine –If you have ever rowed for a period of time, you know just how taxing it can be on your glute muscles. It’s also an INCREDIBLE workout and low impact! What a win! A few things to make sure of when rowing; push through your legs first, then brace the abs and lastly pull with the arms. You gotta really use the legs to see the most benefits from this cardio machine!

Elliptical Machine – The elliptical trainer is also a good choice if you need a low-impact workout. You really are going to have to force yourself to get creative if this is a cardio machine you want to use to build your glutes. Some ideas for a workout that might target your butt would be to pedal backward. As an endurance coach, I always ask my athletes to run and bike backward because it targets their glutes and hamstrings -even calves. This could be a good option for the elliptical. You also will want to increase the incline and resistance to make sure you are keeping your body guessing!

Best gym exercises for glutes

When trying to figure out the best exercises to tone your buttocks squats and lunges have to be right up there at the top. And, an added bonus, you can really do lots of these exercises anywhere!!! You just need to grab some free weights, dumbbells or if you’re in a gym a barbell.

Squats- Have you ever heard of squat magic? Well that’s what happens to your legs and glutes when you squat. And, there are so many variations of squats, it’s truly impossible to get bored! My favorite squat exercises for achieving that perfect butt!

Front squats – OMG this version of squatting is great for you butt, your quads, your hamstring, your core. And because you have to hold the barbell or dumbbells in an upright position, you’re working out your upper body as well! Basically your whole body! Whoa!
Back squat – Obvious, right. These are one of the best exercises for your butt, your legs and your core. Always make sure you have proper form (see above) and you are protecting your back.
Goblet Squats- This is another one that is perfect for the entire body. Yes, it 100% targets your butt and legs, but have you tried to hold a heavy KB or dumbbell? HOLY SHIT. Does it ever tax the upper body, shoulders and core as well.

Lunges – Lunges are really right up there with squat when it comes to an effective exercise for your butt. There are so many reasons why, but lets start with 3. Lunges are a great exercise to help you prepare for the everyday motions of life, like bending down to tie your shoes. They also work each leg and gluteal muscles individually, so if you have an imbalance (meaning one side is stronger than the other) a lunge is a movement that forces you to work each leg meaning better results than an exercise that uses both legs at once. And, lastly there are so many variations of lunges, you can target all the muscles in your butt!

Just like squats we have to have proper form with lunges to avoid injuries. Here’s how:

You want your starting position to have your feet in a wider stance under your shoulders, just like you are standing on a railroad track.
Make sure that you step forward and keep your own body weight evenly distributed over the foot. Step straight ahead (keeping the shoulder distance).
Double check the back knee is directly under the hip and the front knee is in-line with the ankle.
Always make sure before you return to your starting point, you are pushing off the front heel!
Lastly, protect your lower back by not rounding your back. Abs tight! ????

Now for some great lunge exercises you can add to your butt workout routine today!

Front rack lunges -This is a great one for your whole body. Of course your glutes get tons of work but so do your abs and core. It’s hard to hold up that weight, weather using dumbbells or a barbell. Just make sure you have proper form (see above.)
Back rack lunges- just like back squats, these are the obvious choice huh? You could grab a barbell and start walking forward, you could do these with a specific number on each side, or you could do alternating lunges and stay in the same relative spot. Whatever you choose, you cannot go wrong with this type of lunge!
Walking lunges with no weight – Ahh this is one of the best ways to get a leg workout when you can’t make it to the gym. You can also do walking lunges no matter what I’ll never forget a workout I did recently that included 400 walking lunges over the duration of the workout. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but HOLY MOLY was my butt so incredibly sore for days! If you need a quick body weight workout, I can’t think of anything better than adding walking lunges to your fitness routine.
Lunges holding a plate or dumbbells overhead – Okay, talk about a total body workout. OMG. This is it! Just grab a set of dumbbells or even a plate and you’ll be shocked at the way this taxes not only your butt but also your shoulders. Seriously. If you need a lower body movement and want a good workout for your upper body as well, give these a try. You’ll be happy and sad all at once!????

Resistance bands for a home workout

Wait – these are not the best exercise machines to tone your buttocks! I know, I know, but not everyday is a day you can make it to the gym. So, if you are needing a way to incorporate some glute exercises at home, grab a resistance band and get started.

Resistance bands are one of the best options because you can vary the resistance levels and really feel your bootie burn! Here are 2 specific exercises you can do at home today and get a great workout!

Frog pumps- These are awkward AF to do in the gym because of the position you are in. You start with your feet together in a butterfly position, band about two inches above your knees and then lift your butt up off the floor. That’s it! Simple eh? This movement is truly an effective exercise when it comes to shaping the butt and outer thighs! The reason being, we are isolating our gluteus maximus from the start due to our set up and because of that it is really one of the most effective glute building exercises we can do. There’s no denying the burn, even after just a few reps! ????

Donkey Kicks -Some people feel that these are the best butt building exercise there is! Donkey kicks are a great glute exercise, but they are also great for the shoulder, abs, hamstrings, and our balance. These are truly the one exercise I can really feel my butt working from the start. And they are so straight-forward. Just start on all fours with your palms under your shoulders and your knees under you hips. Give yourself about a fist distance of space between your knees. Flex your foot and kick up to the sky, leading with your heel. You do want to make sure that your resistance band is about 2 inches above your knees. This is a super challenging movement that will give you results quickly!

FAQs: What is the best exercise machine to tone buttocks?

So glad you asked. There are several that are great to include in your leg workout days if you want to focus on your glutes. This blog post recommends the smith machine, the leg press machine and cable machines if you workout in traditional gyms. If you want cardio exercise machine to tone your butt some options are the stair stepper, the spin bike, even an indoor rower.

What are the best gym exercises for glutes?

These are not the best exercise machine to tone your buttocks, but these exercises get the job done. We recommend variations of squats, variations of lunges and then you could incorporate some resistance band exercises as well.

So there you have it friends! I hope this post is helpful when you are deciding what exercises are best for that booty! This post was all about the best machine to tone your buttocks and the best exercises you can do for round, strong glutes!