Glute Focused Squat Variations for Bigger, Stronger Glutes

Squats are one of the best exercises for building lower body strength, but did you know you can tweak them to target your glutes more? If you want a stronger, rounder, and more defined booty, the glute-focused squat is a game-changer!

Unlike regular squats, which work your quads and hamstrings too, a glute-focused squat shifts more effort to your backside. By adjusting your stance, depth, and form, you can maximize glute activation and get better results from every rep.

In this article, we'll dive deep into exactly how to adjust your form and technique to ensure your glutes are doing the heavy lifting, leading to real, noticeable results.

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Quick Summary

• Glute Activation Hack: Learn how to tweak your squat form to shift focus from quads to glutes for better booty gains.
• Proper Form Matters: Discover the exact stance, depth, and technique to maximize glute engagement and avoid common mistakes.
• Best Variations: Try the most effective glute-focused squat variations (like sumo, wide stance) for faster growth.
• Maximize Muscle Activation: Discover how to ensure your glutes are doing the majority of the work, leading to better results.
• Benefits: This squat builds stronger, rounder, and more powerful glutes. It also helps improve your lower body muscles, strength, posture, and athletic performance.
• Optimize Performance with Pepti Bolic: Consider incorporating Pepti Bolic as a powerful supplement to enhance muscle growth, strength, and recovery, ultimately boosting your overall squat performance and workout gains.

Glutes Anatomy

The glutes, or gluteal muscles, are a group of three muscles located in your buttocks. These muscles are very important for movement and strength in your lower body. The three main glute muscles are:

1. Gluteus Maximus: This is the largest and most powerful muscle in the group. It helps you stand up, climb, and move your hips and thighs. It is the main muscle that gives your butt its shape.
2. Gluteus Medius: This muscle sits on the side of your hip. It helps with balance and moves your leg away from your body. It also supports your hips when you walk or run.
3. Gluteus Minimus: This is the smallest glute muscle, located under the gluteus medius. It works with the medius to help move and stabilize your hip.

Do Traditional Squats Work on Glutes?

Yes, traditional squats do work your glutes, but they are not fully glute-focused. In a normal squat, your glutes, quads (front of your thighs), hamstrings, and lower back all work together. However, most of the effort in a traditional squat comes from your quads, especially narrow stance, and your back stays straight.

The amount of glute activation can change based on your squat form, stance, and depth. For example, standing with your feet slightly wider and toes pointed out (a sumo or wider stance) can help activate your glutes more during squats.

Also, squatting deeper—going until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor or lower—can increase glute muscle use. But if your form is off or you don’t squat deep enough, your quads and hamstrings may do most of the work instead of your glutes.

Studies show that traditional squats can activate the glute muscles well, especially the gluteus maximus, but variations and proper technique can make them even more effective. Adding core stability, like tightening your belly muscles, also helps your glutes work harder during squats.

In summary, traditional squats do help build your glutes, but to get the best results, focus on good form, deeper squats, and possibly wider stances to really target those muscles.

How to Make Squats Work Your Glutes More

Adopt a Wider Stance with Toes Pointed Slightly Out

A wider stance (just outside shoulder-width) and pointing your toes outwards by about 15-30 degrees allows your hips to open up more. This position naturally encourages more hip external rotation, which is a primary function of your glutes, especially the Gluteus Maximus and Medius.

"Sit Back" into the Squat, Leading with Your Hips

Instead of thinking "down" or "knees forward," imagine you're sitting back into an invisible chair that's a bit behind you. By initiating the movement with your hips moving backward, you immediately put your glutes in a stretched and powerful position, ready to work. This also reduces the tendency for your quads to take over.

Ensure Proper Depth

To fully engage the glutes, especially the Gluteus Maximus, you need to squat to at least parallel (where your hip crease is in line with your knees) or slightly below. Going deep allows for a greater stretch on the glute muscles, which leads to a stronger contraction as you stand up. Don't sacrifice form for depth, but aim for the deepest comfortable squat.

Keep Your Knees Pushed Out (Tracking with Toes)

This is crucial! As you descend, actively push your knees outwards, ensuring they track in line with your toes. This not only protects your knees but also powerfully engages your Gluteus Medius and Minimus, which are vital for hip stability and contribute to the overall shape of your glutes. If your knees "cave in," your quads are likely dominating.

Squeeze Your Glutes Hard at the Top

Don't just stand up and relax. At the very top of your squat, give your glutes a powerful, intentional squeeze. This is the peak contraction and helps to fully "finish" the movement with glute activation. Avoid hyperextending your lower back; the squeeze should come from your glutes, not your spine.

Drive Through Your Heels (and Mid-Foot) on the Way Up:

As you stand up, think about pushing the floor away through your heels and the middle of your foot, rather than pushing through your toes. This cue helps to keep your weight shifted back, maintaining glute engagement throughout the ascent.

Focus on Your Mind-Muscle Connection

Think about squeezing your glutes as you stand up from the squat. This helps your brain activate the right muscles.

Add Resistance Bands

Using a resistance band around your thighs just above your knees can help activate your glute muscles by forcing them to work harder to keep your knees apart.

Best Squat Variations for More Glute Activation

Squats can be changed in many ways to target your glutes effectively. Here are some of the best squat variations that activate your glutes better than a traditional squat:

1. Sumo Squat

The sumo squat is a wide-stance squat that places greater emphasis on the glute muscles and inner thighs compared to traditional squats. By standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width and toes pointed outward, you encourage external rotation of the hips, which activates the gluteus maximus more effectively.

This positioning encourages a deeper stretch in the glutes at the bottom and a powerful contraction upon standing, making it a prime choice for glute development. This variation also improves hip mobility and targets the glutes through a larger range of motion.

How to Do It:

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed about 45 degrees outward.
• Keep your chest up and core engaged.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body, as if sitting back into a chair.
• Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly below.
• Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you return to standing.
• Throughout the movement, push your knees outward to stay aligned with your toes.

Tips for Better Glute Activation:

• Focus on pushing your knees out against the natural inward pull.
• A brief pause can eliminate momentum and force glute work.

2. Sit-to-Stand Squat (Box Squat)

The sit-to-stand squat, also known as the box squat, involves sitting back onto a box or bench before standing up. This movement emphasizes hip hinge and glute activation by encouraging you to sit back rather than straight down. It’s excellent for teaching proper squat depth and improving glute strength, especially for beginners or those recovering from injury.

How to Do It:

• Position a box or bench behind you at knee height or slightly lower.
• Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed about 45 degrees outward.
• Hinge at your hips and push your butt back as you bend your knees to lower your body until your glutes lightly touch the box (don’t fully sit).
• Keep your chest up and core tight throughout.
• Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to stand back up.

Tips for Better Glute Activation:

• Focus on sitting back onto the box rather than dropping straight down.
• Control your descent to avoid “plopping” onto the box.

3. Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian Split Squat is a powerful unilateral (single-leg) exercise that excels at building glute strength, stability, and muscle in each leg independently. By elevating one foot behind you it increases the range of motion for the working leg's glutes and intensely challenges your balance.

This forces your glutes, especially the Gluteus Medius, to work harder to stabilize your body and drive the movement, making it exceptional for developing well-rounded and powerful glutes.

How to Do It:

• Stand a couple of feet in front of a bench and place one foot behind you on the bench.
• Keep your torso upright and core engaged.
• Lower your body by bending the front knee until your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Push through the heel of your front foot and squeeze your glutes as you stand back up.
• Repeat for reps, then switch legs.

Tips for Better Glute Activation:

• Lean slightly forward from the hips (not the waist) to increase glute engagement.
• Keep your front knee aligned with your toes and avoid letting it travel too far forward.
• Hold dumbbells/kettlebells for extra resistance.

4. Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is a beginner-friendly squat variation where you hold a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest. This front-loaded position encourages an upright torso, which helps target the glutes and quads effectively. It also allows for a deep squat position, which maximizes glute stretch.

How to Do It

• Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart, toes straight or slightly out. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell against your chest.
• Brace your core and initiate by pushing your hips back.
• As you lower, actively push your knees out so your elbows can track inside your knees at the bottom.
• Aim for a deep squat, getting your hip crease well below your knees.
• Drive up through your heels and mid-foot, focusing on pushing your hips forward and squeezing your glutes to return to standing.
• Finish with a strong glute squeeze at the top, achieving full hip extension.

Tips for Better Glute Activation:

• Pause at the bottom for 2 seconds to increase glute tension.
• Emphasize pushing your hips back first to initiate the movement.
• Maintain an upright torso throughout the movement.

5. Low-Bar Back Squat

The low-bar back squat is a popular powerlifting squat variation where the bar rests slightly lower on your back, just below the traps. This changes your body angle during the squat, creating a greater hip bend and shifting the workload onto your glutes and hamstrings. Compared to the high-bar squat, it’s better for glute activation because your torso leans forward slightly more.

How to Do It:

• Position the barbell lower on your back, across your rear deltoids, just below your traps. Grip the bar slightly wider than a high-bar squat to accommodate this position.
• Take a stance slightly wider than shoulder-width, with toes pointed slightly out (around 15-30 degrees).
• Take a big breath and brace your core. Initiate the squat by pushing your hips back significantly, almost like you're hinged forward from the hips, while maintaining a straight back.
• Actively push your knees outwards as you descend, tracking over your toes. This helps keep your torso upright enough and engages the glutes.
• Descend until your hip crease is below your knees. The more pronounced hip hinge will naturally facilitate greater glute stretch at the bottom.
• Drive strongly through your heels and mid-foot, focusing on pushing your hips forward and squeezing your glutes to stand up. Maintain the forward torso lean throughout the ascent.

Additional Exercises for Glutes

Besides squats, there are other great exercises that help build strong, round glutes. These movements target your glutes from different angles and add variety to your workout routines.

1. Hip Thrust

A top exercise for glute strength and size, the hip thrust focuses on powerful hip extension. It isolates the glutes more than most other movements and allows for heavy loading.

How to: Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench, feet flat on the ground. Place a barbell or weight across your hips. Drive through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Squeeze your glutes at the top before lowering down.

2. Single-Leg Glute Bridge

This exercise targets each glute individually, helping correct muscle imbalances and improve strength. It also activates the hamstrings and lower back.

How to: Lie on your back with one leg extended straight. Push through the heel of the other foot to lift your hips off the floor until your body is in a straight line. Squeeze your glutes at the top, then slowly lower down.

3. Romanian Deadlift

A hip-hinge movement that works the glutes and hamstrings, the Romanian deadlift strengthens the posterior chain and improves hip mobility.

How to: Hold a barbell or dumbbells with a slight bend in your knees. Hinge at your hips, lowering the weights down your thighs while keeping your back straight. Engage your glutes as you return to standing.

4. Glute Kickbacks (Band or Cable)

This exercise isolates the glute muscles, especially the gluteus maximus and medius, helping to shape and strengthen the buttocks.

How to: Attach a resistance band or cable to your ankle. Keeping your core tight, extend your leg backward while squeezing your glutes. Slowly return to the start and repeat on the other side.

5. Lateral Band Walks

This involves shuffling sideways in a squat stance, pushing against the band's resistance, which intensely works the side glutes for hip abduction and stability.

How to: Place a resistance band around your thighs or ankles. Lower into a slight squat and step sideways, keeping tension on the band. Move in one direction, then switch.

6. Donkey Kicks

Donkey kicks strengthen the glutes and help improve endurance and stability in the hips and core.

How to: Start on all fours. Keeping your knee bent, lift one leg toward the ceiling while squeezing your glutes. Lower the leg back without touching the floor and repeat.

7. Fire Hydrants

This exercise targets the gluteus medius and helps improve hip strength and mobility.

How to: On all fours, keep your knee bent at 90 degrees and lift your leg out to the side to hip level. Lower it back down with control and repeat.

8. Step-Ups

Step-ups are functional and effective for building glute strength, power, and single-leg endurance.

How to: Step onto a bench or platform with one foot, pushing through your heel to lift your body up. Step down slowly and repeat on the other leg.

9. Clamshells

Clamshells target the gluteus medius and help improve hip stability and posture.

How to: Lie on your side with knees bent. Keeping feet together, lift the top knee as high as possible without rotating your hips. Lower back down and repeat.

Benefits of Training Glutes

• Improves Strength and Power: Strong glutes help you perform better in many activities like running, jumping, and lifting. They give you more power and help you move efficiently.
• Supports Better Posture: Your glutes help keep your hips and pelvis stable. When they are strong, it’s easier to maintain good posture and avoid lower back pain.
• Reduces Risk of Injury: Weak glutes can cause other muscles and joints to work harder, which may lead to injuries in your knees, hips, or lower back. Training your glutes helps protect these areas.
• Enhances Athletic Performance: Whether you play sports or just enjoy exercise, strong glutes improve your speed, balance, and agility.
• Shapes and Lifts Your Butt: Regular glute training helps make your buttocks firmer, rounder, and more toned, improving your overall body shape.
• Improves Daily Movements: Strong glutes make everyday tasks like walking, climbing stairs, and standing up easier and less tiring.
• Burn More Calories: Bigger muscles burn more calories even when you’re resting. Training your glutes helps improve your metabolism.
• Enhanced Physique and Confidence: Building stronger, rounder glutes can significantly improve your body's shape and proportions, which can boost your confidence and make you feel better in your clothes.

Best Supplements to Improve Your Squat Performance

1. Pepti-Bolic by SNS

Pepti-Bolic by SNS is a muscle support supplement that helps with lean muscle growth, strength, endurance, and recovery. It contains the peptides PeptiStrong® and DL-185™, ingredients supported by human clinical research.

Research on Dileucine (DL-185™) has shown it can help maintain or improve leg press strength and enhance recovery after intense exercise, supporting greater lower-body performance.

This formula works without hormones or stimulants and provides a strong alternative approach to traditional muscle-building supplements. Pepti-Bolic supports muscle health through pathways such as mTOR activation, increased protein synthesis, and reduced muscular fatigue.

Key Benefits:

• Supports lean muscle growth and improves body composition
• Enhances strength and physical performance
• Reduces muscular fatigue
• Speeds up recovery after exercise
• Helps maintain muscle during dieting or aging
• Increases muscle protein synthesis by 159% compared to leucine
• Contains peptides discovered through AI and backed by human clinical trials

Key Ingredients:

• PeptiStrong™
• DL185™ (Dileucine)

Customer Reviews

Loving it so far!

“So far so good! Waiting to try it out for a month to see results but feeling stronger and looking leaner: delivery was fast and exactly what I expected. Great communication”

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2. AnaFuse by Vital Alchemy

Anafuse by Vital Alchemy is a muscle-building supplement designed to support muscle growth and retention. It combines recently developed anabolic agents to enhance muscle building without causing significant side effects.

This formula aims to provide the necessary components for increasing lean muscle mass in a single product. Anafuse is intended to support those seeking to add muscle effectively while maintaining the gains.

Key Benefits:

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• Works as a protein synthesis amplifier

Key Ingredients:

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Customer Reviews

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3. Creatine-X by PrimaForce

Creatine-X by Primaforce is a creatine supplement designed to support muscle growth, strength, and recovery. Each serving provides 5 grams of creatine from a blend of 10 different types.

The product is manufactured in an NSF Certified, GMP-compliant, and FDA-registered facility, with purity and potency verified by independent laboratories. Creatine-X is non-GMO and gluten-free, formulated to meet the needs of athletes seeking reliable supplementation.

Key Benefits:

• Helps increase strength during workouts
• Supports higher creatine levels in muscles for better power and endurance
• Promotes lean muscle mass growth over time
• Helps you train harder and recover faster between workouts
• Improves recovery after intense training sessions
• Helps prepare your muscles for your next workout
• Supports better absorption and effectiveness of creatine

Key Ingredients:

• Creatine Monohydrate
• Creatine Chelate
• CON-CRET® Creatine HCl
• Creatine Citrate
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• Creatine Pyruvate
• Di-Creatine Malate
• Tri-Creatine Malate

4. Wild Thing by Assault Labs

Wild Thing by Assault Labs is a pre-workout supplement designed to support energy, focus, and muscle performance during exercise. It contains amino acids, creatine, and other nutrients to help fuel muscles. The formula includes multiple nootropics to enhance mental focus and a unique caffeine blend for both immediate and sustained energy release.

Wild Thing also promotes vascularity and muscle pumps to support workout intensity. This supplement aims to improve overall workout performance with a balanced combination of ingredients.

Key Benefits:

• Increases energy levels
• Improves focus
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• Enhances muscle pumps
• Increases muscle endurance
• Elevates overall mood.
• Speeds up muscle recovery
• Reduces muscle fatigue
• Improves muscle control
• Supports cognitive function
• Delivers sustained energy throughout workouts

Key Ingredients:

• DiCitrulline Malate/Infinergy®
• Beta Alanine
• Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline
• Creatine Anhydrous
• Agmatine Sulfate
• L­-Glutamine
• Choline Bitartrate
• Caffeine Anhydrous
• L­-Tyrosine
• L-Norvaline
• ZumXR®
• Huperzine A
• Infinergy®
• Cocoabuterol®
• Thinkamine®

Customer Reviews

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5. Alpha Lion SuperHuman Post

Alpha Lion SuperHuman Post is a post-workout supplement designed to support muscle recovery, growth, and strength. It contains 5,000 mg of creatine monohydrate and 2,500 mg of betaine anhydrous to help improve muscle protein synthesis and endurance.

The formula also includes ingredients like Velositol® and AstraGin® to enhance nutrient absorption and hydration. This supplement provides essential nutrients to help muscles recover faster and perform better after training.

Key Benefits:

• Supports lean muscle growth
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• Reduces muscle soreness after workouts
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• Prepares your body for your next workout
• Enhances muscle strength and workout capacity
• Improves cellular hydration for muscle fullness
• Keeps muscles hydrated during exercise
• Speeds up muscle recovery and growth after training

Key Ingredients:

• Creatine Monohydrate
• Betaine Anhydrous
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• Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Calcium)

Final Thoughts

Glute-focused squats are an effective way to target and strengthen the glutes. Different squat variations offer unique benefits and can help develop the glutes from various angles.

Proper technique and consistency play a key role in achieving results. Including a variety of exercises can support balanced muscle growth. Strengthening the glutes contributes to overall lower body function and stability.

This makes glute training important for many fitness goals. The exercises covered provide a solid foundation for anyone looking to improve glute strength and shape.