Top 3 Butt Exercises For Women Using Free Weights

The top three best butt exercises for women using free weights are multi-joint exercises that target more than just the buttocks. Hamstrings and quads will also come along for the ride for great-looking thighs with these three top exercises.

All weight training exercises should be done carefully and with the greatest attention paid to the correct form and positioning of the body. The following butt exercises for women, in particular, may cause serious injury, so it's especially important to get hands-on training before performing these exercises. Consult with a personal trainer or a trainer at your gym to show you how to do these and other weight lifting exercises safely and effectively.

Here are step-by-step instructions for three of the best butt firming exercises you can do using a barbell. These exercises can also be modified to use dumbbells and even just body weight.

Good Mornings

Equipment needed: Barbell

Targeted muscles: Gluteus maximus (biggest butt muscle), plus hamstrings (semitendinosus, biceps femoris-long head, semimembranosus)

Step-by-Step


Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Rest the barbell across the top of your shoulders behind your neck.
Keeping your back very straight, inhale and bend your torso forward until your torso is horizontal with the floor.
Return to the starting position and exhale.
Repeat the complete Good Mornings movement several times until you feel a burn, or for three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

Tips for Good Mornings

* To protect your knees, don't bend forward more than 90 degrees.

* When you're just starting with these butt exercises for women, you can bend your knees slightly to make the movement easier.

* Keep your knees straight (never locked) for a greater hamstring stretch.

* Keep your back straight when bending forward. Never round your back.

* As with all weight training exercises, do the movement slowly and concentrate on the feel of the muscles.

Variation for Good Mornings

Instead of using a barbell, you can use a light-weight rod or staff for this weight training exercise. Doing Good Mornings with a Staff is an excellent warm-up and stretch for the hamstrings. Regular stretching helps avoid injuries when using heavier weights.

Forward Lunges

Equipment needed: Barbell

Targeted muscles: Gluteus maximus and quadriceps

Step-by-Step


Stand with your legs slightly apart and the barbell resting along your trapezius muscles at the nape of your neck.
Keeping your trunk as straight as possible, inhale and take a long step forward.
Stabilize your forward thigh so that it is slightly less than horizontal.
Return to the upright position and exhale.
Repeat the movement with your other leg forward and continue alternating legs in forward lunges.
Repeat the complete lunge movements alternating legs several times until you feel a burn, or for three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

Tips for Forward Lunges

* A long step forward in these butt exercises for women will mostly work the glutes (gluteus maximus) and hamstrings; a short step forward will mostly work the quadriceps.

* Forward lunges require a good sense of balance, so it's best to begin with very light weights.

*These butt exercises for women rest most of the weight on one leg for most of the exercise, so people with fragile or weak knees should be extra careful.

*Instead of alternating legs between movements, it's possible to do one series of forward lunges with one leg and then another series with the other.

Variations for Forward Lunges

* Lunges can be done with a lighter weight rod instead of a barbell; this is a great way to develop your sense of balance before starting to work with heavier weights.

* Lunges can be done with dumbbells by holding one dumbbell in each hand with your arms relaxed and at your sides.

Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts

Equipment needed: Barbell

Targeted muscles: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings (semitendinosus, biceps femoris-long head), and erector spinae (back muscle)

Step-by-Step


Stand with your feet slightly apart in front of a barbell placed on the ground.
Inhale, bend forward keeping your back arched, and legs extended (if possible).
Grab the bar with an overhand grip and arms relaxed.
Straighten your torso to a vertical position (the tilting occurs at the hips); exhale.
Return to the bent forward position without putting the bar down and repeat the entire movement several times until you feel a burn, or for three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

Tips for Dead Lifts

* Take care not to round your back during the movement; rounding your back is likely to cause injury.

*The more weight you use, the more your glutes will be engaged.

*With very light weight, the stiff-legged dead lift gives a good stretch to the hamstrings.

These are the three best butt exercises for women using free weights. Visit the author's website for more information about weight training for women, including step-by-step exercises for weight lifting exercises targeting all parts of the body.

Debra G is an over-40 health and fitness nut. She is the owner and editor of Weight Training for Women, a site dedicated to women's health and fitness through exercise and proper nutrition.