Want stronger, firmer glutes? Then you should start including kettlebell lower body moves in your workout routine.
The Kettlebell is a great tool to strengthen and tone your glutes whether you want to do squats, lunges or hip hinge exercises. You can find more lower body strengthening exercises at Redefining Strength.
Below are five great kettlebell butt exercises you should include in your routine if you want stronger, sexier glutes and a strong lower body!
1. Kettlebell Swing
The Kettlebell Swing may just be the best of the best when it comes to training your glutes. It is a hip hinge exercises that really focuses on building glute strength and power.
While this is a very important move to include in your workouts if you want to work your butt, it is also a very complicated movement to perform so it is important that you focus on form so that you don’t load your low back.
To do the Kettlebell Swing, set a kettlebell down on the ground slightly in front of you. Hinge over, bending your knees slightly and pushing your butt back. Grab the kettlebell with both hands, keeping your back flat as you then hike the kettlebell back between your legs like you would a football. Pull it back and up between your legs toward your butt. You will be hinged over with the kettlebell back between your legs.
Then squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward as you stand up nice and tall. Pop your hips forward and propel the kettlebell up off your hips. Do not worry about how high the bell goes.
Squeeze your glutes as you stand tall. You may lean back a little at the top, but make sure you are squeezing your glutes and not loading your low back.
Wait as the bell and your forearms comes back down before you hinge back over. Your forearms need to connect with your hips before you hinge back over and bring the bell back down and through your legs.
Do not lean forward and hinge over before the kettlebell comes back down. You want to maintain the connection between your hips and forearms to protect your low back. As your forearms connect and you hinge over, sitting your butt back, make sure to lean forward to counterbalance the kettlebell going back through your legs.
Then squeeze your glutes again and thrust the kettlebell back up as you come back up to standing.
2. Goblet Squat
We’ve all seen the fitspo that says something along the lines of “squat for a great butt.” And that is why the Goblet Squat makes our list of great Kettlebell Butt Exercises. While squats alone aren’t enough, they can really be a great exercise to work not only your butt and lower body, but also your entire core.
To do the Goblet Squat, turn a kettlebell upside down and, holding it on the bell, bring it up to your chest. Set your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart.
Keeping the kettlebell in at your chest, brace your abs and then sit your butt back and squat down. Squat down as low as you can while keeping your chest up and your heels down. Don’t let your back round forward. Try to touch your elbows to your knees, but not at the expense of really leaning forward or rounding over.
Then, driving through your heels, come back to standing. Do not lean or rock forward as you stand up. Come all the way up and squeeze your glutes at the top then sink back down. Feel your core working to keep you up nice and tall as you squat.
Check out our 5 Minute Booty Challenge video.
3. Kettlebell Deadlift
The Deadlift is another great posterior chain movement. That means you can work your butt, back and hamstrings as well as your core all at once! And, especially if you are less familiar with the movement, using a kettlebell can make it easier to perform the hip hinge correctly without loading your low back.
To do the Kettlebell Deadlift, place a kettlebell on the ground and then step over it with your feet about shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell back between your heels. Bend your knees and sit your butt back as you hinge at the hips to grab the kettlebell in both hands. Keep your back flat and brace your core.
Then, driving through your heels, come up to standing nice and tall and squeeze your glutes. Don’t lean back but make sure to fully extend your hips and squeeze your butt. Keep your chest pressed out and your back flat as you stand up. Also, make sure your abs engaged as you fully straighten your legs.
Sit your butt back and hinge back over as you lower the kettlebell back to the ground down between your heels. Do not round your back as you lower it down and really push your butt back and hinge over.
Touch it back down and repeat the lift. Keep tension on the kettlebell the entire time.
4. Figure 8s
Figure 8’s are one of my favorite moves because they not only really work your legs and glutes, but also your entire core WHILE helping to improve your mind-body connection and coordination.
They are such a great glute exercises because they are a great combination of a squat with a little extra hip hinge!
To do Figure 8s, start by standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold kettlebell in one hand with it angled up across your chest toward your opposite shoulder. Place your other hand on the end of the kettlebell to help hold it there.
Then sit your butt back and squat down. And, as you squat down, hinge forward slightly, lowering the kettlebell down to swing it under the opposite leg from the hand holding the kettlebell. Swing it under your leg and grab the weight behind your leg with your other hand.
As you come back up to standing, swing the kettlebell from behind your leg and curl it up in front of your chest and across your body toward your opposite shoulder. Place your other hand on the end to help hold it there. Use your glutes to help power the swing of the kettlebell back up and across. Don’t simply turn it into a bicep curl.
Then squat back down, sitting your butt back as you pass the kettlebell under your other leg. Keep alternate legs, passing it under the opposite leg each time you squat. Do not round forward or let your heels come up as you squat. Push your butt back to allow you to hinge forward to pass the kettlebell and really squeeze your butt at the top of the squat so that you use your hips to drive back up to standing and help power the kettlebell curl.
5. Lunge with Pass Under
This is another great butt and leg exercise that will also work your core and improve your coordination.
To do the Lunge with Pass Under, standing tall with a kettlebell in one hand. Then step forward and sink into a deep lunge, keeping your chest up as you bend your front knee to about 90 degrees and drop your back knee down toward the ground. As you sink down, hinge forward slightly at the hips and pass the kettlebell between your hands under your legs.
Then, with the kettlebell in your other hand, drive off your front heel and push back up to standing. Lunge forward on the other side and pass the kettlebell back under to the hand it started in.
Keep alternating lunges, passing the kettlebell under your leg each time. Do not round forward as you pass the bell under. Sink and pause in the lunge as you pass the weight under, hinging forward at the hips to lean forward and help you pass the weight.
Also, do not lunge out too far. You want to make sure to keep your weight centered so you can drive off your front heel and use your glute to help you push back up to standing.
If you’re looking for some more exercises check out 5 Kettlebell Moves for a Stronger Core.
Work your butt using these 5 great Kettlebell Moves! And for even more kettlebell exercises, check out these 25 Kettlebell Exercises for a full-body workouts!
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