Ankle weight workouts can offer you impressive benefits but what are some glutes, aka butt, exercises you can do with ankle weights?
Ankle weights are simply straps with some extra weight that are attached to your ankles. They can be used in many exercises to add some extra resistance to your training.
By making these glute exercises weighted with ankle weights you can strengthen and grow your glute muscles faster.
How much weight you should use for ankle weights varies from exercise to exercise and individual to individual. For resistance training exercises like the glute exercises below, you can find and use ankle weights from 0.5 pounds (0.23 kg) up to 20 pounds (9.1 kg).
If you are not sure which weight would be right for you, you can in heavy adjustable ankle weights, begin with a light setting, and slowly build up from there.
Keep in mind that even though there are upsides, your injury risk is generally also higher when you do exercises with more weight/resistance. You may want to talk to your primary care provider before starting a new workout routine.
Table of Contents
1. Lying lateral leg raises
For the lying lateral leg raise and any other ankle weight exercises that take place on the floor, it can be helpful to invest in something like a yoga mat if you have no other soft surface to do the exercise on. To do a lying lateral leg raise take the following steps:
- Start lying down on your side with your body in more or less one straight line, adjust for stability.
- Raise one leg upward until it is at about a 45-degree angle with the ground. Keep the foot of this leg pointing horizontally.
- Lower this leg back into the position of step 1 in a controlled motion.
- Repeat the same number of repetitions with the other leg.
You can also do this glute exercise standing up. If you do that, you may need something to hold on to for balance.
2. Squat with sidekicks
To do a squat with sidekick take the following steps:
- Stand up straight with your feet at more or less shoulder width.
- Slowly lower your hips by bending your knees. How far depends on different factors like knee health but at your lowest point you want your hips to be at or lower than your knee height. You will likely have to bend forward for balance but keep your back in a straight line throughout the movement.
- Push yourself up again into starting position by stretching your legs.
- Tilt your body to one side so that you shift your weight to one leg. Move the other leg sideways. How far depends on your flexibility but the goal should be until the leg makes a 90-degree angle with your body.
- Move the leg back down into starting position.
- Do another squat and leg raise but this time raise your other leg.
3. Hands and knees leg extension
To do a hands and knees leg extension take the following steps:
- Start with your face facing the floor with your hands on the ground, your arms stretched, and your knees on the ground.
- Stretch one leg and raise it until it is in a straight line with your body.
- Lower this leg again in a controlled motion to starting position.
- Repeat with your other leg.
4. Fire hydrants
To do a fire hydrant take the following steps:
- Start with your face facing the floor with your hands on the ground, your arms stretched, and your knees on the ground.
- Slowly move one leg sideways as close to a 90-degree angle in your hips as you comfortably can. Keep your knees at about 90-degree angles during the movement. Try to keep your back straight and the rest of your body besides your legs still to focus the most on your glutes.
- Lower this leg back into the position of step 1 in a controlled motion.
- Repeat with your other leg.
The fire hydrant exercise engages your core muscles on top of your glutes.
5. Donkey kicks
To do a donkey kick take the following steps:
- Start with your face facing the floor with your hands on the ground, your arms stretched, and your knees on the ground.
- Move one foot upward until the upper leg of this side is in 1 line with your body. Keep your knees at 90-degree angles throughout the movement.
- Lower this leg back into the position of step 1 in a controlled motion.
- Repeat with your other leg.
The theme of this list is ankle weights but you can also clamp a medicine ball between the back of your upper legs and calves to make donkey kicks even more challenging for your glutes.
6. Bird dogs
To do a bird dog take the following steps:
- Start with your face facing the floor with your hands on the ground, your arms stretched, and your knees on the ground.
- Stretch one leg and raise it until it is in a straight line with your body. At the same time stretch the arm of the opposite side and raise it until it is in a straight line with your body. So if you choose your right leg, raise your left arm at the same time.
- Lower the raised leg and raised arm again in a controlled motion to starting position.
- Repeat with your other leg and other arm.
The bird dog exercise is an exercise that engages a wide variety of muscles including your glutes, core, and erector spinae muscles.
7. Hands and knees leg extension pulses
You can also do the previous hands and knees leg extension exercise with pulses. For this modified version take the following steps:
- Start with your face facing the floor with your hands on the ground, your arms stretched, and your knees on the ground.
- Stretch one leg and raise it until it is in a straight line with your body.
- Move this raised leg up and down a small distance for a few repetitions while keeping it stretched.
- Lower this leg again in a controlled motion to starting position.
- Repeat with your other leg.
8. Forward leg swings
To do forward leg swings take the following steps:
- Stand up straight next to a stable object. Grab this stable object and hold it throughout the exercise.
- Tilt your body to one side so that you shift your weight to one leg and the other leg hovers above the ground.
- Move the foot of the hovering leg forward and upward. How far depends on your personal skill level.
- Start moving the foot of the hovering leg backward while keeping up the momentum of the movement.
- Swing back and forth a certain amount of time or number of repetitions and repeat with your other leg.
Besides your glutes, forward leg swings will also engage your hip flexors.
9. Supermans
To do a superman exercise take the following steps:
- Lie down on your stomach on the floor with your arms stretched forward and your legs stretched backward so that your body is in one straight line.
- Move your arms and legs upward. Your weight will rest on your hips. Keep looking downward during the movement.
- Hold this position for a few seconds.
- Move back into starting position in a controlled motion.
The superman exercise also works your core muscles on top of your glutes. You can combine this ankle weight exercise with wrist weights for extra muscle-building potential.
10. Ankle weight jumping jacks
Jumping jacks are another popular bodyweight exercise you can add ankle weights to. To do an ankle weight jumping jack take the following steps:
- Stand up straight with your feet at more or less shoulder width.
- Jump and move your two feet further away from each other. With regular jumping jacks, you move your hands above your head with stretched arms at the same time. Since these exercises are mainly for improving your butt muscles you can also just keep your arms to the side of your body.
- Jump back into the position of step 1.
Besides engaging your glute muscles and thigh muscles, ankle weight jumping jacks will also offer you aerobic exercise benefits.
