If your upper glutes look flat no matter how much you train, this is for you.
Most glute workouts don't target the upper portion at all. They hit the mid and lower glutes, then call it a day. The result? No booty shelf. No upper lift. Just frustration.
I've been there. I trained hard for months and still couldn't figure out why my upper glutes weren't responding. Then I found out what was actually missing.
This article covers exactly what an upper butt workout is, why your upper glutes aren't growing, and the 17 best exercises to fix that.A full weekly schedule is included too.
Let's get into it.
What Is an Upper Butt Workout?
An upper butt workout focuses on the gluteus medius, the gluteus minimus, and the upper fibers of the gluteus maximus. These sit at the top and sides of your glutes.A regular glute workout usually trains the mid and lower glutes through squats and hip thrusts.
But to build that full, rounded booty shelf look, you need to target the upper portion too.Hip abduction movements and single-leg exercises are the key here.
They activate the gluteus medius directly, which standard compound lifts often miss. The gluteus minimus, the deepest glute muscle, also fires during these moves and plays a big role in giving your upper glutes that lifted, perky shape.
Training these muscles adds width and lift to the top of your glutes, giving you that fuller shape from behind. On top of that, strong upper glutes support pelvic stability, which means better form on squats, deadlifts, and lunges, and a lower risk of injury.
Why Your Upper Glutes Aren't Growing
Here's the real reason your upper glutes are stuck. And it's probably not what you think.
- Relying only on squats and hip thrusts: These hit the mid and lower glutes through hip extension. The gluteus medius, the muscle responsible for that booty shelf shape, barely fires.
- Not training hip abduction: This is the movement pattern your upper glutes actually need. Without it, the gluteus medius never gets a direct training stimulus.
- Poor mind-muscle connection: If you can't consciously feel your upper glutes working each rep, they're not growing. Simple as that.
- Skipping glute activation: Going straight into heavy lifts lets your quads and hamstrings take over completely.
17 Best Upper Butt Workout Exercises for a Fuller Booty Shelf
These 17 moves directly target your upper glutes so you can finally build the shape you've been working toward.
1. Banded Lateral Walk
Place a resistance band just above your knees and stand with feet hip-width apart. Step side to side in a controlled way, keeping tension in the band the whole time.
This move fires the gluteus medius hard. Research has found it one of the most effective exercises for glute med activation, so use it as a warm-up or finisher.
Keep your chest up and avoid letting your knees cave in. Go slow and feel the burn at the side of your glutes. Do 3 sets of 15 steps in each direction.
2. Cable Hip Abduction
Stand next to a cable machine with the ankle attachment on your outer ankle. Keep a slight bend in your standing knee. Lift your working leg out to the side in a slow, controlled arc.
Move explosively on the way up and control the lowering phase that's where time under tension builds the muscle. Hold at the top for a second before lowering.
This isolates the upper glute without involving your lower back. It's one of the best moves for direct gluteus medius work. Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per side.
3. Side-Lying Hip Abduction
Lie on your side with your legs stacked and your body in a straight line. Lift your top leg up toward the ceiling, keeping your foot flexed and your hips stacked.
Don't roll back. Lower slowly. Add an ankle weight when bodyweight feels too easy. This is a great isolation move you can do anywhere.
It targets the upper glutes with zero equipment. Do 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps per side.
4. Fire Hydrants
Get on all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keeping your knee bent, lift one leg out to the side like a dog at a fire hydrant.
Squeeze at the top, then lower with control. This move hits the gluteus medius and upper glute fibers directly.
Add a resistance band above the knees to increase the challenge. Do 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
5. Clamshells
Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent at about 45 degrees. Keep your feet together and rotate your top knee up toward the ceiling.
Don't let your hips rock backward. Hold at the top and squeeze before lowering. A resistance band above the knees makes this much harder.
Clamshells are low-impact and great for activating the glute med before heavier work. Do 3 sets of 20 reps per side.
6. Side Plank with Hip Abduction
Get into a side plank on your forearm with your body in a straight line. Brace your core and lift your top leg toward the ceiling, leading with your heel and pointing your toes down.
Hold at the top, then lower slowly. This move builds the gluteus medius and minimus while also training hip stability.
Studies show it produces high activation in the upper glutes. Bend both knees if the full version is too hard to start. Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side.
7. Curtsy Lunges
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Step one foot behind and across your body into a deep curtsy position.
Lower your back knee toward the floor. Push back up through your front heel. This hits the gluteus medius and upper glute from a different angle than standard lunges.
It also works your inner thighs. Keep your chest upright throughout. Add dumbbells when you're ready. Do 3 sets of 12 reps per side.
8. Bulgarian Split Squats
Stand facing away from a bench and place one foot on it behind you. Lower your front knee toward the floor, keeping your chest tall.
Drive back up through your front heel. This single-leg move builds serious glute strength and size.
The rear elevation increases the stretch on your working glute and forces the gluteus medius to work hard to keep your hips level. Do 3 sets of 10 reps per leg.
9. Step-Ups
Find a sturdy bench or box. Step up with one foot and drive through that heel to stand tall on top.
Lower back down with control. Don't push off with your back foot. All the work should come from the leg on the box.
This builds strength in the upper glutes and glute med at the same time. Hold dumbbells to add load. Do 3 sets of 12 reps per side.
10. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand to your standing leg and hinge forward on that leg. Let the weight hang in front of you as your free leg extends straight back.
Keep your back flat and your standing knee slightly bent. Drive back up by squeezing your glute.
Holding the weight contralaterally helps you balance and increases glute medius activation. Go slow and controlled. Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg.
11. Walking Lunges
Take a big step forward and lower your back knee toward the floor. Push off and bring your back foot forward into the next lunge. Keep walking for the full set.
Walking lunges hit the glutes more than static lunges because of the extended range of motion.
For even more glute med activation, hold a single dumbbell on the opposite side of your leading leg. Focus on driving through your heel as you rise. Do 3 sets of 12 reps per leg.
12. Lateral Lunges
Stand with feet together. Take a wide step to one side and lower your hips by bending that knee. Keep the other leg straight.
Push back to the start. This move hits the gluteus medius and inner thigh while training hip mobility. It's often ignored but highly effective for upper glute width.
Go as low as your hips allow without your torso falling forward. Do 3 sets of 12 reps per side.
13. Hip Thrusts
Sit against a bench with a barbell across your hips. Plant your feet flat on the floor. Drive your hips up until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
Squeeze your glutes hard at the top. Lower slowly. Hip thrusts are the gold standard for glute activation and size.
They hit the entire glute but especially the upper and mid fibers under load. Do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
14. Single-Leg Hip Thrusts
Same setup as a hip thrust but with one foot flat on the ground and the other leg extended. Drive up through the grounded heel and squeeze your glute at the top.
Single-leg work corrects imbalances and forces each side to work independently.
The upper glute works harder here than in the bilateral version. Lower slowly and with full control. Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg.
15. Frog Pumps
Lie on your back with your feet together and knees out wide in a frog position. Drive your hips up by squeezing your glutes, then lower with control.
This is a high-rep burnout move that targets the upper and outer glutes. It also takes pressure off your lower back compared to hip thrusts.
Do these at the end of your workout as a finisher. Aim for 3 sets of 25 to 30 reps.
16. Donkey Kicks
Get on all fours with your core tight. Keeping your knee bent, kick one leg back and up toward the ceiling.
Squeeze your glute hard at the top before lowering. Don't arch your lower back to get more range.
Add an ankle weight or resistance band to increase the burn. This is a classic upper glute isolation move that works at any fitness level. Do 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps per side.
17. Standing Banded Hip Abduction
Wrap a resistance band around your ankles and stand near a wall for support. Shift your weight to one leg and lift the other leg out to the side.
Hold for a second at the top, then lower with control. Keep your standing leg slightly bent and your core tight.
This move directly targets the gluteus medius without any equipment beyond a band. It's simple and very effective. Do 3 sets of 15 reps per side.
Weekly Upper Butt Workout Schedule for Faster Growth
A smart weekly plan makes all the difference. here's exactly how to structure your training for consistent upper glute progress.
Day 1: Strength-focused upper glutes. Heavy compound lifts like Bulgarian split squats, sumo deadlifts, and step-ups to build strength and muscle.
Day 2: Recovery or mobility. Light stretching, hip circles, and foam rolling to help your glutes recover. Foam rolling after sessions also helps reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) so you can train again sooner.
Day 3:Glute hypertrophy. Moderate weight, higher reps — hip thrusts, single-leg deadlifts, and curtsy lunges to build muscle volume.
Day 4: Rest. Full rest day. Sleep and nutrition do the heavy lifting here.
Day 5:Upper glute isolation and burnout. Banded lateral walks, clamshells, fire hydrants, and frog pumps to fully fatigue the upper fibers.
Recovery recommendations: Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep, eat enough protein (around 0.7 to 1g per pound of body weight), make sure you're eating enough calories to support muscle growth, and space your sessions at least 48 hours apart.
Tips to Build a Fuller Booty Shelf Faster
Small tweaks to your training can speed up your upper glute results significantly.
- Activate before every session: Do clamshells or banded lateral walks before lifting to wake up the gluteus medius.
- Build your mind-muscle connection: Slow your reps down and focus on feeling the upper glutes contract with every single rep.
- Add load every 1 to 2 weeks: Increase reps, resistance, or band weight to keep giving your glutes a new growth signal.
- Use a 3-second lowering phase: Slowing the eccentric increases time under tension, which drives more size and shape.
- Train upper glutes twice a week: Two focused sessions per week gives the gluteus medius enough stimulus to actually grow.
How Long Does It Take to Build a Fuller Booty Shelf?
Most people start to see visible changes in their upper glutes within 8 to 12 weeks of focused training.
But the full booty shelf look takes longer, usually 4 to 6 months of consistent work.How fast you progress depends on how often you train, how hard you push, how well you eat, and how much you sleep.
Genetics also play a role in where your body stores muscle.
Signs your upper glutes are getting stronger include better balance on single-leg moves, more burn at the top of your glutes during exercises, and your jeans fitting differently around the hips.Progress is real even when it feels slow.
Conclusion
Training hard and seeing zero upper glute results is frustrating. I've been there.
But once I stopped relying only on squats and added direct upper glute work, things changed fast. The booty shelf I wanted actually started showing up.
Now it's your turn.
Pick 4 to 5 exercises from this list and start this week. Stay consistent, eat enough protein, and trust the process.
Drop a comment below. Which exercise are you trying first?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you grow your upper glutes without weights?
Yes, bodyweight moves like fire hydrants, clamshells, and side-lying hip abductions can build the upper glutes effectively when done with high reps and slow control.
Do upper glute exercises help with hip dips?
Yes, directly training the gluteus medius through hip abduction movements adds muscle and fullness to the area, which can reduce the appearance of hip dips over time.
Should I train upper glutes on leg day or glute day?
Either works, but adding 2 to 3 upper glute isolation moves at the start of your session ensures the gluteus medius gets activated before fatigue sets in.
Why do I feel upper glute exercises in my hips instead of my glutes?
This usually means your hip flexors are taking over, so slow down, reduce the range of motion slightly, and focus on squeezing the glute at the top of each rep.
