How to Build and Lift Your Upper Glutes: Best At-Home and Gym Workouts

When most people talk about growing their glutes, they often focus on the lower and middle portions of the gluteus maximus. But if you’re aiming for that full, lifted, and rounded look from the side and back, you can’t neglect the upper glutes. This part of the glute muscle—mainly the upper gluteus maximus and parts of the gluteus medius—is what gives that sculpted "top shelf" look.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the best exercises and training strategies for lifting and building the upper buttocks, whether you’re working out at home or in the gym.

---

Understanding the Upper Glute Muscles

The upper portion of the glutes is made up primarily of:

• Upper gluteus maximus – the thickest and largest part of the glute, but with fiber angles that can be trained specifically for lift.

• Gluteus medius – plays a major role in hip stability and gives that firm, high curve at the top of the butt.

• Gluteus minimus – deeper muscle, important for function and shaping.

Targeting these areas requires more than just squats and lunges. You need a combination of hip abduction, hip extension, and glute activation work to hit them effectively.

---

Best At-Home Exercises for Upper Glutes

You don’t need machines to sculpt a lifted top booty. These bodyweight and resistance band exercises work just fine:

1. Banded Glute Bridge with Hip Abduction

• Start in a basic glute bridge position with a mini-band above your knees.

• At the top of the bridge, hold and push your knees outward (abduction).

• This adds extra activation to the upper glute area.

2. Standing Kickbacks (Straight-Leg)

• Anchor a band around a low object or use a loop band around your ankle.

• Kick straight back and slightly diagonally upward.

• Keep tension at the top and squeeze.

3. Side-Lying Clamshells with Bands

• Focus on pushing through your heel, not your toes.

• Small, controlled movements with good form can seriously burn the upper booty muscles.

4. Quadruped Donkey Kicks + Fire Hydrants Superset

• Alternate sets of donkey kicks (back and up) with fire hydrants (out to the side).

• This superset will torch your upper glutes in under 3 minutes.

5. Wall-lean Hip Extensions

• Stand facing a wall, lean your hands against it, and kick one leg back and up in a slow, controlled motion.

• Hold at the top to increase time-under-tension.

---

Best Upper Booty Workouts at the Gym

If you have access to gym equipment, you can increase resistance and isolate better:

1. Reverse Hack Squat (High and Wide Stance)

• Standing high with feet up on the platform targets the glute max, especially the upper fibers.

• Focus on squeezing at the top of the motion.

2. Cable Kickbacks (High Angle)

• Attach the ankle strap low, but kick slightly up and back to bias the upper glutes.

• Slow tempo with full range = major gains.

3. Glute-Focused Bulgarian Split Squats

• Lean slightly forward and keep weight in your front heel.

• This angle increases upper glute stretch and engagement.

4. Incline Walking on Treadmill (With Glute Focus)

• Long strides and a slight lean forward engage the upper buttock area.

• Optional: Wear a mini band for added resistance.

5. Seated Hip Abduction (Leaning Forward)

• Leaning forward while performing this isolates more of the glute medius.

• Pause at the end of each rep for extra contraction.

---

How to Grow and Lift the Top of Your Booty: Training Tips

• Train 2–3x/week with progressive overload.

• Use glute activation drills before each session to make sure you're not relying on your quads or lower back.

• Mind-muscle connection matters. Think: "push from the glutes," not just move the weight.

• Prioritize recovery. Glutes grow when you rest and eat properly—don’t overlook protein and sleep.

---

My Experience with Targeting the Upper Glutes

When I first started glute training, I focused heavily on traditional squats and deadlifts. While they helped overall size, I noticed my upper glutes looked flat in photos—even though my strength had gone up. After incorporating more single-leg work, abduction drills, and cable kickbacks, I saw noticeable roundness and lift within six weeks. For me, the real game-changer was adding short banded upper glute circuits at the end of each leg day. That burn meant I was hitting the right spot—and the results followed.

---

Final Thoughts

Growing and lifting the upper glutes takes more intention than just doing squats or leg presses. With the right combination of activation, isolation, and progression, you can build the top of your glutes and sculpt a high, rounded booty. Whether you’re at home with just a band or hitting the gym with full equipment, consistency is what brings the results.

Start with 3–4 of these exercises per session, focus on form over weight, and keep tracking your progress. Your upper glutes will thank you.