Get ready to sweat with this effective booty workout. You can use only your bodyweight or add light dumbbells for extra resistance. This session combines cardio and strength to target the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, and it can be completed in about 45 minutes—perfect for a focused leg day or when you have limited time.
Hi—Linley here. It’s been a while since I posted a full workout. If you follow our team on Instagram you’ll have seen bits of our routine, but here’s the full breakdown of a circuit-style booty burner we’ve been using. We rotate our workouts regularly to match our bodies’ needs, and lately that includes more yoga, climbing, and cycling for mobility, mental health, and joint support. This routine is one of the bodyweight-and-optional-weights sessions we like to return to when we want a compact, results-driven workout.
Why this workout works:
- Flexible intensity: do it with bodyweight or add light dumbbells (5–10 lb) to increase resistance.
- Balanced approach: alternating strength moves and short cardio bursts keeps your heart rate up while building glute and leg strength.
- Time-efficient: the full session, including brief rests and a cooldown, fits into roughly 45 minutes.
- Great for leg day and cross-training: it complements running, cycling, and climbing by building the supporting muscle groups around the hips and knees.
This workout has been especially helpful for me as I rebuild strength around my IT band and knees while training for a half marathon. Short, focused strength sessions like this help shore up the muscles that support joints and improve overall running resilience. You can adapt the exercises and intensity to your current fitness level.
Full-Body and Cross-Training Options
- Total Body Superset Strength Training Workout
- Full Body Workouts (various routines)
- Power and Plyo Workout
- 15 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere
- Lower Body Booty Blast Countdown
Booty Workout
Structure: Perform each strength exercise for 1 minute and each cardio burst for 30 seconds. Complete each circuit three times, then rest 1 minute between circuits. The complete session, including a cooldown with stretching, totals about 45 minutes. Use light dumbbells (5–10 lb) if desired.
Equipment needed: Optional 5–10 lb dumbbells
Circuit #1
- Lunge with leg lift (right) — focus on controlled movement and glute squeeze at the top.
- Cardio: Jumping jacks (30 seconds)
- Lunge with leg lift (left) — keep knee tracking over toes and core engaged.
- Cardio: High knees (30 seconds)
- Squat with twist (alternating) — use the torso rotation to engage core and glutes.
- Cardio: Butt kickers (30 seconds)
Rest 1 minute
Circuit #2
- Airplane to front raise (right) — hinge at the hip for the airplane, then transition to a front shoulder raise if using weights. Keep hips level.
- Cardio: Jumping jacks (30 seconds)
- Airplane to lateral raise (left) — same hip-hinge mechanics; add a lateral raise to challenge stability.
- Cardio: High knees (30 seconds)
- In-and-out squats — move feet wider and narrower while squatting to target adductors and quads.
- Cardio: Butt kickers (30 seconds)
Rest 1 minute
Circuit #3
- Glute leg lifts (right) — perform slow, controlled hip extension, focusing on the glute contraction.
- Cardio: Jumping jacks (30 seconds)
- Glute leg lifts (left) — keep pelvis square and avoid arching the lower back.
- Cardio: High knees (30 seconds)
- Squat pulses — stay low in a squat and pulse to increase time under tension.
- Cardio: Butt kickers (30 seconds)
Modifications and tips:
- Beginner: Reduce each strength interval to 40 seconds and give yourself 20 seconds active rest before the cardio burst. Skip added weights until form is solid.
- Advanced: Add heavier dumbbells, increase strength intervals to 75–90 seconds, or shorten rest periods to increase intensity.
- Form cues: Keep a neutral spine, engage the core, and initiate movements from the hips. Breathe steadily—exhale on exertion.
- Warm-up: Always start with 5–10 minutes of dynamic mobility (leg swings, hip circles, light jogging or marching) to prepare joints and muscles.
- Cooldown: Finish with gentle stretching for the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and hip flexors, and include a few deep breaths to lower heart rate.
Disclaimer: I am not a certified personal trainer. Always check with your doctor before starting a new fitness program and listen to your body. Adjust volume and intensity to suit your current fitness and any existing injuries.