NEW YEAR. BETTER BUTT: BEST CARDIO WORKOUTS FOR YOUR GLUTES

Are you looking to shape, tone, and build stronger glutes in the new year? Whether you’re a gym regular or just starting, we’ll dive into the best cardio workouts for glutes to enhance your overall fitness and prepare you for that sculpted look. From HIIT to incline walking, these glute workouts are designed to help you reach your goals while keeping your heart in great shape.

What You Learn:

• Why Cardio for Glutes? The Science Behind Toning Your Butt with Cardio
• Best Cardio Machines for Glutes
• Best Cardio Workouts for Glutes
• Supercharge Your Glute Gains at the EōS Fitness BBL Studio

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Why Cardio for Glutes? The Science Behind Toning Your Butt with Cardio

Cardio is an excellent way to build muscle and improve definition, especially in your glutes! If your goal is to tone and strengthen, here’s why adding cardio to your routine is key to achieving those glute gains:

1. Targets Multiple Muscle Groups: Exercises like stair climbing and incline walking engage all three major glute muscles—the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. These exercises focus on muscle recruitment, which means more muscle fibers are activated with each movement, leading to better muscle definition over time.
2. Builds Muscle Endurance: Cardio helps build endurance in the slow-twitch muscle fibers of your glutes, allowing them to work harder for longer. This is key for exercises like squats and lunges, where sustained strength is essential for the best results.
3. Enhances Fat Loss and Toning: Want to show off those muscles you’ve been working so hard for? Cardio is one of the most effective ways to reduce body fat, revealing the toned muscle underneath. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) can be an especially powerful tool for glute growth because it burns fat fast while boosting muscle tone—all in one intense, calorie-torching workout.
4. Boosts Overall Fitness and Balance: Incorporating cardio into your glute-focused routine can also help improve your balance and stability. Many cardio exercises require core and leg engagement, supporting better posture and coordination. This type of training strengthens the stabilizing muscles in your hips, lower back, and legs, helping to reduce the risk of injury during more intense glute-strengthening exercises.

Best Cardio Machines for Glutes

Looking for a way to work your glutes that gets your heart pumping? Here are the best cardio machines to use for a butt-kicking cardio session:

1. Stair Climber

Stair climbing is a surefire way to target your glutes. To activate this muscle group, take slow, deep steps and occasionally skip a step. Side steps can also engage your glutes more intensely.

Pro tip: For an extra burn, alternate between skipping steps and double stepping for higher resistance. Try mixing in side shuffles or walking backward to engage different parts of your glutes and build balance and coordination simultaneously.

2. Treadmill

Walking or running at an incline is one of the simplest ways to activate your glutes. Aim for a 10-15% incline to get the best results. To add variation, try brisk walking and transition into intervals of running.
Pro tip: Keep your hands off the treadmill rails to ensure full glute engagement.

3. The Elliptical Machine

Does the elliptical build your glutes, too? The answer is yes! The elliptical is great for targeting your glutes, particularly when you focus on pushing through your heels. Try an elliptical workout in the MOVEōS Cinema to keep you entertained while burning calories.
Pro tip: Increase resistance and maintain a steady, controlled pace to focus on glute engagement.

Best Cardio Workouts for Glutes

Looking to boost your cardio while getting those glutes in top shape? These workouts are designed to do just that—sculpt your glutes, torch calories, and improve your overall fitness. Add them to your routine two to three times a week, and watch your glutes get stronger, more toned, and more defined with every step, climb, and stride.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) Workout for Glutes

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is a powerful way to build glutes while boosting cardiovascular fitness. By alternating between short, intense bursts of activity and brief rest periods, this workout keeps your glutes fully engaged, helping you tone and strengthen while burning calories. It’s perfect for those looking for maximum impact in minimal time.

Total Duration: 20-25 minutes (including warm-up and cool-down)

Intensity: High

• Warm-up (3 minutes):
  • Bodyweight Squats (1 minute): Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lower into a squat and push through your heels to stand up, engaging your glutes.
  • Leg Swings (30 seconds per leg): Swing one leg forward and back in a controlled motion. Switch after 30 seconds.
  • Walking Lunges (1 minute): Step forward into a lunge, keeping your core tight. Alternate legs as you move forward. See more cardio warm-up exercises here.
• Workout:
  • Jump Squats (30 seconds): Start in a squat position. Explode upwards into a jump, reaching as high as you can. Land softly with bent knees to protect your joints and immediately lower back into a squat for the next rep.
  • Rest (15 seconds)
  • Backward Lunges (30 seconds): Step backward into a lunge, making sure your front knee stays behind your toes. Push through your front heel to return to standing. Alternate legs with each step.
  • Rest (15 seconds)
  • Burpees with Jump Squat (30 seconds): Start in a standing position, drop into a squat, and place your hands on the floor. Jump your feet back into a plank, do a push-up, jump your feet forward again, and explode up into a jump squat. Repeat for 30 seconds.
  • Rest (15 seconds)
  • Repeat the circuit 3-4 times for a challenging glute workout.
  • Cool-down (5 minutes)
  • Pigeon Pose (1 minute per side): From a plank position, bring one knee forward and extend the opposite leg back, stretching your hips and glutes.
  • Standing Quad Stretch (30 seconds per leg): Stand on one leg and pull your opposite heel toward your glute, keeping your knees close together.
  • Seated Hamstring Stretch (1 minute): Sit with your legs extended and reach forward to stretch your hamstrings.
  • Child’s Pose (1 minute): Kneel, sit back on your heels, and extend your arms forward, allowing your chest to lower toward the ground.

Stair Climber Workout for Glutes

Climbing stairs works all three parts of the glutes while elevating your heart rate, making it an excellent choice for building and toning your glutes. Follow this workout for optimal results:

• Total Duration: 25-35 minutes (including warm-up and cool-down)
• Intensity: Moderate to High
• Warm-up: 3-5 minutes at level 4-5.
• Workout:
  • 2 minutes of steps at levels 7-8 (slow, controlled movements with a full range of motion).
  • 1 minute of skipping a step at levels 6-7 to emphasize glute activation.
  • 1 minute of side steps (30 seconds on each side) at levels 6-7.
  • Repeat the cycle for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool-down: 3 minutes at levels 3-4 with slow, easy stepping.

Treadmill Workout for Glutes

Walking on an incline is a simple but powerful way to engage the glutes. But how much incline on the treadmill do you need to target your glutes? Try aiming for an incline of 8%-15% to really fire up those glute muscles. At this level, you’ll activate your glutes more effectively than walking on flat terrain. Here’s a glute-focused incline treadmill routine to get you started:

• Total Duration: 35-40 minutes (including warm-up and cool-down)
• Intensity: Moderate to High
• Warm-up: 5 minutes walking at a 2-3% incline (speed around 3.0 mph).
• Workout:
  • 3 minutes walking at a 10-12% incline (speed around 3.0-3.5 mph).
  • 2 minutes walking at a 15% incline (speed around 2.8-3.0 mph).
  • 1 minute walking at an 8% incline (speed around 3.0-3.5 mph).
  • Repeat the cycle for 25-30 minutes.
• Cool-down: 5 minutes walking at a 0-2% incline.

Elliptical Workout for Glutes

For a glute-focused elliptical workout, follow these resistance and speed guidelines. Make sure to push through your heels throughout the elliptical workout to maximize glute engagement.

• Total Duration: 30-40 minutes (including warm-up and cool-down)
• Intensity: Moderate to High
• Warm-up: 5 minutes at resistance level 4-5 (60-65 RPM).
• Workout:
  • Pedal forward at resistance level 7-8 for 3 minutes (55-60 RPM).
  • Increase to resistance level 10-12 for 2 minutes (50-55 RPM).
  • Reverse pedal at resistance level 8-9 for 2 minutes (50-55 RPM).
  • Repeat the cycle for 20-30 minutes.
• Cool-down: 5 minutes at resistance level 4-5 (60-65 RPM).

Achieve Your Glute Goals This Year at EōS Fitness

If you’re serious about building your glutes, then this dedicated space is packed with specialized equipment designed to target and sculpt your glutes. From resistance bands to glute-focused tools, you’ll have everything you need to activate those muscles and see results. By combining strength training exercises at the Booty Builder Lab with cardio workouts, you’ll achieve a powerful, well-rounded lower body transformation.

Ready to make your glute goals a reality this New Year? Sign up for a Complimentary 7-Day Pass and experience everything EōS has to offer, and access to our Personal Trainers, who can craft a glute-focused plan tailored just for you. Whether you want to tone, lift, or build strength, EōS Fitness is your home go-to for real results. Don’t wait—start your fitness journey today and see how EōS can help you elevate your workouts (and your glutes!).