Daisy Keech’s workouts became hugely popular during the pandemic, with one hourglass workout racking up nearly 10 million views as we all rushed to stay in shape while working out from home. But if you’re looking for some inspiration now you’re returning to the gym, Keech has put together three of her go-to glute exercises for sculpting your lower body.
Of course, ‘growing’ your glute muscles doesn’t happen overnight, and to increase the size of your glutes, you’ll need to focus on exercises that train the glutes in isolation. The glutes are made of three major muscles.
There's the gluteus minimus, which is the smallest of the three glute muscles that work to stabilize your hips when walking. Then there's the gluteus medius, which aids hip abduction, lateral rotation and medial rotation of the hips and pelvis. And you have the gluteus maximus, which is the biggest glute muscle, which helps move the thigh and shapes the glute area.
We’ve already rounded up some of the best glute exercises here, including how to build your glutes without weights, but instead of doing hundreds of squats on your next leg day, why not try Daisy Keech’s signature moves? Keech shared her ‘booty circuit’ on TikTok, which has since amassed 1.5 million views.
@daisykeech ♬ No More Parties - Coi Leray
What are Daisy Keech’s go-to glutes exercises?
In her video, Keech targets her glute muscles using the following exercises. She performs three sets of each exercise to work into the glute muscles. Of course, to get long-term results, you should pair exercise with good nutrition, and what works for Keech might not be right for you or your body, so it’s always good to check with your doctor or a personal trainer before following a new routine.
Weighted squats: Keech performs her squats standing on a bench, holding a weight plate, but you could easily do these holding a dumbbell or a kettlebell, or with a bar on your back. (We’ve found the best adjustable dumbbells for weightlifting at home here). To do a weighted squat, stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, with your toes pointing outwards. To start the squat, bend your knees and hips as if you’re sitting on a chair that’s directly beneath you. As you squat down, push your knees outwards so that they track directly over your middle toe.
As you squat lower, push your chest out, and keep your eyes looking straight ahead to keep your back flat and avoid hunching or rounding your spine. Squat down as low as you can while keeping your knees in line with your feet and your back flat, then push with your feet to stand back up to your starting position. If you don’t have weights, here’s how to do resistance band squats, plus the variations to try.
Keech performs three sets of 18-20 squats.
Single-leg hip thrusts: Hip thrusts are another isolation exercise that work the glutes. Keech performs the single-leg hip thrusts with a dumbbell across her pelvis to make the move harder, but if you’re new to the exercise, just use your bodyweight. To do a single-leg hip thrust, start by supporting your back or upper body on a bench, and place one foot flat on the floor, with a 90 degree bend in your knee. Raise your other leg off the ground, keeping the bend in your knee, and thrust your hips up to the ceiling, so they are in line with your torso. Hold at the top for a couple of seconds, before lowering back to your starting position.
Keech performs three sets of 15-20 reps on each leg.
Resistance band rainbows: The final move requires you to use a small looped resistance band. We’ve found the best resistance bands to use for your home workouts here. Start in a tabletop position, with the resistance band around your thighs. Straighten one leg, extending it out behind you and, keeping your leg straight, raise it up and then tap it to the side of the opposite foot, before taking it back out straight behind you.
Keech performs three sets of 18-20 reps each side.
Looking for more workout inspiration? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve found the best exercises to do if you sit down all day, the exercise that is better than squats at working your glutes, and the best ab workouts you can do from just about anywhere.
