When most people think about building stronger glutes, they picture heavy squats, barbells, and long gym sessions. But strength training isn’t the only way to develop a strong, functional backside.
A Pilates booty workout takes a different approach. Instead of focusing only on resistance, Pilates emphasizes activation, alignment, and control, helping you engage the glutes more effectively while supporting healthy movement patterns.
If you’re newer to Pilates and curious about what makes it different from traditional workouts, I explain the fundamentals in What Is Pilates, Really? Why You NEED to Be Doing It.
Strong glutes do much more than improve how your jeans fit. They help support posture, reduce back and knee pain, improve balance, and power many of the movements you perform every day.
In this guide, we’ll break down why glute strength matters, how Pilates glute exercises work, and the benefits you can expect from a Pilates booty workout.
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Your glutes are the largest and most powerful muscle group in the body, and they play a major role in everyday movement like walking, running, lifting, climbing stairs, maintaining posture, and balancing on one leg.
They’re made up of three muscles:
Gluteus maximus – drives power and hip extension
Gluteus medius – stabilizes the pelvis and supports balance
Gluteus minimus – assists with hip stability and rotation
Together, these muscles support nearly every lower-body movement.
The problem? Modern life keeps us sitting for hours each day. Over time, this can lead to “gluteal amnesia,” where the glutes become underactive. Research published in Medicina shows prolonged sitting can reduce glute activation and contribute to lower back pain and movement dysfunction.
When the glutes stop doing their job, other muscles like the lower back and hip flexors step in to compensate—and that’s when pain and movement issues can begin.
A Pilates booty workout trains the glutes differently than traditional strength workouts. Instead of relying only on heavy resistance, Pilates focuses on activation, alignment, and control, helping the glutes work more effectively.
Here are three reasons Pilates glute exercises are so effective:
Many people struggle to grow their glutes because other muscles take over instead.
Common compensations include:
Pilates teaches you how to properly recruit the glutes and improve the mind-muscle connection. Research from the Precision Brain Center shows improved neuromuscular activation can increase muscle engagement during exercise.
Traditional workouts often focus mostly on the gluteus maximus, but the smaller stabilizing muscles are just as important.
Pilates glute exercises target:
This is often done through movements like:
Strengthening these muscles supports hip stability, balance, and proper alignment.
Pilates movements are performed slowly and with control, helping you recruit the right muscles and move with better mechanics. This approach improves the connection between the glutes and deep core, which work together to stabilize the pelvis and spine during movement. If you want to understand this connection further, check out my Pilates Core Exercise Breakdown.
Benefits include:
This often leads to strong glute activation with less joint stress than high-impact workouts.
A stronger backside does far more than improve how your jeans fit. Your glutes support posture, movement, and overall strength.
Weak glutes often force the lower back to take over during movement, which can increase strain on the spine. Research from Core Performance Physical Therapy links weak glute muscles with greater lower-back stress during activities like walking and lifting. Strengthening the glutes helps distribute that workload properly so the lower back doesn’t have to compensate.
Your hips, knees, and ankles work together as a system. When glutes are weak, the knees can collapse inward during movement—known as knee valgus—increasing joint stress. Strengthening the glutes improves hip-knee-ankle alignment and helps reduce injury risk. After dealing with knee pain most of my life, I learned firsthand how important proper glute activation is for movement.
The glutes are a key stabilizer for everyday movements like:
As we age, balance becomes increasingly important. Research from the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation shows that strengthening the hips and glutes can improve stability and reduce fall risk. Pilates often includes single-leg stability exercises that train these muscles effectively.
Long periods of sitting can weaken the glutes and tighten the hip flexors, which may lead to:
Strong glutes stabilize the pelvis and support the spine, helping improve posture and overall movement efficiency.
Your glutes power many athletic movements, including:
According to the Victress Movement, stronger glutes can improve running and jumping, especially for women. Simply put, strong glutes support stronger movement overall.
Yes—Pilates can absolutely help grow and strengthen your glutes.
But like any training method, results depend on a few key factors:
Pilates improves the mind-muscle connection, which helps ensure the glutes are actually doing the work.
To grow your glutes faster, you can incorporate:
These tools increase muscle challenge while still maintaining the controlled movements Pilates is known for. For example, in my Build Your Booty: 20-Minute Sliding Pilates Workout, sliding discs add resistance and instability to activate the glutes and hips more effectively while keeping the workout low-impact.
If you want better results from your Pilates glute exercises, try these tips:
Slow down your movements
Moving with control improves muscle engagement and helps the glutes do the work instead of other muscles taking over.
Focus on glute activation
Think about gently squeezing and lengthening the glutes with each movement to strengthen the mind-muscle connection.
Avoid overusing the lower back
Your glutes—not your lower back—should drive the movement. Keep your core engaged to support proper alignment.
Add light resistance
Resistance bands or ankle weights can increase the challenge and help stimulate the glute muscles.
Stay consistent
For best results, aim for 2–4 Pilates glute workouts per week while allowing time for recovery.
Yes. Pilates can be a very effective glute workout because it focuses on muscle activation, control, and alignment. Many Pilates glute exercises target not only the gluteus maximus, but also the gluteus medius and minimus, which support hip stability, posture, and balance. When practiced consistently, Pilates helps strengthen the glutes while improving overall movement patterns.
Yes, Pilates can help grow and strengthen your glutes over time. While it typically uses lighter resistance than traditional weight training, it improves the mind-muscle connection, helping you engage the glutes more effectively. Adding resistance bands, ankle weights, or a Pilates ball can increase the challenge and support muscle development.
If your glutes aren’t activating, other muscles like the quads, hip flexors, or lower back may be taking over. This can happen from long periods of sitting, sometimes called gluteal amnesia. Pilates helps retrain proper activation through slow, controlled movements that reconnect the glutes to the rest of the body.
Some of the most effective Pilates glute exercises include:
These movements target the glutes from different angles while also strengthening the hips and core.
It can vary from person to person. Some women notice improvements in digestion within a couple of weeks, while other benefits like better workout recovery or steady energy may take a little longer.
Like most wellness habits, consistency is key. Colostrum tends to work best when it’s part of a routine that already includes regular movement, good sleep, and balanced meals.
Most people see results by doing a Pilates glute workout 2–4 times per week. This frequency helps build strength while allowing time for recovery. Consistency is key when it comes to growing stronger glutes.
You don’t need a lot of equipment to get results from a Pilates booty workout. A few small tools can help increase resistance, improve activation, and make glute exercises more challenging. These are some of my favorite Pilates tools for stronger glutes.
Resistance bands are one of the best tools for activating the glutes and adding progressive tension to lower-body exercises. They make a Pilates booty workout more effective by increasing resistance during moves like bridges, squats, and side leg lifts.
Ankle weights add extra resistance to classic Pilates leg exercises like side kicks, donkey kicks, and glute lifts. This simple addition can make a Pilates booty workout more challenging while helping strengthen and sculpt the glutes.
Gliding discs create smooth sliding movements that mimic reformer-style exercises and increase time under tension. They’re great for lunges, hamstring curls, and glute bridges, making them a powerful tool to elevate any Pilates booty workout at home.
Light dumbbells add resistance to movements like squats, lunges, and deadlifts, helping strengthen the glutes and surrounding muscles. They’re perfect for combining Pilates control with strength training to build stronger, more defined glutes.
A supportive Pilates mat provides cushioning and stability for exercises performed on the floor. A thicker mat helps you stay comfortable during bridges, clamshells, and other moves commonly used in a Pilates booty workout.
A foam roller helps release tight hips, hamstrings, and glutes so your muscles can activate more effectively during workouts. Using one before or after training can improve mobility and help your glutes fire properly during lower-body exercises.
A massage gun helps reduce muscle soreness and improve circulation after intense glute workouts. It’s a great recovery tool to keep your muscles feeling loose and ready for your next Pilates or strength session.
Strong glutes are about much more than appearance. They support healthy movement, protect the lower back and knees, improve posture, and help you move with greater strength and stability in everyday life.
A Pilates booty workout is a powerful way to strengthen the glutes because it focuses on proper activation, controlled movement, and balanced muscle development. By training both the larger glute muscles and the smaller stabilizers, Pilates helps build strength while improving alignment and reducing strain on the joints.
If you’re ready to take the next step, I invite you to try my Pilates X Strength Challenge. This program combines the precision of Pilates with strength training to help you build lean muscle, strengthen your core and glutes, and feel stronger from head to toe.
The workouts are designed to be efficient, effective, and doable from home—perfect if you want real results without spending hours in the gym.
Your Friend & Pilates Expert,
Kayla Brugger
Founder of PILATESBODY by Kayla
Founder of PILATESBODY On-Demand
Hi, I'm Kayla Brugger. Certified Pilates Instructor & Minnesota Mama of 2.
My sister would liek to lose a couple of pounds which is why she’s thinking of trying Pilates exercise. Well, thank you for sharing here that this may help strengthen her back too. I also agree with you that this will help increase her balance.
Thank you for reading my blog post! I hope your sister gives Pilates a try. There are so many health benefits other than loosing weight, that’s just an added bonus! I’d love to invite you to one of my May Zoom Ab Blast classes at no cost using promo code: MAYABS
I love the app and the 8 week challenge! I’ve noticed a whole body improvement.
I am so glad to hear you have noticed a difference and improvement with Pilates, Eden! I am so glad you love the new PILATESBODY On-Demans App for Pilates classes too! Thank you!!
I love how informative you are! I have always been nervous about doing Pilates but you make it look fun and it is actually enjoyable! I have a hard time with weight and working out and this looks like exactly what I am looking for!!
You are so kind, that makes me so happy to hear! I really do love Pilates, and it really is fun and enjoyable! What I love about Pilates is it is low-impact exercises that use your body weight as the only “equipment” unless you want to incorporate simple things like resistance bands, booty bands, etc. It is a total-body workout that involves cardio without running (I dislike running myself). I hope you give Pilates a try! I recommend starting with my 10-Day Core + Ab Challenge ($15 down, 100% refund for finishing) or my 8-Week Complete Core + Booty Challenge (the next challenge group starts September 7th and we go through it together!). I also do Virtual Sessions or Studio Sessions, if you are local. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about Pilates and I would be happy to chat!
Very informative! Looking to def add Pilates into my routine to help with knee troubles I’m going through!
I am so glad you enjoyed my blog post! My knee pain and back pain from my previous career is what brought me to try Pilates, and with it I have been able to manage my pain. I definitely recommend trying my 10-Day Core + Ab Challenge to get started with Pilates! $15 down and I give you 100% refund just for finishing. You will learn fundamental core movements, breathing, and more. Please reach out if you have any questions and I would be happy to chat!
Love Pilates! This gives a lot of good info for people old and new to Pilates. Thanks for sharing!
I am so glad you enjoyed my blog post! I love to not only coach Pilates, but to teach and educate as well. Thank you for stopping by!
Very Amazing way to get better at strengthening your muscles and to discipline yourself.
Definitely! You can develop a great mind-body connection with Pilates. Thanks for stopping by the blog!
would Pilates be hard for someone who is significantly overweight?
Pilates will be challenging when first getting started, but that is the same for all Pilates beginners! Pilates is a great form of exercise to start with because a lot of the exercises and movements use your body weight as “equipment”, and you learn proper body mechanics and movements to prevent injuries. Please reach out if you have any other questions! I’d be happy to chat!
Improving things like body balance and athletic ability really sounds important for my family. My kids have been looking to get into their school sports teams, and my wife really wants us to do what we can to support them so they can grow up with a healthy body frame for those kinds of activities. I’ll take your advice and look for any pilates studios we can go to as a family and start learning that exercise routine.