When it comes to building stronger, more balanced hips, most people immediately think of squats or glute bridges—but there’s a lesser-known hero in your backside: the gluteus minimus. This small but mighty muscle plays a major role in stabilizing your hips, supporting your posture, and powering your lateral movements. Whether you’re an athlete, a desk dweller, or someone just trying to move pain-free, training the gluteus minimus can make a surprising difference. Ready to show this underrated muscle some love? Let’s dive into the 13 best gluteus minimus exercises that will help you walk stronger, run better, and move with more confidence.
🔥 Why Train the Gluteus Minimus?
Benefits of Strengthening the Gluteus Minimus
- Improves hip stability and balance, especially in single-leg movements
- Enhances posture and reduces strain on the lower back
- Reduces risk of knee and ankle injuries
- Supports functional strength for daily activities
- Increases athletic performance in sports requiring lateral motion
- Helps reduce hip dips and improve muscle symmetry
- Promotes better pelvic alignment
- Prevents compensations by overactive muscles like the TFL or lower back
- Assists with smoother, more stable walking or running gait
- Aids in injury prevention during high-impact workouts
- Relieves tension from IT band syndrome
- Contributes to stronger core engagement
- Enhances overall glute definition
- Supports recovery from hip or glute-related injuries
- Strengthens muscles involved in climbing, hiking, or stair use
- Improves agility and coordination
- Reduces imbalances caused by prolonged sitting
- Helps manage chronic hip pain
- Elevates body awareness and control
- Gives your glutes that final “polish” for a well-rounded booty
💪 13 Best Gluteus Minimus Exercises
1. Side-Lying Leg Raises
- A classic move that directly activates the gluteus minimus
- Perfect for beginners and advanced lifters alike
- Works well with ankle weights for added resistance
- Easy to modify with tempo for more burn
- Helps with imbalances between left and right glutes
- Minimal equipment required
- Great activation before a workout
- Teaches proper hip alignment
- Reinforces mind-muscle connection
- Ideal for home workouts
- Can be done on a yoga mat
- Great during rehab phases
- Strengthens abductors with precision
- Helps improve hip symmetry
- Can be combined with clamshells for a killer combo
- Builds control, not just size
- Feels gentle yet effective
- Boosts lateral hip awareness
- Improves flexibility in outer hips
- Sets the tone for glute-focused days
2. Standing Hip Abduction (With or Without Band)
- Builds control while standing upright
- Adds variety to bodyweight workouts
- Great for activating glutes before squats or lunges
- Helps correct knee valgus
- Can be done while brushing your teeth or waiting for coffee
- Excellent option for seniors or post-injury
- Improves functional movement patterns
- Strengthens hips while enhancing balance
- Creates visible toning in hip area
- Travel-friendly with a mini resistance band
- Fires up the stabilizers
- Smooth, controlled movements = solid results
- Encourages better posture through engagement
- Challenges coordination
- Improves foot alignment via stronger hips
- Low-impact but high-results
- A quick “glute wake-up”
- Can be used as a warm-up or finisher
- Makes the hips feel “alive”
- Great mirror feedback for form correction
3. Clamshells (Band Optional)
- Activates both gluteus medius and minimus
- Perfect for correcting imbalances
- Targets those hard-to-reach outer glute fibers
- Easily scalable with resistance bands
- Ideal for people with weak hip stabilizers
- Reduces pressure on knees during squats
- Great for rehab or prehab
- A go-to for PTs and coaches alike
- Isolates the glutes better than most compound moves
- Perfect to do lying down (hello, Netflix workouts!)
- Encourages proper knee tracking
- Combats lazy glutes
- Helps with piriformis syndrome
- Forces core stability when done right
- Strengthens deep glute layers
- Great for postpartum hip recovery
- Can be done anywhere, anytime
- Builds slow-twitch muscle fibers
- Offers serious burn in just a few reps
- Inspires glute-focused movement mindfulness
4. Lateral Band Walks
- Fun and functional
- Burns like crazy in all the right places
- Strengthens lateral movement for sports and life
- Engages glutes without loading the spine
- Builds serious hip control
- Can be modified for beginner to advanced levels
- Great as part of dynamic warm-ups
- Targets both gluteus minimus and medius
- Helps reduce risk of ACL injuries
- Fantastic for runners and lifters alike
- Forces proper squat stance awareness
- Improves coordination and rhythm
- Reinforces hip-knee-foot alignment
- Adds playful challenge to lower body days
- Works inner thighs as well
- Simple yet surprisingly hard
- Can be done indoors or outdoors
- Energizing way to start a workout
- Loved by athletes and physical therapists
- Excellent for group classes
5. Fire Hydrants
- A glute classic that never gets old
- Looks funny, but works seriously well
- Hits small glute muscles hard
- Builds control in the transverse plane
- Fun to add to HIIT or circuits
- Great for warm-ups or burnout sets
- Helps balance glute strength with core stability
- Can be weighted for extra spice
- Challenges your mobility and strength
- Makes your hips feel supported
- Super engaging for the gluteus minimus
- Encourages hip external rotation
- Perfect bodyweight burn
- Loved by dancers and martial artists
- Adds functional flair to floor workouts
- Strengthens lower back support muscles
- Can improve pelvic alignment
- No fancy gear needed
- Feels great in a sequence
- Your hips will thank you
🎯 Activate and Strengthen With Confidence
6. Side Plank with Hip Abduction
7. Curtsy Lunge
8. Cable Hip Abduction
9. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
10. Step-Downs
11. Banded Squats with Lateral Steps
12. Skater Squats
13. Stability Ball Wall Press (Isometric)
- Targets the gluteus minimus with focus and precision
- Adds intensity and variety to your glute workouts
- Reinforces balance and unilateral strength
- Helps prevent hip drop in single-leg moves
- Combines strength with core stability
- Perfect for developing athletic movement
- Increases mobility and strength simultaneously
- Encourages coordination and grace
- Works well in strength or rehab settings
- Provides feedback to improve posture
- Ideal for advanced glute engagement
- Boosts glute recruitment in compound lifts
- Can be easily adapted with equipment or bodyweight
- Fun challenges for experienced lifters
- Tones and tightens the hips
- Helps with balance and proprioception
- Strengthens stabilizers often missed in traditional workouts
- Builds confidence in lateral strength
- Great for sculpting the side booty
- Functional strength you’ll feel in daily life
✨ Final Thoughts: Small Muscle, Big Impact
The gluteus minimus might not get as much spotlight as the glute max, but its role in building strong, stable, and balanced hips is huge. Training this underrated muscle doesn’t require a gym full of equipment—just a bit of focus, consistency, and the right exercises. Whether you’re powering through squats, sprinting down the field, or simply aiming to feel better and move easier, your gluteus minimus deserves attention. Add a few of these exercises to your routine, and you’ll be surprised how much stronger and more aligned you feel. Here’s to stronger hips, better movement, and a more confident you!
Emily Rose Johnson is a passionate writer with a knack for crafting engaging content. She specializes in communication strategies, digital marketing, and creative storytelling.
