Yoga Workout for Beginners to Sculpt Your Glutes

There is indeed such a thing as a “yoga booty,” and this beginner yoga workout designed to tone your backside will help you achieve this seemingly elusive goal! While a solid yoga session can certainly help you find your inner peace, yoga is not just about breathing and meditation. In fact, when you perform the poses in the right sequence, you can burn significant calories while toning and sculpting your muscles.

The health benefits of yoga are numerous as well. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, studies show that individuals who practice yoga regularly experience an enhanced quality of life. Additional benefits include reduced stress, lower resting heart rate and blood pressure, decreased anxiety, improved low back pain and function, relief from depression and insomnia, and better overall fitness, strength, and flexibility.

And let’s not overlook the concept of the yoga booty. What was once a term found only in Urban Dictionary has now become part of everyday language, describing a firm, lifted, sculpted rear that looks fantastic in yoga pants. We’ve compiled a series of beginner-friendly poses that will help you develop your yoga booty by focusing on movements that engage your glutes and core for a stunning physique. All you need is a yoga mat, a quiet space, and comfortable clothing to get started.

Begin with your feet hip-width apart and take a deep breath, raising your hands overhead. As you exhale, lift your kneecaps, elongate your spine, and fold forward. Keep your knees straight and your head neutral as you reach toward the floor. This movement will activate your glutes and lower back while providing a nice stretch.

Hold at the bottom, then inhale and return to a standing position. Start with your feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed at your sides, and your spine aligned. Inhale and lift your arms overhead with palms facing each other, then exhale as you sit back into your glutes as if lowering into a chair. Aim to get your thighs as close to parallel to the floor as possible. Yoga experts at Yoga Outlet suggest keeping about 80% of your weight in your heels during this pose, allowing you to wiggle your toes while holding it. Breathe deeply, focusing on lowering your hips while pressing your shoulder blades down and extending through your fingertips. Hold this pose for five to ten breaths, or up to one minute.

To set up this pose, start on your hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Spread your fingers wide and ensure even pressure on each knuckle. Inhale and tuck your toes, then exhale and lift your hips toward the ceiling while extending your legs. Visualize your body forming an inverted “V” shape, with a straight line from your heels to your tailbone and from your wrists to your tailbone. Keep your head and neck neutral and relaxed, gazing toward your belly button. Press your heels into the mat while drawing your shoulder blades down your spine to keep your shoulders away from your ears. Breathe deeply for three to five breaths, then release and repeat the movement.

All Warrior poses—Warrior 1, 2, and 3—are excellent for targeting your glutes. You can easily transition between the three poses, but Warrior 1 is particularly beginner-friendly. Yoga Journal also recommends this pose as a therapeutic option for those with sciatica pain. To perform the pose, start with your feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed at your sides, and your spine neutral. Inhale, then exhale as you step your feet 3.5 to 4 feet apart and lift your arms parallel to the floor. Turn your left foot to a 45-degree angle and your right foot to a 90-degree angle facing outward, ensuring your heels are aligned in a straight line. Exhale and turn your torso to the right, facing your front foot while anchoring both heels to the mat. Once grounded, bend your front knee deeply, aiming to bring your thigh parallel to the floor. Finally, raise your arms overhead with palms facing each other. Extend through your rib cage and hold this pose for five to ten breaths.

The reverse plank or upward plank pose is an effective way to target your glutes and core. To perform it, sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you. Place your palms on the mat behind your hips, fingertips facing your body and fingers spread wide. Inhale, and as you exhale, press through your palms and heels while tightening your back to lift your hips off the floor. Aim to create a straight line from your heels to your shoulders. Keep your head and neck aligned, focusing on the ceiling. Drop your shoulders away from your ears and pull your belly button toward your spine to stabilize your lower back and engage your abdominals. Hold this pose for five breaths, or about 30 seconds, then release back to your mat. For an extra bonus, sit tall and fold forward to stretch the muscles you just worked before doing another rep.

Next in our beginner yoga workout to tone your booty is a fantastic pose for the glutes! Finish your booty-building workout with bridge pose. Not only will it tone your backside, but experts at Yoga Basics believe it will also stimulate your endocrine and nervous systems. To perform the pose, lie flat on your back on the mat. Bend your knees and bring your heels close to your glutes, keeping them hip-width apart. Place your arms alongside your body with palms pressing into the mat. Try to bring your heels close enough that your fingertips touch your heels. Inhale, then exhale as you lift your hips toward the ceiling, pressing through your shoulders and toes to create a straight line through your torso. If comfortable, tighten your glutes further and raise your hips higher. Breathe deeply and hold this pose for five or more breaths before slowly lowering back to your mat.

If you’re looking for more beginner poses to transform your body with yoga, our Yoga Fat Loss Bible for Beginners is an excellent resource! It includes everything you need to get started, such as a complete 6-week workout plan, a flexibility guide, and a beginner’s guide to meditation! It’s a fantastic solution for those wanting to lose weight, increase flexibility, and relieve aches and pains through a calming yoga practice. It will show you how to effectively melt away stubborn body fat with a regular yoga routine and features the top 50 fat-burning yoga poses every beginner should learn. Click here to check out the Yoga Fat Loss Bible!

Always remember that the hardest part of doing yoga is simply showing up. Make sure to show up today and give your best to this workout. You deserve it! Feel free to leave a comment below if you enjoyed this beginner yoga workout to tone your booty or if you have any questions!