The glutes are the muscles of the buttocks. Their primary function is to hold the torso upright, as well as to pull the legs back during walking, running, or swimming. They also help stabalize during quadricep exercises, as many of these exercises involve moving the leg backwards to straighten it.
Many quadricep exercises also work the glutes, therefore there really aren't very many glute specific exercises, since large glutes are not considered aesthetically pleasing. The two exercises listed below involve no weights and are fairly simple to do at home, but are primarily for toning.
The glutes are the muscles of the buttocks visible above the legs and beneath the back.
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE: To target the glutes
EXECUTION:
(1)Kneel with one leg on the end of a bench. Grip the bench with arms locked for support.
(2)Kick one leg back as high as you can, then bring it back down, not letting it quite touch the bench. Concentrate throughout the movement on flexing and contracting the buttocks. Complete your repetitions then repeat using the other leg. (This can be done kneeling of the floor, but it's slightly more difficult.
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE: To target the glutes
EXECUTION:
(1)Lie on your stomach, hands under your thighs. Raise your legs off the floor as far as possible.
(2)Move your feet apart a short distance, then bring them together and cross one over the other.
(3)Move them apart and then cross them again the the opposite leg on top. Repeat, alternating legs continuously until you have completed your repetitions. Throughout the exercise, concentrate on feeling the contraction of the buttocks.