BC Strength review: Finding the best glute machine for 2025

Yahoo

4 hours ago

Looking for the best glute machine for home workouts? You're not alone! Strong, sculpted glutes have become the fitness world's holy grail — and their appeal extends far beyond the gym. A round, chiseled backside is a must-have accessory, thanks to celebrity influence and glute-focused social media reels. With #glutegains and #gluteworkout trending on TikTok and Instagram, it's clear these backside-building workouts are here to stay.
And that's a good thing. Strong glutes are vital for everyday function (think posture, balance and stability), injury prevention and athletic performance. Whether you're climbing stairs or sprinting a 100-meter race, your glutes play a starring role.
"Your glutes are the biggest muscles in your body," says Andy Galpin, PhD, a human performance expert and executive director of Parker University's Human Performance Center in Dallas. Without them, you'd basically fall over. Glutes not only keep our bodies upright, they help us move forward, backward and side to side. And if your glutes are weak, well, you're going to have problems.
"When glutes are underdeveloped, they can't produce enough force or control and they fatigue quickly, putting pressure on other areas — your lower back, knees or hips," says Galpin. Since these muscles are crucial for stabilizing your pelvis, when they're weak, surrounding muscles compensate, often leading to imbalances, pain and potential injuries. In fact, research shows that weak butt muscles are connected to everything from knee and back pain to hamstring pulls and ankle sprains.
Why are our collective rears so weak? Essentially, it's because we're sitting on them too much. In fact, a full 25 percent of Americans are classified as physically inactive, meaning folks simply aren't getting enough exercise to protect their health, let alone strengthen their glutes. So in a quest to find the best tools to help target and develop these important muscle groups, we tested a range of glute-focused equipment from BC Strength to help determine what's worth using and what's worth skipping.
To be clear, you can target your glutes with standard exercise equipment by doing squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts and lunges with barbells or dumbbells. You can also use basic resistance bands to do side steps and hip abductions. That said, if you're serious about getting the most from your glute day, you may want to invest in equipment that makes hitting these powerhouses a little easier.
To find the best glute machine, we test-drove glute-building equipment from BC Strength — the brand built by Bret Contreras, PhD. This exercise science professor turned entrepreneur built his career studying the biomechanical and performance benefits of training the glutes, earning himself the monikers "Glute Guy" and "Godfather of Glute Training." After years in the lab and classroom, he began developing tools and programs to help people level up their booty-sculpting game based on his own research.
We tested a range of the glute machines from BC Strength. The types of equipment we tested included variations of:
Hip thrust machines/benches: Designed for optimal glute isolation, these home-use machines help perfect the hip thrust movement.
Resistance band systems: These versatile bands work for multiple exercises, including lunges, bridges and squats, making them an accessible option for any fitness level.
Glute ham sliders: While primarily targeting the hamstrings, these sliders activate the glutes during hip rotation movements. Strong hamstrings can also enhance the appearance of your glutes, making them look more "lifted."
Based on three months of hands-on training, these are the best glute machines from BC Strength.
There's no such thing as the "best" glute exercise, says Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, a professor of exercise science at CUNY Lehman College in the Bronx. Instead of searching for one magical move, he recommends targeting all three gluteal muscles with a variety of exercises. Here's what you're working with:
Gluteus maximus: This is your power player, making up most of your backside. It's crucial for basic movements like running, walking, jumping, stepping sideways and even standing up from a chair. It also stabilizes your pelvis and trunk when standing or balancing.
Gluteus medius: Sitting at the upper outer part of your buttock, the glute medius works with the maximus for stability and helps move your leg away from your body's center. These are known as abduction movements, like side-stepping.
Gluteus minimus: Though it's the smallest butt muscle, it plays a key supporting role under the glute medius, helping with stability and turning the thigh inward.
These three muscles work together for hip stability, power and overall function. For the best results —both performance and aesthetic — you need to target them all.
"While it's impossible to perfectly isolate different parts of the glute, you can bias different muscles," says personal trainer and researcher Daniel Plotkin. Standard glute exercises like hip hinges, squats, lunges, bridges and thrusts work your entire backside.
Want that "booty shelf" look? Add exercises where you move your leg out to the side to target the glute medius and minimus using cables, bands or machines. These hit all three major muscles but with a focus on the smaller ones that are positioned higher on your backside.
"Combining multi-joint exercises such as the squat and its variations along with an exercise like the hip thrust may provide additive benefits," says Schoenfeld.
To get the most bang for your butt (har har), our experts recommend following these guidelines:
Find what works for you. "Especially early on, find what's comfortable for you to do consistently. There will be time to make your training better if you so choose, but first build a love for, or at least a 'don't hate,' relationship with consistent exercise," says Plotkin. With so much conflicting information out there, remember that there are almost no must-do exercises — simply ignore all the noise about this or that exercise being "better" and focus on what works for you.
Perfect your technique. "One of the most important considerations is to focus on acquiring the proper technique for each exercise," says Schoenfeld. For those new to strength training, a few sessions with a personal trainer can help ensure proper form and prevent injury
Start small. "Don't bite off so much the very first time that you can't sit for four days," says Galpin. Instead, do just enough to challenge yourself — and then slowly increase the frequency, weight or volume of your training as you go. (This is known as progressive overload.) Remember, "results take time, but if you stay consistent, you'll see initial improvement over the course of several weeks," says Schoenfeld.
Challenge yourself. Many beginners focus too much on light weights and high repetitions, but the best way to make progress is to continually challenge your muscles. "Sets should be highly challenging where the last few reps are difficult to complete," says Schoenfield. For best results, Plotkin recommends three sets of seven to 15 repetitions (for example, doing 10 hip thrusts, resting, then repeating twice more).
In addition to the products called out as top picks, we also tested the BC Strength Thruster Lite, the Resistance Band Package and the BC Box. While we liked each piece of equipment, there were drawbacks that kept them from making the cut. For one, the Thruster Lite lacks the adjustable backrest and rotating back pad that make the Strength Thruster 3.0 such a stellar addition to a home gym. At a much more affordable price, it does the trick (particularly for those of average height who don't need or want a higher backrest), but it wasn't our favorite choice. Likewise, the resistance bands and BC Box were each high-quality, but there are other, similar products on the market that work just as well for a similar or more affordable price (like our favorite resistance band set). We're all for spending a little extra money for a high-quality product that offers superior functionality and durability, but in cases where products are essentially equal in function and design, we always say to grab the one that's easier on the wallet.
To find the best glute machine, we assessed BC Strength's products on everything from cost and quality to ease of use and footprint. To ensure our recommendations were solid, we consulted three fitness experts who research muscle development, each sharing insights on effective glute training — not just for aesthetics, but for overall strength and function.
To complete the picture, my own journey includes 20+ years of lifting weights, with seven focused on glute training. (Why the rear focus? Running-related back pain revealed that, you guessed it, I had weak glutes.) Throughout my strength-building journey, I've learned from top-tier bodybuilding coaches whose expertise proved invaluable during testing.
Armed with this combined knowledge, we spent months using each product, drawing from my experience with both home and commercial glute-training equipment, to identify the best glute machine for your home gym.
While there are many types of glute machines available, the most effective one is the one you can use properly and consistently. "You should feel your glutes working during the exercise, they should be slightly sore the next day, and you should be getting progressively stronger," says Galpin.
If you're a beginner, start with bodyweight exercises. Once you have the form down, go ahead and add dumbbells, barbells or resistance bands to the mix. If you can easily do 12 to 15 reps of a specific movement, it's time to add more weight. Unsure what to do or how to implement progressive overload? Consult a personal trainer who can help you get started. Most gyms offer a free training session when you sign up for a membership.
The three most common mistakes when using a glute machine are improper form, poor movement control and incorrect machine setup. Using improper form, like arching your back or not engaging your core, can easily lead to injury. Relying on momentum instead of making controlled movements reduces the exercise's effectiveness. And failing to adjust the machine settings to your specific body size means you won't target your glutes properly.
Absolutely! Depending on the specific machine you're using, you can hit different glute muscles by adjusting your body position and the direction of the movement.
Training your glutes twice weekly is the sweet spot for most people, says Plotkin. However, if glute training is your major focus, three to four times a week is fairly standard. Just be sure to allow yourself at least a day of rest between strength training sessions that target your glutes to allow sufficient time for muscle recovery.
Andy Galpin, PhD, executive director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University in Dallas and host of the podcast Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
Daniel Plotkin, PhD candidate in molecular and applied muscle physiology at Auburn University in Alabama and certified personal trainer
Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, fitness expert and professor in exercise science at CUNY Lehman College in the Bronx
Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.