BC Strength Review: Finding the Best Glute Machine for 2025
Develop a rock-solid backside to help you power through your workouts and day-to-day life.
Not all home glute machines are created equal — our top pick checks all the boxes as a stellar backside builder. (BC Strength)
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.
Quick Overview
Best overall
BC Strength Thruster 3.0 with Rotating Back Pad
$649 at BC Strength
Most versatile
BC Strength Glute Bench
$219 at BC Strength
Best resistance band
BC Strength Glute Loop
$20 at BC Strength
Best glute ham slider
BC Strength Hamstring Roller + Track
$179 at BC Strength
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.
Types of BC Strength glute machines we tested
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.
Best overall glute machine
BC Strength
Best overall
BC Strength Thruster 3.0 with Rotating Back Pad
Type of equipment: Hip thrust bench | Dimensions: 33″ wide x 55″ long x 14.5″ to 17.5″ high (adjustable back