Two glute workouts a week built on hip thrusts and deep squats, which grew glute muscle in MRI studies, plus Romanian deadlifts, lunges and abduction work for the sides of your hips. Follow the gym or home version and add load every week.
✓ Training reviewed by FISAF-certified coaches · Nutrition reviewed by Rimsha Shahid, certified dietitian
The Glute Workouts
“/ leg” means do the reps on each leg. Effort is shown as RIR (reps in reserve): RIR 1–2 means stop with one or two clean reps left. In your first two weeks, do one set fewer on every exercise while you learn the movements.
Glute Workout A: Hip Thrust Focus
Gym| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbell Hip ThrustPrimary: gluteus maximusSwap: Machine Hip Thrust | 4 × 8–12 | 2 min | RIR 1–2 |
| 2 | Romanian DeadliftPrimary: gluteus maximus, hamstringsSwap: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 3 × 8–10 | 2 min | RIR 2 |
| 3 | Bulgarian Split SquatPrimary: gluteus maximus, quadsSwap: Reverse Lunge | 3 × 8–12 / leg | 90 sec | RIR 1–2 |
| 4 | Cable Hip AbductionPrimary: gluteus medius and minimusSwap: Machine Hip Abduction | 2 × 12–15 / leg | 60 sec | RIR 1 |
Notes: Pause for one second at the top of every hip thrust. On Bulgarian split squats, lean your torso slightly forward to bias the glutes. How to progress ↓
Glute Workout B: Squat Focus
Gym| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Back Squat (full depth)Primary: gluteus maximus, quads, adductorsSwap: Hack Squat | 4 × 6–10 | 2–3 min | RIR 2 |
| 2 | Reverse LungePrimary: gluteus maximus, quadsSwap: Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 × 8–12 / leg | 90 sec | RIR 1–2 |
| 3 | 45° Back Extension (glute bias)Primary: gluteus maximus · Secondary: hamstringsSwap: Cable Pull-Through | 3 × 12–15 | 60–90 sec | RIR 1 |
| 4 | Machine Hip AbductionPrimary: gluteus medius and minimusSwap: Cable Hip Abduction | 3 × 15–20 | 60 sec | RIR 1 |
Notes: Squat to at least thighs parallel, deeper if your back stays neutral. For glute-biased back extensions, round your upper back slightly and point your toes out. How to progress ↓
Glute Workout at Home
Home| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dumbbell Hip ThrustPrimary: gluteus maximusSwap: Single-Leg Hip Thrust | 4 × 10–20 | 90 sec | RIR 1 |
| 2 | Dumbbell Romanian DeadliftPrimary: gluteus maximus, hamstringsSwap: Romanian Deadlift | 3 × 10–12 | 90 sec | RIR 1–2 |
| 3 | Bulgarian Split SquatPrimary: gluteus maximus, quadsSwap: Reverse Lunge | 3 × 8–15 / leg | 90 sec | RIR 1 |
| 4 | Banded Side-Lying Hip AbductionPrimary: gluteus medius and minimusSwap: Side-Lying Hip Abduction (no band) | 2 × 15–20 / leg | 45 sec | RIR 1 |
Notes: Do this workout twice a week. Rest your upper back on a sofa for hip thrusts and hold the dumbbell on your hips. No dumbbells? Do single-leg hip thrusts and slow (3-second) split squats. How to progress ↓
Swap = a like-for-like alternative if the equipment is busy or the lift doesn’t suit you. Change one exercise at a time and keep it for at least 4 weeks so you can track progress.
Glute Workout Schedule
Leave at least two days between glute workouts. Upper-body training fits on the days in between. If you follow a full leg program as well, replace one of your leg days with Glute Day A instead of adding it on top.
Why These Glute Exercises
| Exercise | What it adds | Muscles |
|---|---|---|
| Hip thrust | Heaviest load on the glutes with the hips fully extended | Gluteus maximus |
| Deep squat | Glutes trained at a long, stretched length | Gluteus maximus, quads, adductors |
| Romanian deadlift | Hip hinge under a heavy stretch | Gluteus maximus, hamstrings |
| Bulgarian split squat and lunges | One leg at a time, deep hip bend | Gluteus maximus, quads |
| Hip abduction | Works the sides of your hips | Gluteus medius and minimus |
Both. In a 9-week MRI study, hip thrusts and back squats grew the glutes by a similar amount, while squats also grew the quads and inner thighs more. Hip thrusts showed more glute activity on EMG, but that didn’t predict who grew more. Depth matters for squats: full squats grew the glutes about three times more than half squats in a 10-week study.
In the hip thrust study, the gluteus medius and minimus barely grew from either exercise, which is why each workout ends with an abduction exercise.
How to Progress Your Glute Workout
Use double progression: keep the same weight until every set reaches the top of its rep range, then add 2.5–5 kg on the hip thrust and squat or move up one dumbbell size on lunges. On abduction machines, add one plate. Write your numbers down; small weekly increases are what keep your glutes growing. Our guide to progressive overload explains the method in detail.
After 6–8 weeks, take a lighter week with half the sets, then start again a little heavier.
Can You Build Glutes Without Weights?
Yes, up to a point. Light loads built similar muscle to heavy loads in a meta-analysis when sets were taken close to failure. At home, that means slowing your reps, pausing at the bottom and doing single-leg versions. Once bodyweight sets pass 25–30 reps, a pair of dumbbells or a loop band will make each set count again.
Glute Workout Mistakes
- Arching your back on hip thrusts. Tuck your chin and ribs and finish the rep with your glutes, so your hips stop where your body forms a straight line.
- Half squats. Squat as deep as you can with a neutral back; shallow reps grow the glutes far less.
- Too many light activation moves. A few band exercises warm you up, but they don’t replace hard sets of heavy exercises.
- Changing the plan every week. Repeat the same exercises long enough to add weight to them.
Glute Workout FAQ
How long until I see results from glute workouts?
Studies such as the hip thrust and squat trials above measured glute growth after 9–10 weeks. Strength rises sooner, often within the first month, and visible change depends on your starting point.
Is it OK to train glutes every day?
Not with hard sessions. Glutes need time to recover like other muscles, and they also work in squats, deadlifts and lunges on your leg days. Two hard sessions a week, with 2–3 days between them, is enough.
Can I target my lower glutes or upper glutes?
Not in isolation. Hip thrusts, squats and Romanian deadlifts train the whole gluteus maximus, and abduction exercises add work for the upper side of the hips through the gluteus medius.
Do I need to eat more to grow my glutes?
You need enough protein: about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day suits most lifters in a large meta-analysis, and our protein calculator works out your number. A large calorie deficit makes building muscle harder, so eat at maintenance or slightly above it while glute growth is your goal.
Are glute kickbacks worth doing?
They’re fine as an extra, but they are hard to load heavily. Spend most of your sets on hip thrusts, squats, lunges and hinges, then add kickbacks if you have time.
References
- Plotkin DL, et al. Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift. Front Physiol. 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37877099/
- Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, Yata H. Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31230110/
- Lopez P, et al. Resistance training load effects on muscle hypertrophy and strength gain: systematic review and network meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33433148/
- Morton RW, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength. Br J Sports Med. 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222/
This plan is general education for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you have an injury, a heart, joint or blood-pressure condition, or you are pregnant or postpartum, check with your doctor or a physiotherapist before starting a new training program.