Goal program

Glute Builder

Heavy thrusts, deep squats, real glute growth.

4 days a week
12 weeks
Any level
For women
Gym

About this program

Three glute days plus one upper-body day give your glutes about 20 direct sets a week (hip thrusts, back extensions, abduction), on top of squats, lunges and RDLs that train them too. The key rule: stop 1–2 reps short of failure (beginners 2–3, with just 2 sets per exercise in weeks 1–2), and add a rep or a little weight every week. In 12 weeks your glutes can get noticeably rounder and stronger, but how they look also depends on overall body fat, and you can't burn fat off just your hips or thighs.

Who it’s for

Any level: beginners start with fewer sets and lighter weights, as the notes explain.
Written with women in mind; anyone can follow it.
A gym with machines, cables and free weights.
4 sessions a week, about 60 minutes each.
8–10k steps a day on top of the workouts.

The week

Warm up for 5–7 minutes first. Rest is the pause between sets. A1 and A2 (B1 and B2) are supersets: do one set of each back to back, then rest. Rest days: walk and recover.

Monday Glutes A: Heavy Thrust & Hinge

Glutes, hamstrings, upper glute · about 65 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Hip ThrustMain lift: do 1–2 lighter warm-up sets first. At the top, keep your shins vertical, chin tucked and ribs down, then pause 1 s and squeeze. Start with the empty bar on a pad (or the hip thrust machine) and add 5–10 lb once every set hits 10 reps.	4 × 6–⁠10	2.5 min
Romanian DeadliftStart light (empty bar or light dumbbells) until the movement feels natural. Push your hips back with soft knees, let the bar slide down your thighs and lower for 2–3 s to a strong hamstring stretch, usually just below the knee. Stop before your back starts to round.	3 × 8–⁠10	2 min
Leg PressPlace your feet high and a bit wide on the platform to shift the work to your glutes. Go as deep as you can before your lower back starts peeling off the pad.	3 × 10–⁠12	2 min
A1 Lying Leg CurlSuperset: go straight to the abduction machine after each set. Lower slowly, over 3 s.	3 × 10–⁠12	—
A2 Hip Abduction MachineUpper-glute work. Lean your torso slightly forward. The last set can go to failure since it's safe on this machine; beginners stop 2 reps short.	3 × 12–⁠20	90 s

Cardio after: Stationary Bike, 10 min. Easy cool-down pace with light resistance. Diet and daily steps do most of the fat-loss work.

Tuesday Upper Body: Back, Shoulders, Arms

Back, chest, shoulders, arms · about 60 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
A1 Lat PulldownGrip at shoulder width or a bit wider. Pull the bar to your upper chest, driving your elbows down toward your back pockets. Superset with the incline press. Once you're stronger, try assisted pull-ups instead.	3 × 8–⁠12	—
A2 Incline Dumbbell PressSet the bench at about 30°. Lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch across your chest, then press up and slightly in.	3 × 8–⁠12	2 min
B1 Seated Cable RowSuperset with the shoulder press. Sit tall, pull the handle to your belly button and squeeze your shoulder blades together for 1 s. Great for posture.	3 × 10–⁠12	—
B2 Seated Dumbbell Shoulder PressSit with your back against the pad and press up without arching your lower back. Breathe out as you press.	3 × 8–⁠12	2 min
Lateral RaiseUse a light weight, lead with your elbows and stop at shoulder height. Rounder shoulders make your waist look a bit narrower.	3 × 12–⁠20	60 s
Overhead Cable Triceps ExtensionFace away from the cable with the rope behind your head and elbows pointing up, and get a full stretch at the bottom. This builds the triceps at the back of the arm; fat there only drops with overall fat loss.	2 × 12–⁠15	60 s
Dumbbell Biceps CurlNo swinging. Lower slowly, over 2–3 s. The last set can go to failure.	2 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 15–20 min. Walk at an 8–12% incline and 2.8–3.5 mph, a moderate pace where you can still talk. Don't hold the handrails.

Thursday Glutes B: Deep Squat & Split Squat

Glutes, quads, upper glute, core · about 60 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Back SquatWarm up with 1–2 lighter sets. Squat as deep as you can with a flat back and heels down, ideally with your hip crease below your knee. One study found full-depth squats grew the glutes clearly more than half squats. New to the barbell? Do goblet squats or use the Smith machine for weeks 1–4.	3 × 6–⁠10	3 min
Bulgarian Split SquatPut your rear foot on the bench and your front foot well forward, and lean your torso slightly forward to load the glutes more. At first, hold a rack for balance, or do reverse lunges if it's too wobbly. Hold dumbbells once bodyweight gets easy.	3 × 8–⁠12 per leg	90 s
45° Back Extension (glutes)Glute version: turn your toes out, round your upper back slightly and squeeze your glutes to come up. Stop when your body is in a straight line; don't arch past it. Hold a plate once 15 reps feel easy.	3 × 12–⁠15	90 s
A1 Standing Cable Hip AbductionPut the ankle cuff on the leg farther from the machine, hold the frame and sweep that leg out to the side without leaning. Superset with dead bugs.	3 × 12–⁠15 per leg	—
A2 Dead BugKeep your lower back pressed into the floor the whole time. Move slowly and breathe out as you extend.	3 × 8–⁠10 per side	60 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 10–15 min. Walk at an easy-to-moderate pace on a 6–10% incline. It's low-impact and easy on your knees after squats.

Saturday Glutes C: Volume & Pump

Glutes, hamstrings, upper glute, abs · about 55 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Hip ThrustThis is the second, lighter thrust day. Use about 70–80% of Monday's weight and hold a 2-s squeeze at the top of every rep.	3 × 10–⁠15	2 min
Dumbbell RDLSame hinge as Monday, with dumbbells. Push your hips back, keep the dumbbells close to your legs and lower slowly into a deep stretch, stopping before your back rounds.	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Walking LungeTake long steps and lean slightly forward to load the glutes. Hold dumbbells at your sides once bodyweight gets easy. Short on space? Do reverse lunges in place.	3 × 10–⁠12 per leg	90 s
A1 Hip Abduction MachineHigher reps today. On the last set, once you can't finish a full rep, keep going with short partial reps near the knees-together position (beginners skip the partials). Superset with cable crunches.	3 × 15–⁠25	—
A2 Cable CrunchUse a moderate weight and curl your ribs toward your hips instead of pulling with your arms. This builds the abs but won't burn belly fat; diet and steps do that.	3 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Cardio after: StairMaster, 10 min. Go at a steady, moderate pace without leaning on the rails. If your knees bother you, switch to the incline walk.

How to progress

Double progression: add reps within the range first. When every set reaches the top of the range with clean form, add a little weight (about 5–10 lb on lower-body lifts, 2.5–5 lb on upper-body lifts) and start again at the bottom.
Stop most sets 1–2 reps short of failure. Beginners stop 2–3 reps short for the first weeks.
Every 6–8 weeks, or when you feel run down, take an easier week: half the sets, same weights.

Food

Eat at maintenance or in a small surplus (about +200–300 kcal) to grow your glutes, or in a small deficit (about 0.5% of body weight per week) if fat loss comes first, and get 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg (0.7–1 g per lb) every day.

Find your numbers with the free TDEE calculator, the macro calculator and the protein calculator.