Goal program

Glutes & Tone

Three glute days and one upper-body day

4 days a week
12 weeks
Beginner
For women
Gym

About this program

Round glutes are built with heavy basics: hip thrusts, hinges, squats and lunges, a little heavier every week, and enough food. Crash diets and light "pump" workouts do not build shape.

Who it’s for

New to training, or coming back after a break.
Written with women in mind; anyone can follow it.
A gym with machines, cables and free weights.
4 sessions a week, about 50 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: Hip thrust & hamstrings

Glutes · hamstrings · core · about 50 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Hip ThrustStart: 45 lb bar + 10 lb per side	4 × 8–⁠12	2 min
Dumbbell RDL	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
45° Back Extension (glutes)	3 × 12–⁠15	60 s
Lying Leg Curl	3 × 12	60 s
Hip Abduction Machine	3 × 15–⁠20	45 s
Dead Bug	3 × 8 per side	45 s

Cardio after: StairMaster, 10 min · optional. If you have energy left, 10 easy minutes on the StairMaster.

Tuesday Upper: Back, shoulders, arms & core

Back · shoulders · arms · posture · about 45 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Lat Pulldown	3 × 10–⁠12	75 s
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press10–15 lb dumbbells	3 × 10–⁠12	75 s
Seated Cable Row	3 × 12	60 s
Push-UpFrom the knees or hands on a bench is a normal start	3 × 6–⁠12	60 s
A1 Lateral Raise	3 × 15	—
A2 Rope Triceps Pushdown	3 × 15	60 s
Forearm Plank	3 × 30–⁠45 s	45 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 10 min · 8–10%. Incline walk, 3 mph.

Thursday Glutes B: Squats & lunges

Glutes · quads · about 50 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Back SquatGoblet squats are fine for the first 4 weeks	4 × 6–⁠10	2 min
Bulgarian Split Squat	3 × 8–⁠10 per leg	90 s
Leg PressFeet high and wide on the platform	3 × 12–⁠15	90 s
Cable Glute Kickback	3 × 12–⁠15 per leg	45 s

Cardio after: StairMaster, 10–15 min. Great glute cardio, as long as you do not hang on the rails.

Saturday Glutes C: Glutes & full body

Glutes · back · chest · core · about 45 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Dumbbell Sumo Squat	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Single-Leg Glute Bridge	3 × 10–⁠12 per leg	60 s
One-Arm Dumbbell Row	3 × 10–⁠12 per arm	60 s
Incline Dumbbell Press	3 × 10–⁠12	60 s
Standing Cable Hip Abduction	3 × 15 per leg	45 s
Side Plank	3 × 20–⁠30 s	30 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 15 min · 10%. Easy 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.
Crazy week? Do at least Glutes A and Glutes B. That keeps your progress.

Food

Eat enough protein every day and match your calories to your goal: a small deficit to lose fat, maintenance or a small surplus to build muscle.

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