Goal program

Hourglass Build

Wider shoulders and back, rounder glutes, and a waist that looks smaller.

4 days a week
12 weeks
Any level
For women
Gym

About this program

An hourglass is a ratio: you build the glutes, shoulders and back that frame your waist, while the waist itself shrinks only through overall fat loss, because no exercise burns belly fat from one spot. You train glutes twice a week and upper body twice a week, stop most sets 1–3 reps short of failure, and add weight once you reach the top of the rep range. In 12 weeks, expect noticeably rounder glutes and fuller shoulders (most visible if you're new to lifting), plus an inch or two off your waist if you stay in a modest calorie deficit.

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 65 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: Glutes: Thrust & Hinge

Glutes, hamstrings, upper glutes, core · about 55 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Hip ThrustRest the bottom of your shoulder blades on the bench edge, pad the bar and keep your chin tucked. Drive through your heels and pause for 1 second at the top. New to lifting? In weeks 1–2, do 2 sets of every exercise and stop 2–3 reps short of failure.	4 × 8–⁠12	2 min
Romanian DeadliftKeep your knees soft, push your hips back and let the bar slide down your thighs. Go as low as your hamstrings allow with a flat back, usually to mid-shin, and don't cut the stretch at the bottom short. New to the barbell? Start with dumbbells.	3 × 8–⁠10	2 min
Bulgarian Split SquatA longer stride and a slight forward lean move more of the work to your glutes. Start with bodyweight, then hold dumbbells. Do your weaker leg first.	3 × 8–⁠12 per leg	90 s
A1 Hip Abduction MachineLean your torso forward and hold the handles to work the upper glutes (the "shelf") harder. Control the way back. You can take the last set to failure.	3 × 15–⁠20	—
A2 Dead BugKeep your lower back pressed into the floor and breathe out fully as your arm and leg reach away. Go slowly.	3 × 8 per side	60 s

Cardio after: Stationary Bike, 10 min easy. Easy cool-down spin at a pace where you can still talk.

Tuesday Upper A: Back Width & Shoulders

Lats, side and rear delts, triceps · about 65 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Lat PulldownA medium grip is fine, since a wide grip doesn't make your back any wider. Keep your chest up, pull your elbows down to your ribs, and let your lats stretch fully at the top.	4 × 8–⁠12	2 min
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder PressSet the bench upright and keep your back on the pad. Lower the dumbbells to about ear level, then press up without knocking them together.	3 × 8–⁠12	2 min
Seated Cable RowLet your shoulder blades slide forward at the stretch, then pull the handle to your belly button with your elbows close. Don't lean back to cheat.	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Lateral RaiseThis is your key hourglass exercise. Use light dumbbells, lean forward slightly and lead with your elbows up to shoulder height. Once your form is solid, finish the last set with a few half reps from the bottom when full reps run out.	4 × 12–⁠20	60 s
A1 Face PullSet the rope on a high pulley, above your head, and leave it there for the pushdowns so there's nothing to change mid-superset. Pull toward your forehead and spread the ends apart, thumbs pointing back. This builds your rear delts and helps your posture.	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 Rope Triceps PushdownSame rope, same pulley: just turn to face the stack and step in close. Pin your elbows to your sides and spread the rope at the bottom.	3 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 15–20 min. Walk at an 8–12% incline and 3–3.5 mph without holding the rails. It burns extra calories and barely cuts into your recovery.

Thursday Glutes B: Glutes: Squat & Isolation

Glutes, quads, hamstrings, side delts, core · about 65 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Back SquatDo 2–3 lighter warm-up sets first. Squat as deep as you can with a neutral back, ideally with your hip crease below your knees: in one study, full-depth squats grew the glutes about 3x more than half squats. If the barbell is new to you, do goblet squats or use the Smith machine for the first 2–3 weeks.	4 × 6–⁠10	2.5 min
45° Back Extension (glutes)Turn your toes out, round your upper back slightly and squeeze your glutes to lift, without arching your lower back at the top. Once 15 reps feel easy, hold a plate or a dumbbell.	3 × 12–⁠15	90 s
Cable Glute KickbackLean forward, hold the frame, and kick back and slightly out. Stop when your glute is fully squeezed, before your lower back arches.	3 × 12–⁠15 per leg	60 s
A1 Lying Leg CurlKeep your hips pressed into the pad and take 2–3 seconds to lower the weight.	3 × 10–⁠12	—
A2 Side PlankKeep a straight line from your head to your heels, and drop to your knees if needed. It builds a strong, stable midsection; how small your waist looks depends mostly on body fat.	3 × 30–⁠45 s per side	60 s
Lateral RaiseThis is your second side-delt session of the week, which is fine because side delts recover quickly. Keep the weight light and the form strict.	3 × 15–⁠20	60 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 15 min. Easy incline walk after squats, at a pace where you can still hold a conversation.

Saturday Upper B: Shoulders, Back & Arms

Side delts, lats, upper chest, rear delts, biceps · about 65 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Assisted Pull-UpSet the assistance so that 6–10 reps are hard, and reduce it a little every 1–2 weeks. The goal is your first unassisted pull-up. If the gym has no machine, do lat pulldowns instead.	4 × 6–⁠10	2 min
Incline Dumbbell PressSet the bench to about 30 degrees and lower the dumbbells under control into a deep chest stretch. This builds the chest muscle underneath, but it won't change breast size.	3 × 8–⁠12	2 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPut one hand and one knee on the bench and let the dumbbell hang for a full stretch, then row it toward your hip.	3 × 10–⁠12 per arm	90 s
A1 Lateral RaiseGo straight into the rear-delt flyes with no rest. On the last set, stop 0–1 reps short of failure (beginners: 2 reps short).	4 × 15–⁠20	—
A2 Reverse Dumbbell FlyBend forward with your chest over your thighs, or lie chest-down on an incline bench. Lead with your pinkies and keep the weight light.	4 × 12–⁠15	60 s
B1 Dumbbell Biceps CurlKeep your elbows still, straighten your arms fully at the bottom, and don't swing.	3 × 10–⁠12	—
B2 Push-UpIf push-ups from the floor are too hard, put your hands on a bench or the Smith bar and lower it as you get stronger. Stop 1–2 reps short of failure.	3 × 6–⁠15	60 s

Cardio after: StairMaster, 10–15 min. Climb at a steady pace and touch the rail only for balance. If your knees complain, switch to an 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 about 300–500 kcal below maintenance, which works out to roughly 0.5–1 lb (0.25–0.45 kg) of loss a week, and get 1.8–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight (about 0.8–1 g per lb) spread over 3–4 meals; if you're already lean, eat at maintenance instead.

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