Beginner3 days/weekFull gym

3-Day Glute Builder

Grow your glutes with three focused gym sessions a week.

Days per week: 3
Session length: ~55 min
Equipment: Full gym
Experience: Beginner
Goal: Grow glutes, Build muscle
Run it for: 10–12 weeks

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Overview

Every session starts with the glutes while you are fresh, then finishes with two upper-body exercises so the rest of you keeps up. Training glutes three times a week gives them plenty of work without leaving you too sore to walk.

The program covers every way the glutes work: hip thrusts and Romanian deadlifts for raw strength, split squats, step-ups and lunges for the stretched position, and kickbacks and abductions for the upper glutes that give shape from the side. Research shows hip thrusts and squats grow the glutes about equally, so you get both.

Who it's for

Anyone whose main goal is bigger, stronger, rounder glutes
Beginners and early intermediates who can get to a gym three days a week
People who want a clear plan instead of random glute workouts from social media

Not ideal if…

People who want equal focus on every muscle. Try the Beginner 3-Day Full Body instead.
Training at home with only dumbbells. Use the At-Home Glute Workout.

Weekly schedule

Day A Monday, Day B Wednesday, Day C Friday, with a rest day between each.

MonGlutes A
TueRest
WedGlutes B
ThuRest
FriGlutes C
SatRest
SunRest

The workouts

Glutes A

heavy hip thrusts

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell hip thrust	4	8
Barbell Romanian deadlift	3	10
Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat	3	10 per leg
Hip abductor machine	3	15
Lat pulldown	3	10
Seated cable row	3	12

Glutes B

stretch and single-leg work

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Leg press	3	12
Dumbbell step-up	3	10 per leg
Back extension	3	15
Cable glute kickback	3	12 per leg
Incline dumbbell press	3	10
Dumbbell lateral raise	3	15

Glutes C

volume and pump

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell hip thrust	3	12
Dumbbell sumo squat	3	12
Dumbbell walking lunges	3	10 per leg
Hip abductor machine	3	20
Seated row machine	3	12
Shoulder press machine	3	12

How to run it

Warm up: 5 minutes of light cardio, then 2–3 lighter warm-up sets of the first exercise, building up to your working weight. Later exercises usually need just one lighter set.
Choosing a weight: Use a weight you could lift for 2–3 more reps than the target. The last set should feel hard, but your form shouldn't break down. Spend the first week or two a little lighter while you learn the movements.
Rest between sets: About 2 minutes on hip thrusts and Romanian deadlifts; 60–90 seconds on everything else.
Progression: Add weight to hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts and the leg press when you hit the target reps on every set. For split squats, step-ups, kickbacks and abductions, add reps first, then weight. In Progress, Progressive Reps is already on for back extension: each time you hit the target on every set, the next session's target goes up by one rep.
How long to run it: Follow it for 10–12 weeks, as long as you keep making progress. If most of your lifts stall for two weeks in a row, take an easier week at about 60% of your usual weights, then keep going.
Track every session: Write down the weight and reps for every set. You need last session's numbers to know what to do today, and seeing them climb is the best motivation there is.

Tips

Pause for one second at the top of every hip thrust and squeeze. Keep your chin tucked and your ribs down so the glutes, not your lower back, finish the rep.
On back extensions, round your upper back slightly and push your hips into the pad to make them a glute exercise instead of a lower-back one.
Lean your torso slightly forward on split squats, step-ups and lunges to put more of the work on your glutes.
Glutes grow from getting stronger over months. Track your weights so you can see the hip thrust climbing.

Questions

Will this make my legs bigger too?

A little. Squats, lunges and the leg press also work the thighs. If you want the glutes to grow with less thigh growth, lean on hip thrusts, back extensions and kickbacks and keep the leg press lighter.

Why are there upper-body exercises in a glute program?

Two quick upper-body exercises a session keep your back and shoulders strong and balanced. A stronger upper back also helps you hold position on hip thrusts and Romanian deadlifts.

How long until I see results?

Most people notice firmer glutes in 4–6 weeks and visible shape changes in 3–4 months, as long as the weights keep going up and you eat enough protein.

Do I need to do cardio?

Not for glute growth. Walking on rest days is a great addition for general health and fat loss and won't hurt your progress.

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