Intermediate4 days/weekFull gym

4-Day Hourglass Program (Glutes & Shoulders)

Build glutes, shoulders and back for an hourglass shape.

Days per week: 4
Session length: ~55 min
Equipment: Full gym
Experience: Intermediate
Goal: Grow glutes, Build muscle
Run it for: 10–12 weeks

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Overview

An hourglass look comes from wider shoulders, a developed upper back and round glutes, which make the waist look smaller by contrast. You can't spot-reduce your waist, but you can build the muscles around it. This upper/lower split does exactly that.

Two lower days hammer the glutes from every angle. Two upper days prioritize side delts (the muscle that makes shoulders look wider) and lats, with lighter arm and chest work.

Who it's for

Women who want glutes and shoulders to be the priority
Lifters with at least a few months of gym experience
People who can train four days a week

Not ideal if…

Complete beginners. Run the 3-Day Glute Builder for 2–3 months first.
Anyone mainly chasing strength numbers. The Barbell Strength program suits that better.

Weekly schedule

Lower A Monday, Upper A Tuesday, rest Wednesday, Lower B Thursday, Upper B Friday.

MonLower A
TueUpper A
WedRest
ThuLower B
FriUpper B
SatRest
SunRest

The workouts

Lower A

heavy glutes

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
Cable glute kickback	2	15 per leg

Upper A

shoulders and back

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Seated dumbbell shoulder press	3	10
Lat pulldown	3	10
Dumbbell lateral raise	4	15
Seated cable row	3	12
Cable rear delt fly	3	15

Lower B

glute volume

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Leg press	3	12
Back extension	3	15
Dumbbell walking lunges	3	10 per leg
Lying leg curl	3	12
Hip abductor machine	3	20

Upper B

shoulders, chest and arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Incline dumbbell press	3	10
One-arm dumbbell row	3	10 per side
Cable lateral raise	3	15 per side
Face pull	3	15
Dumbbell curls	2	12
Triceps rope pushdown	2	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, Romanian deadlifts and presses; 60 seconds on raises, kickbacks and abductions.
Progression: Add weight to hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, presses and rows when you hit the target reps on every set. Lateral raises progress slowly: add reps until you reach 20, then move up the smallest dumbbell jump. In Progress, Progressive Reps is already on for back extension and face pull: 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

Lateral raises are the most important upper-body exercise here. Use a weight you can control, lead with your elbows and stop at shoulder height.
Pause and squeeze at the top of every hip thrust and kickback.
Pull with your elbows on rows and pulldowns to feel your lats, not your biceps, doing the work.
Eat enough protein (roughly 0.7–1 g per pound of goal body weight). Muscle is what creates the shape.

Questions

Can I make my waist smaller with exercise?

Not directly. Ab exercises don't burn waist fat. A smaller-looking waist comes from building the shoulders, back and glutes around it and from overall fat loss.

Will training shoulders make me look bulky?

No. Side delts add width slowly over months, and that width is what makes the waist look narrower. You stay in control of how far you take it.

Is there enough glute work?

Yes. Glutes are trained hard twice a week with about 10 sets each session, which matches what research suggests for growth.

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