Dumbbell glute workout: 5 exercises, sets and reps

Dumbbell glute workout

5 exercises 16 sets about 40 min a pair of dumbbells and a bench

The glutes do three things: extend the hip, move the leg out to the side and rotate it. This session trains all three, starting with the heaviest hip extension and ending with the small muscle on the side of the hip.

Dumbbells make each side carry its own weight, so a stronger arm or leg cannot cover for the other, and they travel through a longer range than a bar allows.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 5 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

Dumbbell Hip Thrust4 × 10Upper back on the bench with a dumbbell on your hips. Chin tucked, ribs down, squeeze hard at the top.90 s rest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift3 × 10Dumbbells close to your legs. Hinge at the hips with a flat back to mid-shin, then squeeze your glutes to stand.90 s rest
Bulgarian Split Squat3 × 10 per sideBack foot on a bench or chair. Drop straight down until the front thigh is parallel to the floor.90 s rest
Dumbbell Sumo Squat3 × 15Wide stance, toes turned out, one dumbbell hanging between your legs. Push your knees out over your toes.60 s rest
Side-Lying Leg Raise3 × 15 per sideLying on your side, lift the top leg with your toes pointing forward, not up. Slow on the way down.60 s rest

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Glutes16
Hamstrings6.5
Quads4.5
Adductors4.5
Abs2
Lower back1.5
Forearms1.5

Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.

How to run it

Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.

Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Dumbbells go up in big steps. When the next pair is too heavy, add a rep to every set first, and move up once you are two or three reps over the target.

Two or three times a week. The glutes are large and recover quickly, so they respond to being trained more often than once.

If something is taken

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift→Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Bulgarian Split Squat→Reverse Lunge

Keep the same number of sets. In the app you can swap an exercise for one session without changing the program.

In myreplog

It is already set up. These 5 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.

Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.

Questions

How long does this glute workout take?

About 40 minutes. That is 16 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the glutes, hamstrings and quads. The adductors, abs, lower back and forearms assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

A pair of dumbbells and a bench.

What is the best exercise for glutes?

The hip thrust loads the glutes hardest where they are fully shortened, which is why it comes first. Add a hinge such as a Romanian deadlift for the stretched position and the two cover the muscle.

Can I build glutes without squats?

Yes. Hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts and split squats train the glutes at least as directly as a squat does.