Gym workouts

Gym glute workout

5 exercises 16 sets about 40 min a full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines

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.

With a full gym you can open with a heavy barbell lift and finish on cables and machines, which let you push close to failure without technique being the thing that gives out.

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The workout

  1. Hip Thrust4 × 10Upper back on the bench, bar over your hips. Drive up until your hips are level and pause at the top.90 s rest
  2. Romanian Deadlift3 × 10Soft knees. Push your hips back and slide the bar down your thighs until your hamstrings stop you.90 s rest
  3. 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
  4. Cable Glute Kickback3 × 15 per sideAnkle strap on the low pulley. Kick straight back from the hip without arching your lower back.60 s rest
  5. Hip Abduction Machine3 × 15Lean forward slightly, push your knees apart as far as they go and control the return.60 s rest

Muscles worked

TrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalvesTrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalves
Front
TrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalvesTrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalves
Back
  • Glutes16
  • Hamstrings8
  • Quads3
  • Abs2
  • Lower back1.5
  • Adductors1.5
  • 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. Add the smallest plate you can to the barbell lifts, and move up one pin on machines and cables once every set reaches 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

  • 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

  1. It is already set up. These 5 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
  2. Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
  3. Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
  4. 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 abs, lower back, adductors 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 full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines.

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.

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