Your glutes: three muscles, three jobs
The gluteus maximus is the largest single muscle in the body. They straighten the hip when you stand up, climb or sprint, and they keep your pelvis level every time you stand on one leg. Each of the three muscles has its own role.
| Muscle | Where | Main job | Trained by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gluteus maximus | The big muscle that shapes the buttocks | Extends the hip (drives it forward), rotates the thigh out | Hip thrust, RDL, squat, split squat |
| Gluteus medius | Upper side of the hip, under the top of the maximus | Lifts the leg out to the side, keeps the pelvis level on one leg | Hip abduction, side-lying leg raise, single leg work |
| Gluteus minimus | Deepest, under the medius | Helps the medius stabilise the hip | The same exercises as the medius |
"Upper glutes" in everyday speech means the gluteus medius plus the top fibres of the gluteus maximus. "Lower glutes" means the part of the maximus near the hamstrings, which works hardest in deep hinges and lunges.
All glute exercises
Barbell deadliftGlutes and hamstringsGuide
Trap bar deadliftGlutes and quads
Barbell hip thrustGlutesGuide
Glute bridgeGlutes
Single-leg glute bridgeGlutes
Kettlebell swingGlutes and hamstrings
Hip abduction machineGlutes
Barbell back squatQuads and glutes
Barbell front squatQuads and glutes
Goblet squatQuads and glutesGuide
Bodyweight squatQuads and glutes
Box squat to benchQuads and glutes
Leg pressQuads and glutesGuide
Romanian deadliftHamstrings and glutesGuide
Dumbbell Romanian deadliftHamstrings and glutes
Single-leg Romanian deadliftHamstrings and glutes
Back extension (45°)Lower back and glutes
Dumbbell walking lungeQuads and glutes
Reverse lungeQuads and glutes
Split squatQuads and glutes
Bulgarian split squatQuads and glutesGuide
Dumbbell step-upQuads and glutes
Bird dogLower back and glutesBest glute exercises, ranked
- Hip thrust: loads the glutes hardest at full hip extension and is easy to progress to heavy weights. The hip thrust guide covers setup and foot position.
- Romanian deadlift: trains the glutes and hamstrings in a long stretch, the opposite position to the hip thrust. Read the RDL guide for the hinge.
- Bulgarian split squat: a deep single leg squat where a longer stride and a slight forward lean shift the work towards the glutes. See the Bulgarian split squat guide.
- Squat: deep squats train the glutes along with the quads. The goblet squat is the easiest version to learn.
- Hip abduction machine: the most direct exercise for the upper glutes. Lean slightly forward to bias the top of the maximus.
- Glute bridge: the floor version of the hip thrust: no equipment, easy to learn and a good warm up before heavier hip work.
- Walking lunge or step-up: single leg work that also trains balance. A higher step puts more work on the glutes.
- Back extension with a rounded upper back: turns a lower back exercise into a glute exercise. Squeeze the glutes to lift.
The deadlift and leg press also train the glutes a lot. Pushing through your heels with feet high on the leg press platform brings in more glute work.
Upper glute exercises
To train the upper glutes, move the leg out to the side or hold the pelvis level against a pull. These exercises use lighter loads and higher reps than thrusts and hinges.
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Hip abduction machine | 3 x 12 to 20 | Lean forward slightly, pause with the knees apart |
| Side-lying hip raise or leg raise | 3 x 12 to 15 per side | Toes point forward, lead with the heel |
| Banded side walk | 2 to 3 x 10 to 15 steps each way | Stay low, keep the band tight |
| Cable hip abduction | 3 x 12 to 15 per side | Stand tall, do not lean away from the cable |
| Single leg RDL | 3 x 8 to 12 per side | Hips stay level as you hinge |
Glute workout for the gym
A full glute workout that trains all three positions plus the upper glutes. About 50 minutes.
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell hip thrust | 4 x 6 to 10 | 2 min | Shortened (top) |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 x 8 to 10 | 2 min | Stretched (bottom) |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 x 8 to 12 per leg | 90 s | Single leg, deep |
| Hip abduction machine | 3 x 12 to 20 | 60 s | Upper glutes |
| 45 degree back extension | 2 x 12 to 15 | 60 s | Glute biased hinge |
Training glutes twice a week? Make the second day a leg workout built around squats or the leg press, and finish with glute bridges or abduction work. On an upper lower split, the two lower days already give you that rhythm.
Glute workout for women
Glutes grow the same way in women and men, so the workout above is a complete glute workout for women too. Many women start lighter on hip thrusts and split squats and progress quickly in the first months. Do not be afraid of heavy loads: the weight should make the last two reps of every set hard.
Glute exercises at home
A sofa, a resistance band and one or two dumbbells are enough. Single leg versions double the load on each side, which makes up for lighter weights.
| Exercise | Sets x reps | With dumbbells or band |
|---|---|---|
| Single leg glute bridge or hip thrust on the sofa | 3 x 10 to 15 per side | Dumbbell on the hip |
| Bulgarian split squat with the back foot on a chair | 3 x 8 to 12 per leg | Dumbbell in each hand |
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift or single leg RDL | 3 x 10 to 12 | Two dumbbells or one held in both hands |
| Banded side walk or side-lying leg raise | 3 x 15 per side | Band above the knees |
| Frog pump (bridge with soles together) | 2 x 20 to 30 | Band around the knees |
These dumbbell glute exercises work well for months. When 15 reps with a 3 second lowering feels easy on the single leg versions, a gym with a barbell for hip thrusts will let you keep progressing.
Sets, reps and frequency for glutes
| Level | Glute sessions per week | Hard sets per week | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 2 | 6 to 10 | 8 to 15 |
| Intermediate | 2 | 10 to 16 | 6 to 15, abduction 12 to 20 |
| Advanced | 2 to 3 | 14 to 20 | 5 to 20, mix heavy and light |
These are rule of thumb numbers. Squats, lunges and deadlifts on leg day count towards them. Add weight or reps every week or two, following the steps in progressive overload.
Track every glute exercise in Gripp
Gripp is coming to iPhone. Gripp logs your hip thrusts, RDLs and split squats set by set and tells you what to lift next session. Each exercise has a muscle map and an estimated max on a progress chart, and your leg strength is rated against people of your age and bodyweight.
Join the waitlistGlute training mistakes
- Only bands and kickbacks. Light work feels intense, but the heavy compound lifts do most of the building. Use bands as extras.
- Arching instead of extending the hip. On thrusts and bridges, finish with the ribs down and the pelvis tucked slightly.
- Not going deep enough. Half squats and short lunges leave out the stretch, where the glutes do a lot of work.
- Feeling it all in the quads or hamstrings. Adjust foot position: further forward on thrusts brings in hamstrings, closer brings in quads.
- No progression. The same weight for months will not keep your glutes growing. Log your sets and beat them.
- Pain in the hip or lower back. Reduce the load and check form. If it does not go away, see a physiotherapist.
All glute exercises, including the cable and machine options, are in the exercise library.