My go-to glute day staples usually involve 0-2 from each category to stimulate glute growth:

Hip extension:

• Glute Bridge

• Hip Thrust

• Cable Kickbacks

• Donkey Kicks

• Frog Pumps

Hip Hinge:

• Deadlift & Variations (RDL, Stiff-Legged)

• Good Mornings

• 45-degree hyperextension

• Cable Pull Through
  

Squat:

• Squat & Variations (BB, Smith Machine, etc)

• Leg Press

• Lunges

• Step Ups/ Step Down

Abduction:

• Cable Hip Abduction

• Machine Abduction

• Standing Band Abduction

• Banded Side/lateral Steps

• Side-Lying Leg Lift

• Fire Hydrant

• Clamshell

• Cable Hip Rotation

A glute program (for my personal goals) usually looks something like the below,

Day 1:

Hip extension: Hip thrust, Heavy, 3-4 x 6-12 reps

Hip Hinge: Sumo RDL, 3 x 10 reps

Squat: Leg Press, High Foot Placement, 3 x 8-15 reps (depending on program goals)

Abduction: Chest Supported Cable Hip Abduction

Day 2:

Hip extension: Hip Thrust Pause Reps, 3-4 x 8-12 reps

Hip Hinge: BB Good Morning, 2 x 10 reps

Squat: Low-Bar Squat 3 x 8 reps

Abduction: Abduction Machine 3-4 x 25-30 reps

Day 3:

Hip Hinge: Sumo Deadlifts

Hip Hinge V2: Bulgarian Split Squat 3 x 10/side

Squat: Cable Step Downs, 3 x 10 reps/side

Abduction: Mini-Band Clamshells 3 x 30 reps/side

If you look at that and think:

"That’s very basic…"

or maybe even,

"I need more a program more challenging/specialized than this"

That may be where your problem lies.

A lifter who knows how to build muscle knows that more doesn’t mean better, and can make pretty much any session "hard".

In my workouts, I’m not gauging success on:

- How out of breath I get

- How sweaty I am after

- or How many calories my watch says I have burned (which is inaccurate anyway)

What actually matters for building muscle, that I look for in my workouts:

- Selecting exercises to train the function of the target muscle(s)

- Taking the muscle close enough to failure to stimulate growth (0-3 RIR, for more on this check out my blog post on RIR & Training Intensity coming out next week! Subscribe to our Newsletter here)

- Whether I’ve had an appropriate amount of volume to stimulate growth (my trainer does this for me. Yes, even trainers have trainers!)

So, rather than chasing calorie burning sessions & the next "must-try" exercise, ask yourself:

-“Am I truly engaging the target muscle as hard as I can, with great form, at appropriate resistance?” - In your session did you feel a burning or tingling feeling in the muscle during or after exercise? (this is metabolic stress & suggests the activation of muscle fibers and metabolic byproducts like lactic acid accumulating)

- When you finish your session, does your target muscle feel pumped and/or fatigued?

If the answer is no, you likely need to adjust your approach & focus in each session, and not the workout itself.

Don’t know where to start? Book a free call with one of our coaches to see where you can improve your current plan, and if coaching may be helpful for you