Its parts
The biggest muscle in your body. It extends your hip: hip thrusts, bridges, deep squats, lunges and deadlifts.
High on the side of your hip. It moves your leg out and steadies your pelvis on one leg: abductors, split squats and side kickbacks.
Under the medius; it works with it.
How to train it
- Do a hip thrust or bridge, where your glutes work hardest at the top.
- Add a single-leg exercise (Bulgarian split squat or lunge) with your torso leaning slightly forward.
- A hinge (Romanian deadlift) works your glutes in a stretched position.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of every rep, without arching your lower back.
How many sets
About 10–16 sets a week, over two days. Squats and deadlifts count too.
Sample workout
Heavy hip thrusts, Bulgarian split squats for single-leg work, Romanians for the stretch and abductors to finish.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell hip thrust | 4 | 8–12 |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 8–12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8–10 |
| Hip abduction machine | 3 | 15–20 |
Log this workout in GymOrbita: the app saves every set and suggests the weight for your next session.
Common mistakes
If you arch your lower back to get up, your back does the work. Tuck your pelvis and look forward.
Go all the way down on every rep: your glutes work both stretched and squeezed.
They help your glute medius, but most glute growth comes from hip thrusts, split squats and deadlifts.
All 7 glutes exercises
FAQ
What's the best glute exercise?
The hip thrust works them hardest at the top; Bulgarian split squats and Romanian deadlifts work them stretched. Ideally, combine all three.
Do squats work your glutes?
Yes, especially deep ones. Even so, adding hip thrusts or bridges gives extra work squats don't.
How often should I train glutes?
Two or three days a week, spreading out the sets. There's a full glute workout in GymOrbita.
General training information, not a substitute for professional advice. If you have an injury or pain, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first.
Routines that train it
Other muscles
Train your glutes with GymOrbita
Build your routine with these exercises, log weight and reps and see on the muscle map what you train each week. Free.