GymDroidBest Glute Exercises: 7 Moves, Ranked and Explained
The hip thrust, Bulgarian split squat and Romanian deadlift build the most glute muscle, and side work like cable hip abduction finishes the job.
The best glute exercises are the hip thrust, the Bulgarian split squat and the Romanian deadlift. Add cable hip abduction for the side of your glutes, and you have a complete glute workout.
Why these and not 20 others? Because your glutes have more than one job. One exercise trains them hard at the top, another in a deep stretch, another from the side. Below you get the 7 best glute exercises ranked, what each one trains, a weekly glute session for the gym, and how to grow your glutes week after week.
How your glutes work
Your glutes are three muscles, and each one has its own job.
- Gluteus maximus. The biggest one. It straightens your hip, like when you stand up from a squat or push your hips forward.
- Gluteus medius. It sits higher and to the side. It moves your leg out and keeps your pelvis level when you stand on one leg.
- Gluteus minimus. It sits under the medius and helps it.
So a good glute program needs three things. A heavy move that straightens the hip. A move that loads the glutes in a long stretch. And some side work for the upper glutes.
Research also shows that muscles grow well when they are trained in a stretched position. That is why deep split squats and Romanian deadlifts sit near the top of this list, next to the hip thrust.
The 7 best glute exercises, ranked
This ranking is about building glute muscle in a gym. It looks at how hard the glutes work, how easy the move is to load and progress, and how safe it is to learn.
| Exercise | What it trains most | Best rep range |
|---|---|---|
| Hip thrust | Glutes at the top, full lockout | 8 to 12 |
| Bulgarian split squat | Glutes in a deep stretch, one leg | 8 to 12 per leg |
| Romanian deadlift | Glutes and hamstrings in a stretch | 8 to 10 |
| Squat | Glutes and quads at the bottom | 6 to 10 |
| Glute bridge | Glutes at the top, from the floor | 12 to 20 |
| Cable hip abduction | Side and upper glutes | 12 to 15 per leg |
| Reverse lunge | Glutes and quads, one leg | 10 to 12 per leg |
1. Hip thrust
The hip thrust is the most direct glute exercise you can do. Your upper back rests on a bench and you drive a barbell up with your hips. The glutes do most of the work, and they work hardest at the top.
It is also easy to load. Many people hip thrust more than they squat within a few months. Pause for one second at the top of every rep and keep your chin tucked.
2. Bulgarian split squat
The Bulgarian split squat puts your back foot on a bench and lowers you on one leg. Each glute gets a long, hard stretch at the bottom.
Lean your torso slightly forward and take a slightly longer step to shift more work into the glutes. It is hard. That is part of why it works.
3. Romanian deadlift
The Romanian deadlift trains your glutes and hamstrings together. You push your hips back with soft knees until you feel a deep stretch, then stand up by squeezing your glutes.
Keep the bar close to your legs and your back flat. Stop the lowering when your hips stop moving back, not when the bar touches the floor.
4. Squat
A deep squat builds the glutes, mostly at the bottom where they are stretched. It also trains your quads hard, so it gives you a lot of leg for your time. Go as deep as you can while your back stays neutral.
5. Glute bridge
The glute bridge is the hip thrust from the floor. The range is shorter, so you will use less weight. It is the best place to start if you are new, and the best glute move at home.
6. Cable hip abduction
Cable hip abduction moves your leg out to the side against a cable. It trains the gluteus medius and minimus, the upper and side part of your glutes. These muscles give the glutes their rounder, fuller look from the front and side.
Use a light weight and keep your hips still. A seated abduction machine trains the same muscles.
7. Reverse lunge
The reverse lunge steps back instead of forward. That is easier on your knees and makes it simple to keep your weight on the front heel, where the glutes work most. Hold dumbbells once bodyweight gets easy.
Best glute exercises for women and for men
People often search for the best glute exercises for women, or the best glute exercises for men, as if they were different lists. They are not. Glutes are the same muscles in every body, and they grow from the same exercises.
The difference is usually the goal. Many women want bigger, rounder glutes and train them 2 to 3 times a week. Many men train glutes as part of leg day, mostly with squats and deadlifts. Both can use this same list. Pick your weekly volume by how much glute growth you want.
Glute exercises at the gym: a weekly glute session
Here is one session that covers all three jobs. Do it twice a week, for example Monday and Thursday. Leave 1 to 3 reps in the tank on most sets.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip thrust | 3 | 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8 to 10 | 2 min |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 8 to 12 per leg | 90 s |
| Cable hip abduction | 2 | 12 to 15 per leg | 60 s |
That is 11 sets per session, and about 20 hard sets for the glutes per week once you count the work they get from squats and lunges on other days. That is the top of the range most people need. For the numbers behind it, read how many sets and reps build muscle.
On the second day, you can swap the Romanian deadlift for squats and the split squat for reverse lunges. The muscles are the same, the stress on your joints a little different.
Not sure about form? In the GymDroid library you can see each of these exercises from every angle before your first set. That helps most on the hip thrust and the split squat, where foot position changes everything.
How to grow your glutes: progression
Your glutes only grow if the work keeps getting harder. The simplest way is called double progression.
- Pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the rep range, with 1 to 3 reps left.
- Add reps each session until all sets reach the top of the range.
- Then add weight: 5 to 10 kg on the hip thrust, 2.5 to 5 kg on the Romanian deadlift, 1 to 2 kg per dumbbell on split squats.
- Start again at the bottom of the range.
A hip thrust example:
- Week 1: 60 kg for 9, 8, 8.
- Week 2: 60 kg for 10, 10, 9.
- Week 3: 60 kg for 12, 11, 10.
- Week 4: 60 kg for 12, 12, 12.
- Week 5: 70 kg for 9, 8, 8.
Write every set down. If you do not know what you lifted last week, you cannot beat it. Food matters too: about 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, spread over 3 to 5 meals.
Mistakes that hold your glutes back
- Only doing light band work. Band walks and kickbacks are fine as a warm up. Real growth needs heavy, progressive lifts.
- Short range of motion. Half split squats and shallow Romanian deadlifts skip the stretch that builds the most muscle.
- Arching the lower back on hip thrusts. Tuck your chin and ribs down. The movement should come from your hips, not your spine.
- Changing exercises every week. Keep the main lifts for 6 to 8 weeks so you can see progress.
- No rest days. Glutes grow between sessions. Two or three glute days a week is enough.
If you have hip or back pain that does not go away, ask a doctor or physiotherapist before you load these moves.
Put it together
You do not need 15 exercises. Pick one hip thrust or bridge, one stretch move, one single leg move and one side move. Train them twice a week, log every set and add weight when the reps allow.
Want the whole week planned for you? The Curves and Confidence plan builds two lower body days around the hip thrust, plus one upper body day. You can also browse every move on the glute exercises page.
