Glutes and legs

Glute Builder

Glute-focused lower-body sessions two to three times a week, led by hip thrusts and hinges, with lighter upper-body days.

4 days / about 60 min / gym / consistent / 4 week block

About this example plan

Glute Builder puts your glutes and legs first: hip thrusts, hinges, and single-leg work lead two to three lower-body days a week, and upper-body days stay shorter. Sets, reps, and effort follow Build, so progress comes from adding reps, then weight.
Two lower-body days, an upper-body day, and a glutes-and-upper session: three glute-focused days a week.
All four weeks fit a modeled 60-minute budget including preparation and rest. Real pace and equipment waits vary; adjust the session when needed.
Exercise choices assume a full gym: barbells, rack, dumbbells, cables, and machines.
You get moderate volume and a weekly wave in effort. Progress comes from adding reps, then weight.

Choose your days, time, equipment, and experience

MON / Hip thrust, hinge, single leg / ABOUT 59 MIN

Glutes and hamstrings

Barbell hip thrustSwap for: Machine hip thrust, DB glute bridge, DB hip thrust4 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
Conventional deadliftSwap for: Romanian deadlift, Trap bar deadlift, DB Romanian deadlift3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
Reverse lungeSwap for: DB Bulgarian split squat, Walking lunge, DB step-up3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
Cable kickbackSwap for: Barbell hip thrust, Machine hip thrust, DB glute bridge3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
Hip abduction machineSwap for: Barbell hip thrust, Machine hip thrust, Cable kickback3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
Lying leg curlSwap for: Seated leg curl3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min

TUE / Back, chest, shoulders, arms / ABOUT 60 MIN

Upper body

Pendlay rowSwap for: Bent-over barbell row, Bent-over DB row, Underhand seated cable row3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
Paused bench pressSwap for: Flat barbell bench press, Incline barbell bench press, Flat DB press3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
Chin-upSwap for: Wide-grip pull-up, Lat pulldown, Close-grip neutral pull-up3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
Cable lateral raiseSwap for: DB lateral raise, Upright row3 x 12-20RPE 8 / rest 1 min
DB overhead triceps extensionSwap for: Rope pushdown, Skull crusher, Close-grip bench press3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
Standing barbell curlSwap for: Standing DB curl, Cable curl, DB hammer curl2 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min

THU / Hip thrust, squat, single leg / ABOUT 59 MIN

Glutes and quads

Barbell hip thrustSwap for: Machine hip thrust, DB glute bridge, DB hip thrust4 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
Pause squatSwap for: Back squat, Front squat, Hack squat3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
Walking lungeSwap for: Reverse lunge, DB Bulgarian split squat, DB step-up3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
Leg press calf raiseSwap for: Standing calf raise, Seated calf raise3 x 12-20RPE 8 / rest 1 min
Leg extension3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
Pallof pressSwap for: Dead bug, Hanging knee raise, Ab wheel rollout2 x 10-15rest 45 s

FRI / Hip thrust, hinge, single leg, press / ABOUT 60 MIN

Glutes and upper B

Machine hip thrustSwap for: Barbell hip thrust, DB glute bridge, DB hip thrust4 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 2 min
Romanian deadliftSwap for: Conventional deadlift, Trap bar deadlift, DB Romanian deadlift3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
Barbell overhead pressSwap for: Standing DB overhead press, Overhead DB press, Machine shoulder press3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
DB Bulgarian split squatSwap for: Reverse lunge, Walking lunge, DB step-up3 x 8-12RPE 7 / rest 1 min 30 s
Wide-grip pull-upSwap for: Lat pulldown, Chin-up, Close-grip neutral pull-up3 x 8-12RPE 8 / rest 1 min
Dead bugSwap for: Hanging knee raise, Pallof press, Ab wheel rollout2 x 10-15rest 45 s

Build this plan for my schedule

Four-week block

Week 1: Set your baseline. Find working weights you can control at the target effort. Record honest reps.
Week 2: Build. Effort rises half a point: hip thrusts and compound lifts about RPE 7.5, glute accessories about 8.5. Add a rep, or a little weight once you reach the top of the range. Added work is capped by your session time; keep the prescribed rest.
Week 3: Push. Compound lifts about RPE 8, glute accessories about 9. Keep adding reps, then weight. Extra sets or minutes are included only when they fit; progress can also come from controlled reps and load.
Week 4: Deload and review. Fewer planned sets and lower effort targets. Review your completed sessions before deciding whether to repeat, adjust, or progress.

Progress and recovery

Reach the top of the rep range on all sets, then add a little weight.
Pause for a second at the top of each hip thrust and bridge. Full hip extension matters more than the load.
Leave at least a day between your hardest lower-body sessions when your schedule allows.
RPE is effort out of 10. RPE 8 means you could have done about 2 more reps with good form.
Log completed reps, sets, and weights. Your next session uses them as a starting point.
Use the lighter fourth week to recover and review your log before repeating or progressing.

What RPE means

RPE (rate of perceived exertion) is how hard a set feels, on a scale of 1 to 10. It tells you where to stop: at RPE 8, you finish the set with about 2 good reps left.

RPE 10: Maximum effort. No more reps possible.
RPE 9: Very hard. About 1 more good rep.
RPE 8: Hard. About 2 more good reps.
RPE 7: Challenging. About 3 more good reps; the weight still moves quickly.
RPE 6: Moderate. About 4 more good reps.
RPE 5 or less: Light. Warm-up or technique practice.

Choose a weight that lets you reach the rep range at the target RPE. A good rep keeps your normal form and speed.
If the last rep felt easier than the target, add a little weight next set or next session. If form slipped or you reached failure, use less.
Half points, such as 7.5, sit between the two numbers. RPE is your best estimate, not a test; it gets more accurate with practice.

Start with this plan, then adjust the exercises and weights to suit your training. You choose the weights you use and record the reps you complete.