Glutes Exercises

The glutes extend the hip. A hip thrust or glute bridge loads that pattern with your back supported, so the knees do less of the work than they do in a squat. Squats and hinges still use the glutes, and a thrust trains the hip extension more directly. FlexFit programs a thrust or bridge on lower-body days and picks a barbell, dumbbell, or bodyweight version from your equipment.

How to train glutes

Put the heavier work in a hip thrust or a squat pattern, in the 6 to 12 rep range. Bridges, frog pumps, and kickbacks fill in at 10 to 20 reps, with a short pause at full hip extension. Drive through the heel. One heavier pattern and one lighter pattern cover the week.

How FlexFit programs glutes

At home, FlexFit programs dumbbell hip thrusts, glute bridges, frog pumps, and donkey kicks. At the gym it adds barbell hip thrusts, cable pull-throughs, and machine kickbacks. Weight and rep targets come from the last time you logged that movement.

Glutes exercises in FlexFit's library

  • Cable Pull-Through

    Attach a rope handle to the low pulley of a cable machine. Stand facing away from the machine with feet...

  • Clamshell

    Lie on your side with hips and knees bent at 45 degrees, stacking your hips and feet together. Place a resistance...

  • Donkey Kick

    Start on all fours with hands directly under shoulders and knees under hips, maintaining a neutral spine. Engage your...

  • Frog Pump

    Lie on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet pressed together, allowing your knees to fall...

  • Glute Bridge

    Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and positioned close enough that your...

  • Glute Kickback (Cable)

    Attach an ankle cuff to the low pulley of a cable machine and secure it around your working ankle. Stand facing the...

  • Hip Thrust (Barbell)

    Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench, feet flat on the ground hip-width apart. Roll a barbell over...

  • Hip Thrust (Dumbbell)

    Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench, knees bent and feet flat on the ground hip-width apart. Place...

  • Sumo Deadlift

    Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width, toes pointed out 30-45 degrees. Position the barbell over the middle of...

Glutes training questions

How many sets of glutes per week?
Most lifters progress on 6 to 16 hard sets a week of thrusts and bridges. Squats add some glute work on top of that. FlexFit starts near the low end of your program's range and adds sets as you log them.
What glute exercise works with no equipment?
A glute bridge, or a single-leg glute bridge once two legs are easy. Pause at the top for a second. FlexFit programs those when your equipment profile is bodyweight only.