How to
Grow GlutesThe Exercises, Plan and Timeline That Actually Work

Hip thrusts and squats grow the glutes about equally in research, so choose the ones you enjoy and can load well.

You've seen the videos: a hip thrust machine, a resistance band, and a promise of "glute growth in 30 days." Searches for hip thrust machines alone are up about 49% in a year. Maybe you've been doing glute bridges and kickbacks in classes for months, or following a different glute routine every week, and nothing seems to change.

Here's the encouraging part: your glutes respond to training like any other muscle. The less exciting part: there's no special exercise or secret angle. What works is the same set of basics that builds muscle anywhere, aimed at the hips.

We built this guide from the research: a 2023 trial that measured glute growth with MRI after hip thrusts or squats, a 2025 meta-analysis of glute training studies, and the 2026 resistance training guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Below you'll find which movements matter, the best exercises for gym and home, a 3-day plan, how to progress, and an honest timeline.

One note before we start: everyone's glutes are shaped differently because of genetics, bone structure and where your body stores fat. Training can make your glutes stronger and bigger, but it won't give everyone the same shape, and it doesn't need to. Strong glutes help you lift, walk, run and climb stairs, whatever they look like.

How your glutes work (and why one exercise isn't enough)

This section explains the muscles involved, so the exercise choices make sense.

Your glutes are three muscles:

Most glute exercises train the gluteus maximus through hip extension. But a 2023 MRI study (more on it below) found that hip thrusts and squats produced little to no growth in the gluteus medius and minimus. That's a good reason to include at least one exercise where you move your leg out to the side, called hip abduction.

Hip thrust vs squat: what the research says

This is the most debated question in glute training. Here's what the studies actually found.

The 2023 MRI trial

A 2023 randomized trial in Frontiers in Physiology by Plotkin and colleagues had untrained young adults do either barbell hip thrusts or back squats for 9 weeks, twice a week, with the same number of sets (taken to failure). Muscle size was measured with MRI before and after.

• Gluteus maximus growth was similar in both groups. The numbers leaned slightly toward hip thrusts, but the difference wasn't clear.
• Squats built more quadriceps and adductor (inner thigh) muscle.
• Each group got stronger mostly at the lift it trained, and both improved similarly on the deadlift.
• Muscle activation readings (EMG) were higher in hip thrusts, but they didn't predict which exercise built more muscle.

The study was small (34 people finished) and only lasted 9 weeks, but it measured the glutes directly, which makes it one of the more useful studies on this question.

The 2025 meta-analysis

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in Frontiers in Physiology by Krause Neto and colleagues pooled 11 studies with 318 participants (144 women). Resistance training produced a moderate increase in gluteus maximus size, and it worked in both trained and untrained people. Many exercises grew the glutes, including hip thrusts, squats to parallel or deeper, leg presses and kneeling hip extensions. The authors suggested prioritizing the hip thrust when the glutes are the main goal, while recommending that people choose exercises based on their own goals and limitations. The overall quality of the studies was moderate.

What about squats beating hip thrusts?

You may have seen a 2020 study in trained women that found squats grew the glutes more than hip thrusts. Other researchers have publicly questioned the data from this research group, and several of the group's other papers have been retracted. This particular study hasn't been retracted, but we don't rely on it here.

A note on "glute activation" claims

Plenty of glute content ranks exercises by EMG, which measures electrical activity in the muscle. The 2023 trial is a good reminder that higher activation in a single session doesn't necessarily mean more growth over weeks. Treat "this exercise activates your glutes 200% more" claims with caution.

The best glute exercises (gym and home versions)

This section gives you a menu to build your workouts from. Pick at least one exercise from each pattern.

What about the hip thrust machine?

It's a convenient way to do hip thrusts without setting up a barbell, pad and bench. Research hasn't compared machine and barbell hip thrusts for glute growth, and the 2026 ACSM guidelines found that machines vs free weights didn't consistently change results for average healthy adults. Use whichever is easier to load and progress.

Training at home

The 2026 ACSM guidelines note that bands, bodyweight and home routines produce meaningful gains. The challenge at home is keeping sets hard enough. Use single-leg versions, slower lowering, pauses at the top, and heavier bands or a backpack as you get stronger.

How to grow glutes: a 3-day workout plan

Here's a full-body plan with extra glute work. It meets the ACSM recommendation of training each major muscle group at least twice a week, and gives the glutes roughly 12 to 16 hard sets a week. The specific sets and reps are common coaching choices.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3 (optional)

How to schedule it

• 2 days a week: Day 1 and Day 2, for example Monday and Thursday.
• 3 days a week: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 with a rest day between each, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Warm up with 5 minutes of easy cardio and a light set of your first exercise. Rest 1.5 to 2 minutes between heavy sets and about 1 minute between lighter abduction sets.

How to make your glutes keep growing

This section covers how to keep progressing, which is where most glute routines fall short.

Take sets close to failure

Stop most sets with about 1 to 3 reps left in the tank. The 2026 ACSM guidelines found that training all the way to failure isn't necessary for most people, but sets do need to be challenging. If your last rep looks as smooth as your first, the weight is too light.

Use double progression

• Pick a rep range, like 8 to 12.
• Stay at the same weight until you reach 12 reps on all sets with good form.
• Increase the weight, which usually drops you back toward 8.
• Build back up and repeat.

Hip thrusts and leg presses can often go up by 5 to 10 lb at a time. Smaller exercises like abduction or single-leg work progress more slowly; add reps or a heavier band first.

Keep the main exercises steady

Changing your glute routine every week makes it impossible to track progress. Keep your main exercises for at least 6 to 8 weeks, and log the weight and reps each session.

Get the range of motion

Go as deep as you can with control in squats, lunges and Romanian deadlifts. The 2023 trial and the 2025 meta-analysis both included deep squat variations that grew the glutes, and many coaches favor exercises that load the glutes in a stretched position.

How long does it take to grow your glutes?

This is where social media and research part ways. Here's the honest version.

• Strength comes first. You'll often add weight to your lifts in the first few weeks, partly because you're getting better at the movements.
• Measurable muscle growth takes weeks. In the 2023 MRI trial, glute growth showed up after 9 weeks of twice-weekly training. Most studies in the 2025 meta-analysis ran for about 8 to 12 weeks or longer.
• Visible change takes longer and varies a lot. How noticeable new muscle looks depends on your starting point, body fat, genetics and how consistently you train and eat.

So "30-day glute growth" isn't realistic for most people. Think in months: 8 to 12 weeks to see your strength climb and measure some change, and 6 months or more for changes you and others may notice. Progress photos and a tape measure every 4 weeks are more reliable than the mirror day to day.

Common glute training mistakes

• Doing only bodyweight or light band work for months. Fine for starting out, but the sets need to get harder over time.
• Switching programs constantly. You can't tell what's working if nothing stays the same.
• Skipping abduction work. Squats and thrusts don't grow the upper, outer glutes much.
• Chasing "activation" over load and progress. A burn doesn't equal growth.
• Under-eating. Building muscle is much harder when you're eating very little.
• Ignoring pain. Muscle effort is normal; sharp pain in your hips, knees or back is not. Stop that exercise, and see a doctor or physio if pain continues or if you're pregnant, postpartum, or managing an injury.

Put it together: your week

Training builds the stimulus. Food, sleep and energy decide how well your glutes respond.

Food

Muscle needs protein. Most women who lift do well with about 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight per day, spread across meals (about 75 to 100 g a day for a 140 lb woman). Eating enough overall matters too; trying to grow glutes while eating very little usually stalls progress.

Sleep and energy

On a short night of sleep, keep your session but go a little lighter and skip personal records. On a day you feel great, push for an extra rep on your main lift.

A sample week

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to grow glutes?

There's no shortcut, but the most efficient approach is training them 2 to 3 times a week with about 10 or more hard sets across the week, using exercises like hip thrusts, squats, Romanian deadlifts, lunges and abduction, and steadily adding weight or reps. Eating enough protein and food overall supports growth.

Are hip thrusts or squats better for glutes?

In a 2023 MRI study, hip thrusts and squats grew the gluteus maximus about equally over 9 weeks. Squats also built more thigh muscle. Most people do well including both, or choosing the one they enjoy and can load well.

Can I grow my glutes at home?

Yes. The 2026 ACSM guidelines found bands, bodyweight and home training produce meaningful gains. Use single-leg exercises, slow lowering, pauses and heavier bands or weights as you progress, so your sets stay challenging.

How many times a week should I train glutes?

Two to three times a week works well for most people. That lets you reach roughly 10 or more hard sets for the glutes each week, which is in line with the ACSM recommendation for muscle growth, while leaving time to recover.

How long does it take to see glute growth?

Strength often improves within a few weeks. Studies typically measure glute growth after about 8 to 12 weeks of consistent training. Visible changes usually take longer and vary depending on genetics, body fat and consistency.

Is the hip thrust machine worth it?

It's a convenient way to load hip thrusts without a barbell setup. Research hasn't compared it directly with barbell hip thrusts, and the ACSM guidelines found machines and free weights work similarly for most people. Use whichever lets you train consistently and add load over time.

Conclusion

Growing your glutes comes down to the same principles that build any muscle: enough challenging sets, a mix of movements, gradual progression and patience. Hip thrusts and squats both work, abduction exercises fill in what they miss, and home training can work if you keep the sets hard.

Pick a plan, stick with it for at least 8 to 12 weeks, log every session, eat enough protein, and judge your progress by your strength and measurements, not the 30-day promises on your feed. Strong glutes look different on everyone, and they're worth building for how they help you move.

This article is for general education and isn't medical advice.

If you want help putting this into your own week, Wellio is an AI coach that sees the whole picture: it builds your plan around your workouts, meals, sleep and energy, and guides you day by day as life changes. Tell it your goal, schedule and equipment to get a starting plan, log your sets as you train, and get suggestions for when to add weight. Join the Wellio waitlist.

Sources

1. Plotkin DL, et al. Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift. Frontiers in Physiology, 2023.frontiersin.org
2. Krause Neto W, Krause TLV, Gama EF. The impact of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 2025.frontiersin.org
3. Barbalho M, et al. Back squat vs. hip thrust resistance-training programs in well-trained women. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020 (summary).sci-sport.com
4. Retraction Watch. Exercise researcher earns more retractions as investigations mount. 2021.retractionwatch.com
5. American College of Sports Medicine. 2026 resistance training position stand (press release via Newswise).newswise.com
6. Rising Trends. Top fitness trends, September 2026.risingtrends.co