What are the best exercises for building glutes?

The best exercises for glutes are hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, squats taken to a good depth, and lunges or split squats. If you do those two to three times a week and keep adding weight, your glutes will grow.

The core four

• Hip thrust: works the glutes hardest at the top of the lift, when they're fully squeezed. 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps.
• Romanian deadlift: loads the glutes and hamstrings while they're stretched. 3 sets of 6 to 10.
• Squat: deep squats work the glutes through a big range. 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 10.
• Split squat or walking lunge: great for glutes and for fixing side to side imbalances. 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 per leg.

Helpful extras

If you want to add a bit more, these work well at the end of a session:

• Cable kickbacks
• Back extensions with a glute focus
• Step-ups on a higher box
• Side-lying or banded hip abduction for the side of the hip

How to set up a week

Two sessions is enough for most people. Something like this:

1. Day A: squats, hip thrusts, leg curls
2. Day B: Romanian deadlifts, split squats, back extensions

A third light session can help if you recover well.

Lifting sessions from Apple Health count in League of Fitness and are scored by effort, so each glute day contributes to your daily match. It's a reason to get the second session in on a week when the first one went well and the rest of the schedule got busy.

Do glutes need special treatment

Not really. Glutes grow like any muscle: hard sets, enough volume, progressive overload and food. Sets close to failure matter more than the specific exercise, and the glute squeeze at the top of a thrust is useful but you don't need to chase a burn.

A bodyweight glute bridge is a good way to start if you're new. Move to a barbell or dumbbell when 15 reps feel easy.

If you feel pain in the front of your hip, a pinch at the bottom of a squat, or lower back pain on thrusts, adjust your setup first. If it sticks around, see a physical therapist.