How Often to Train Glutes: Weekly Sets and Frequency

Train your glutes two or three days a week. Spread 10–20 hard sets across those days. That simple rule covers most women who lift, from first block to fifth year.

This guide shows you where those numbers come from. It also gives you two sample weeks you can copy today.

Train glutes at least twice a week

Twice a week is the reliable floor for muscle growth. A meta-analysis by Schoenfeld and colleagues compared muscles trained once a week with muscles trained more often, at equal total volume. The higher-frequency groups had a larger growth effect size, 0.49 versus 0.30 (Schoenfeld et al., 2016).

The authors put the practical takeaway plainly.

"It can therefore be inferred that the major muscle groups should be trained at least twice a week to maximize muscle growth; whether training a muscle group three times per week is superior to a twice-per-week protocol remains to be determined."

Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger, Sports Medicine (2016), PubMed 27102172

Your glutes are one of the largest muscle groups in your body. They recover well from hip thrusts, hinges and lunges. Two sessions give them a fresh stimulus every three or four days.

Weekly sets matter more than the day count

Volume is the bigger lever. In a 2017 meta-analysis of 15 studies, each extra weekly set added about 0.37% to the percentage gain in muscle size. Higher-volume groups gained 3.9% more than lower-volume groups (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).

A larger 2025 analysis pooled 67 studies and 2,058 participants. It found that growth keeps rising with volume, with diminishing returns. Frequency had a clear effect on strength, but only a small effect on size once volume was equal (Pelland et al., 2025).

So use frequency as a tool to fit your volume in. Do not chase extra days for their own sake.

How many glute sets per week

Use these ranges as a starting point. Count only sets taken close to failure.

• New to lifting: 8–12 weekly sets for glutes.
• Lifting 6–24 months: 12–16 weekly sets.
• Experienced and recovering well: 16–20 weekly sets, sometimes more in a focused block.

What counts as a glute set

Count hip thrusts, glute bridges, Romanian deadlifts, back extensions, lunges, split squats, step-ups and deep squats. Count cable or banded abduction as glute sets too, since they train your upper glutes.

Pelland and colleagues found the best fit when indirect sets counted as half a set. Apply that idea to work that only touches your glutes, such as leg presses with a shallow range or quad-focused squats.

Pick 2x or 3x per week by schedule

Both frequencies build glutes. Choose the one that fits your week and your total sets.

Choose 2x per week when:

• You train three or four days in total.
• Your weekly glute target is 16 sets or fewer.
• You want long, focused sessions with heavy hip thrusts.

Choose 3x per week when:

• Your weekly target is above 16 sets.
• Your sessions are short, 45 minutes or less.
• You want more practice on hip thrust and hinge technique.

Above roughly 8–10 hard glute sets in one session, quality tends to drop. A third day lets you keep every set crisp.

Sample week: glutes 2x per week

This layout suits a four-day upper and lower split. It totals about 15 glute sets.

Day 1, lower A (heavy hip extension)

• Barbell hip thrust: 4 x 6–8 at RPE 8 (about 75–80% of 1RM).
• Romanian deadlift: 3 x 8–10 at RPE 7–8.
• Walking lunge: 2 x 10–12 per leg at RPE 8.
• Cable hip abduction: 2 x 12–15 at RPE 9.

Day 2, upper body

Day 3, lower B (squat and single leg)

• Back squat or goblet squat to full depth: 3 x 8–10 at RPE 7–8.
• Bulgarian split squat: 3 x 8–12 per leg at RPE 8.
• 45-degree back extension: 2 x 12–15 at RPE 8–9.
• Banded seated abduction: 2 x 15–20 at RPE 9.

Day 4, upper body

Rest 2–3 minutes on heavy thrusts and squats. Rest 60–90 seconds on abduction and back extensions.

Sample week: glutes 3x per week

This layout suits three full-body or lower-focused days. It totals about 18 glute sets.

Day 1, heavy

• Barbell hip thrust: 4 x 5–8 at RPE 8.
• Romanian deadlift: 3 x 6–8 at RPE 8.
• Cable abduction: 2 x 12–15 at RPE 9.

Day 2, single leg and range

• Bulgarian split squat: 3 x 8–12 per leg at RPE 8.
• 45-degree back extension: 3 x 12–15 at RPE 8–9.
• Glute bridge hold: 2 x 30 seconds.

Day 3, pump and volume

• Hip thrust or smith machine thrust: 3 x 12–15 at RPE 8–9 (about 60–65% of 1RM).
• Step-up: 2 x 10–12 per leg at RPE 8.
• Banded abduction: 3 x 15–20 at RPE 9.

Leave at least one rest day between Day 1 and Day 3. The heavy session needs the most recovery.

Progress your weekly volume over a block

Start a block near the low end of your range. Add load or reps each week while form stays sharp. Add one or two weekly glute sets every one or two weeks if you recover well.

Watch three signals. Your strength should climb. Your soreness should stay manageable. Your sleep and mood should stay steady. If all three hold, you have room to add sets.

After 4–6 weeks of building, run a lighter week. Cut sets by about half and keep the weights. Then start the next block a little higher than the last one began.

Build it in the free builder

Open the free program builder and set your days per week to 3 or 4. Choose glutes as your focus and enter your equipment, such as barbell, bench, cables or bands. The builder spreads your weekly glute sets across the right days and shows sets, reps and RPE for each one.

Want a ready-made plan instead? Browse the starter programs and pick a 2x or 3x glute layout that matches your week.