12-week

Glute Growth
Workout Plan
12-WEEK GLUTE GROWTH WORKOUT PLAN

OVERVIEW
Welcome to your 12 week glute plan!
This plan uses the following 5-day workout split:

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Lower Upper Lower Upper Lower

Rest Rest
Body 1 Body 1 Body 2 Body 2 Body 3

The exact days of each workout don’t matter, as long as you have at least 1 day of rest between each
“lower body” day.
If you are unable to train 5 days per week, you can eliminate 1 of the upper body workouts to bring it
down to 4 days per week.
After you complete the 12 weeks, we recommend joining one of our Built With Science programs for
more science-based workouts to continue challenging you and getting you results.
Shoutout to glutes training expert Bret Contreras for his help with developing this glutes program!

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12-WEEK GLUTE GROWTH WORKOUT PLAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXERCISE ALTERNATIVES 5

WEEK 1-4 WEEK 5-8

DAY 1: LOWER BODY 1 9 DAY 1: LOWER BODY 1 42
BARBELL HIP THRUST 10 BACK SQUAT 43
PAUSE BACK SQUAT 11 PAUSE BARBELL HIP THRUST 44
CABLE KICKBACKS 12 BODYWEIGHT 45 DEGREE HYPEREXTENSIONS 45
STANDING CABLE HIP ABDUCTION 13 CABLE KICKBACKS 46
DAY 2: UPPER BODY 1 15 DAY 2: UPPER BODY 1 48
INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS 16 BARBELL BENCH PRESS 49
(WEIGHTED) CHIN-UPS 17 DUMBBELL CHEST SUPPORTED ROW (MID/UPPER BACK
SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS 18 FOCUSED) 50
SEATED CABLE ROW (MID/UPPER BACK FOCUSED) 19 INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS 51
CABLE LATERAL RAISE 20 LAT PULLDOWNS 52
DAY 3: LOWER BODY 2 22 CHEST SUPPORTED DUMBBELL REAR DELT ROW 53
SMITH MACHINE REVERSE LUNGE 23 DAY 3: LOWER BODY 2 55
SMITH MACHINE HIP THRUST 24 HIP THRUST (BODYWEIGHT) 56
DUMBBELL ROMANIAN DEADLIFT 25 BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT (GLUTE-FOCUSED) 57
SIDE LYING HIP RAISE 26 LYING LEG CURLS 58
DAY 4: UPPER BODY 2 28 SEATED HIP ABDUCTION MACHINE 59
CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS 29 DAY 4: UPPER BODY 2 61
LAT PULLDOWNS 30 STANDING BARBELL OVERHEAD PRESS 62
STANDING DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS 31 (WEIGHTED) PULL-UPS 63
DUMBBELL CHEST SUPPORTED ROW (MID/UPPER BACK FLAT DUMBBELL PRESS 64
FOCUSED) 32 CHEST SUPPORTED MACHINE ROW 65
REAR DELT CABLE FLY 33 DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISES 66
DAY 5: LOWER BODY 3 35 DAY 5: LOWER BODY 3 68
SUMO DEADLIFT 36 DUMBBELL ROMANIAN DEADLIFT 69
WEIGHTED STEP-UPS (KNEE FRIENDLY) 37 SINGLE-LEG LEG PRESS 70
(WEIGHTED) SINGLE LEG HIP THRUSTS 38 BARBELL GLUTE BRIDGE 71
LATERAL BAND WALK 39 SIDE LYING HIP RAISE 72

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12-WEEK GLUTE GROWTH WORKOUT PLAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS
WEEK 9-12
DAY 1: LOWER BODY 1 75
FRONT FOOT ELEVATED REVERSE LUNGES 76
BARBELL DEADLIFT 77
STANDING CABLE HIP ABDUCTION 78
SMITH MACHINE FROG PUMP 79
DAY 2: UPPER BODY 1 81
STANDING DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS 82
SEATED CABLE ROW (MID/UPPER BACK FOCUSED) 83
PUSH-UPS 84
INVERTED ROW 85
LYING INCLINE LATERAL RAISE 86
DAY 3: LOWER BODY 2 88
BARBELL HIP THRUST (1 ¼ REPS) 89
CABLE KNEELING KICKBACK 90
PAUSE KNEE-BANDED BARBELL HIP THRUST 91
BANDED HIP ABDUCTIONS 92
DAY 4: UPPER BODY 2 94
PAUSE BENCH PRESS 95
(WEIGHTED) PULL-UPS 96
SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS 97
DUMBBELL CHEST SUPPORTED ROW (MID/UPPER BACK
FOCUSED) 98
REAR DELT CABLE FLY 99
DAY 5: LOWER BODY 3 101
BARBELL HIP THRUST 102
BACK SQUAT 103
WEIGHTED 45 DEGREE HYPEREXTENSIONS 104
BAND DIAGONAL KICKBACK 105
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 106
DISCLAIMER 107

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EXERCISE ALTERNATIVES
If you don’t have access to some of the exercises within your 12 week glute plan, you can consider
swapping those exercises for an alternative exercise from the same category.
Here’s a reminder of the exercises that fall under each category, feel free to swap any of these for
another exercise in that list:

EXERCISE CATEGORY EXERCISE SWAP LIST

Barbell Back Squat

Bulgarian Split Squat (glute focused)

Dumbbell Reverse Lunges

Vertical Hip Extension Romanian Deadlift (dumbbell or barbell)

Smith Machine Reverse Lunges

Leg Press (single or double leg)

Front Foot Elevated Reverse Lunges

Hip Thrust (barbell, bodyweight, Smith machine)

Barbell Glute Bridge

Horizontal Hip Extension 45 Degree Hyperextensions (bodyweight, banded, or weighted)

Single Leg Hip Thrust

Reverse Hyperextensions (bodyweight)

Seated Hip Abduction Machine

Side Lying Hip Raise

Side Lying Hip Abduction

Lateral Band Walks

Abduction Banded Hip Abductions

Cable Kickbacks (legs angled out)

Standing Cable Hip Abductions

Band Diagonal Kickback

Frog Pumps

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12-WEEK GLUTE GROWTH WORKOUT PLAN

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week
1-4
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DAY 1: LOWER BODY 1

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)

Squeeze glutes hard, knees 90

2-3
Barbell hip thrust 3 12 degrees at top position, don't
minutes
go all the way down each rep.

Experiment with foot stance,

squat down to at least
2-3 parallel, elevate heels onto
Pause back squat 3 5
minutes weight plates if needed. Add
a 3 second pause at bottom
position, explode up.

Attach ankle cuff to cable

machine, cable lowered to
12 each 1 minute
Cable kickbacks 3 knee-height, slightly lowered
side per leg
torso, rotate foot, and kick
heel back behind you.

Attach ankle cuff to

12 each 1 minute cable machine, swing
Standing cable hip abductions 3
side per leg leg outward and behind,
avoid rotating foot.

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BARBELL HIP THRUST

For the barbell hip thrust, since the exercise is STEP 1
quite technical, it is recommended that you watch
the exercise tutorial video.

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a bench or any soft elevated platform that’s
about the height of your knees or shins. If needed,
put a pair of heavy weight plates behind it to
prevent it from sliding back as you perform the
movement. Next, grab a barbell, and load each side STEP 1
with weight, ideally using the bigger bumper plates
if your gym has those available. If you’re new to this
movement, use just the barbell with no weight at
first. You’ll also want to use a thick pad or towel and
wrap it around the middle of the barbell for comfort.
Lay down with your upper back against the bench
and the bar sitting over your hips and your hands
holding the bar with an overhand grip just outside
your legs. From here, set your feet. You want them STEP 2
positioned such that at the top of the hip thrust your
knees are bent at a 90 degree angle and your shins
are vertical straight on top of your feet. Try a few
reps without weight to find the sweet spot position
for you. Once you’ve found the right distance, set
your feet at about shoulder-width apart or slightly
wider, with your toes pointed out at a slight angle.

STEP 2
Tuck your chin down and brace your core. Before
initiating the thrust, squeeze your glutes. Then,
while keeping your head and hips in a straight line, STEP 2
continue squeezing your glutes as you push through
your heels to drive your hips forward to the top
position, moving the weight straight up. At the top
position, keep your core braced and pause for a
second or two while continuing to squeeze your
glutes. Control the weight back down by slowly
lowering your butt down towards the ground,
stopping at about halfway up from the bottom
position and then repeating for another rep.

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PAUSE BACK SQUAT

STEP 1
PLEASE NOTE: The execution of this exercise will be the same
as explained below, just adding a 3 second pause at the bottom
position.

ATTENTION: For the barbell back squat, since the exercise is quite
technical, it is recommended that you watch the full exercise tutorial
video. If needed, perform the exercise regression included in the
STEP 1
video first if needed before performing the full barbell back squat.

STEP 1: SETUP
Set a barbell in a rack at about the height of your mid-chest. Face the bar
and grip it with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Duck
under the bar and place it over the back of your shoulders, letting it rest on
your upper traps. Lift it out of the rack by extending your legs. Take one step STEP 2
back with one foot, one step back with the other one, and then use a third
step to correct your stance into an even position. The optimal foot stance
will vary, but first experiment with a stance that is just outside shoulder-
width with your toes pointed outwards at about 15 degree angle.

STEP 2
Plant your feet firmly into the ground, pull the bar down into your upper
back, and engage your core. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and
then squat straight down by bending at your hips and knees. As you do so,
the bar should remain over the level of your midfoot and the weight should
be evenly distributed between your big toe, your little toe, and your heels.
Your knees should also be bending slightly outwards in the same direction STEP 2
of your toes. Continue squatting down until your thighs reach at least
parallel or slightly below. From here, while keeping your core engaged,
exhale and reverse the movement by extending your legs, thinking about
bringing the bar up towards the ceiling and exhaling as you do so.
When done correctly, the bar should make an almost perfectly vertical path
down and up each rep. Depending on your anatomy, your torso may end
up more vertical or more bent over than others, which is normal as long as
you’re following the tips and avoiding the common mistakes.

ADDITIONAL TIPS: If you find it difficult to reach full depth, you

can try elevating your heels onto weight plates to help with ankle
mobility.

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CABLE KICKBACKS
STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Attach an ankle cuff to a cable machine
and move the pulley down to about the
level of your knee. Stand facing square a
few steps away from the cable machine
with the non working leg in line with the STEP 1
anchor point of the cable, and then turn
both feet 30 degrees in the direction of
the working leg. Hold onto the pole with
the arm that’s on the same side as the
non-working leg and bend your torso
over forward just slightly.

STEP 2
Brace your core and press down on your STEP 2
non working leg for stability. Lift your
foot and cross your working leg across
the other leg towards the cable. While
keeping your leg straight, use your glutes
to kick your heel back and out behind
you as far as is comfortable. As you do
so, you can rotate your foot such that
the outside part of your foot faces the
ceiling at the end position. Control your STEP 2
leg back to the starting position, again
crossing over your non-working leg, and
then repeat for another rep. Finish your
reps on one side before switching to the
other side.

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STANDING CABLE HIP ABDUCTION

STEP 1: SETUP STEP 1

Attach an ankle cuff to a cable

machine and move the pulley down
to about the level of your knee.
Stand facing parallel a few steps
away from the cable machine with
the non working leg in line with the
anchor point of the cable. Hold onto
the pole or a fixture with the arm
that’s on the same side as the non-
working leg and bend your torso
over forward just slightly.

STEP 2
Brace your core and press down on
your non working leg for stability. STEP 2
Lift your foot and cross your
working leg slightly behind and
across the other leg away. While
keeping your leg straight, use your
glutes to kick your heel out to your
side away from the cable machine as
far as is comfortable. Control your
leg back to the starting position,
again crossing over your non-
working leg, and then repeat for
another rep. Finish your reps on one
side before switching to the other
side.

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DAY 2: UPPER BODY 1

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)
Set bench 1-2 notches up
1.5-2
Incline dumbbell press 3 8 from bottom, keep chest up,
minutes
avoid flaring elbows out.

Use underhand shoulder-

1.5-2
(Weighted) chin up 3 5 width grip, pull until chin over
minutes
bar, add weight if possible.

Seated dumbbell 1.5-2 Set bench 2-3 notches down from

3 12
shoulder press minutes top position, press in scapular plane.

Use wide grip handle if possible,

Seated cable row (mid/ 1.5-2
3 10 angle elbows out, squeeze
upper back focused) minutes
shoulder-blades together.

Raise arm in scapular plane,

1.5-2
Cable lateral raise 3 12 align cable with arm, think of
minutes
pushing hand "out" not "up".

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INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up an incline bench to about 15 to 30
degrees, typically the first to second notch up STEP 1
from the bottom. Grab a pair of dumbbells and
sit on the bench. Kick up the dumbbells one at
a time to get them into position with your arms
straight over your body. Pull your shoulder
blades down away from your ears and pinch
them together to create a small space between
your lower back and the bench. Firmly plant
your feet on the ground.
STEP 1
STEP 2
Brace your core and then control the weight
down by dropping your elbows to about a 45
to 60 degree angle from your torso. Allow your
hands to naturally turn in slightly. Continue
lowering until the weights reach around the
STEP 2
level of your chest, or as low as is comfortable
for you.

STEP 3
Use your chest to push the weight back up until
your arms are fully locked out and directly over
your shoulders. Think about pulling your arms
together as if you were trying to touch your
biceps together to move the weight up.

STEP 3

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(WEIGHTED) CHIN-UPS
STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grip the bar using an under hand grip
roughly shoulder-width apart. From
here, let your body hang and then begin
stabilizing your body by bringing your feet
together, flexing your quads and glutes and STEP 2
contracting your abs. You want to maintain
this position as you pull.

STEP 2
Initiate the pull by first bringing your
shoulders down and away from your ears.
Then, pull your elbows down and back into
your sides as if you were trying to pull them
into your back pockets. As you do this, think STEP 2
about trying to bring your chest up towards
the bar. Continue pulling-up until your
chin is above the bar. From here, control
yourself down until your arms are almost
fully straightened, and then continue into
your next rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS STEP 2

Once you can do 10 chin-ups in a row, you

can start to add weight to the movement
by using either a weight belt or by holding a
light dumbbell between your feet.

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SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
STEP 1
Set up an incline bench at about a 60 to 75
degree angle, typically 2 to 3 notches down from
the highest position. Grab a pair of dumbbells
and sit on the bench with the dumbbells resting
on your thighs. Kick the dumbbells up one at a
time to get them up just over your shoulders.
Plant your feet firmly on the ground. Bring your
elbows forward slightly to about a 45 degree
angle in front of your body.
STEP 2
STEP 2
Pull your shoulders down and away from your
ears and brace your core. Press the weight up
until your arms are straight and positioned
directly over your shoulders.

STEP 3
Lower the weight back down by dropping your
elbows into a roughly 45 degree angle in front STEP 3
of your body until the weights reach around the
level of your chin, and then press back up.

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SEATED CABLE ROW (MID/UPPER BACK FOCUSED)

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Once you’ve found the attachment, get
into the starting position with your knees
slightly bent on the pad and back straight.

STEP 2
Brace your core and bring your shoulders STEP 2
down and away from your ears. Pull
your elbows back behind your body at
about a 45 to 60 degree angle away while
squeezing your shoulder blades together.

STEP 3
Control the weight back down to the
starting position, letting your shoulder
blades open up, and then go into your next STEP 2
rep. You can let your upper body round
forward to fully open up your back, as
long as your core remains tight and your
lower back doesn’t round excessively.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

You can use the V-bar attachment,

but a better option would be a wider STEP 3
handle setup so that your elbows can
flare outwards as you pull. If you don’t
have access to any of that, you can try
putting two handles over a lat pulldown
attachment and twist them to lock them in
place.

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CABLE LATERAL RAISE

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Attach a handle to the cable and move it to the
bottom attachment. Face away from the cable
and reach behind your body to grab the handle
with one hand. Take a couple steps forward
and then a small step sideways towards the
direction of your working arm. You should STEP 1
end up with your hand by your thigh with the
direction of the cable headed back behind your
body.

STEP 2
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes. Keep
your arms just slightly bent and raise your arm
diagonally at about 15 to 30 degrees in front
of your body. Raise until your arm reaches
shoulder-height, control back down, and then
repeat for more reps. Switch arms after you’ve
rested for 30 seconds.

ADDITIONAL TIPS STEP 2

To perform two arms at a time, grab the left cable
with your right hand and right cable with your
left hand. Turn so you face away from the cable
and take a few steps forward. While keeping your
arms just slightly bent, raise your arms into a wide
Y position in front of you. Raise until your arms
reach shoulder-height, control them back down,
and then repeat for more reps.

STEP 2

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DAY 3: LOWER BODY 2

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)
Bar resting on upper back, lean
Smith machine reverse 10 each 1.5-2
3 torso slightly forward as you step
lunge side minutes
back, keep knee in line with ankle.

Squeeze glutes hard, knees 90

2-3
Smith machine hip thrust 3 15 degrees at top position, don't
minutes
go all the way down each rep.

Dumbbell Romanian 1.5-2 Push hips back, slight bend in knees,

3 10
deadlift minutes lower until hands reach level of shins.

Side plank position, knees and

hips bent at 90 degrees, push
12 each 1 minute
Side lying hip raise 3 grounded knee while lifting body
side per leg
up tall and opening up hips, bring
leg back down to starting position.

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SMITH MACHINE REVERSE LUNGE

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set the bar into its starting position at about
the height of your shoulders. Load the bar with
appropriate weight, and then grip the bar with
your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width
apart. Place the bar over the back of your
shoulders onto your upper traps and then lift
the bar out of the rack.

STEP 2 STEP 2 (DOWN)

Brace your core and step one foot back behind
you such that at the bottom position your front
knee is in line with your ankle. Slightly hinge
your torso forward as you step back. Continue
descending until your front thigh is at least
parallel to the floor and the knee of your back
leg should be almost touching the floor. From
here, pause briefly, and then extend your front
leg to push your body straight up and bring your
back leg to center with your feet back together.
Alternate sides until you finish the desired
number of reps on each leg. STEP 2 (UP)

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid relying too much on your back leg to push

the weight up. Instead, think of your back leg as a
kickstand for balance. Keep 80-90% of the weight
in your front leg, and just 10-20% of the weight in
your back leg.

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SMITH MACHINE HIP THRUST

To properly set up your smith machine for this

exercise, please refer to the exercise tutorial video
for a step-by-step approach.

STEP 1: SETUP STEP 1

Position a flat bench a couple feet behind the
bar such that when you lay down with your
upper back against the bench and knees bent,
the bar sits right over your hips. You’ll also want
to use a thick pad or towel and wrap it around
the middle of the barbell for comfort.
Set your feet so that at the top of the hip thrust
your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle and STEP 1
your shins are vertical straight on top of your
feet. Try a few reps without weight to find the
sweet spot position for you. Then set your feet
at about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider,
with your toes pointed out at a slight angle.
From here, unrack the bar.

STEP 2
STEP 2
Tuck your chin down and brace your core.
Before initiating the thrust, squeeze your glutes.
Then, while keeping your head and hips in a
straight line, continue squeezing your glutes as
you push through your heels to drive your hips
forward to the top position, moving the weight
straight up. At the top position, keep your core
braced and pause for a second or two while
continuing to squeeze your glutes. Control the
weight back down by slowly lowering your butt
down towards the ground, stopping at about
halfway up from the bottom position and then
repeating for another rep.

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DUMBBELL ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a pair of dumbbells, hold them by your sides, and
take a shoulder-width stance with your feet pointed
slightly outwards at about a 15 degree angle.

STEP 2 STEP 2
Contract your abs, take a deep breath in through your
nose, then descend by pushing your hips straight back.
Keep just a very slight bend at your knees and keep the
bar as close to your body as possible, ideally right above
the middle of your feet. As you descend, your hands
should move from a neutral position at your sides to
your palms facing towards you with the dumbbells held
horizontally in front of your legs. Lower the dumbbells
only until the point where you can’t push your hips back
without your lower back starting to round, usually at
knee level or mid-shin level. STEP 2

STEP 3
Keep your core braced and then exhale as you reverse
the motion by pushing your hips forward and then
rotating the dumbbells back into the starting position
by your sides. Once your legs are fully straight, repeat
for another rep. Spend about 2-3 seconds on slowly
controlling the weight down, and then about 1 second to
bring the weight back up.

STEP 3
ADDITIONAL TIPS

To better engage the hamstrings, you can think

about pulling the floor back with your heels as you
come up.

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SIDE LYING HIP RAISE

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Start in a side plank position on your
elbow with your hips and knees on the
STEP 1
ground, bent at about a 90 degree angle.

STEP 2
Push through the grounded knee down
and lift your body up as tall as you can
while opening up your hips by lifting
your top leg up towards the ceiling. As
you do so, use your glutes to drive your
hips forward. Come down by sinking STEP 2
your hips back and bringing your legs
back together to the starting position,
and then repeat for another rep. At the
top, drive your hips forward and at the
bottom sink the hips back.
Control each rep and focus on form.
Finish your reps on one leg before
switching to the other side. If this is too
difficult for you to do, I’d recommend STEP 2
starting out with the exercise alternative
“side lying leg raise” instead.

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DAY 4: UPPER BODY 2

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)
Start with a narrower grip, keep
2-3 chest up, lower bar to level of
Close grip bench press 3 8
minutes nipples, elbows tucked to sides,
avoid flaring elbows out.

Grip outside shoulder width,

1.5-2
Lat pulldown 3 10 lean back slightly, pull bar
minutes
to just under chin.

Standing dumbbell 1.5-2 Use lighter weight, keep core braced,

3 8
shoulder press minutes squeeze glutes, avoid arching back.

Dumbbell chest Set bench 2 notches up from

1.5-2
supported row (mid/ 3 10 bottom, angle elbows out, squeeze
minutes
upper back focused) shoulder blades together.

Grab opposite cables, cross cables

1.5-2
Rear delt cable fly 3 15 at shoulder height, pull arms back
minutes
behind you at a 45 degree angle.

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CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
You’ll use the same setup as shown in
the normal barbell bench press tutorial,
but the grip should be narrower than
your normal bench press grip.
After you grip the bar, pull your shoulder
blades down away from your ears and
then back together. Keep your feet STEP 1
firmly planted on the ground. Then,
unrack the bar by lifting the bar up
and bringing it over the level of your
shoulders.

STEP 2
Control the weight down towards your
lower chest while tucking your elbows
close to your sides until it makes contact STEP 2
with your body. After you reach the
bottom position, push the bar up and
back to the starting position with your
arms fully locked out. As you continue
your reps, make sure to keep your chest
up and out, shoulder blades back and
down, and butt on the bench.

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LAT PULLDOWNS

STEP 1: SETUP
Adjust the height of the seat or knee
pads so that your thighs are securely
locked underneath, with your feet flat on
the floor. Set your weight then stand up
and grab the bar with an overhand grip
just outside shoulder-width apart. Sit
back down with your thighs under the
pads. Tilt your upper back just slightly
backwards.
STEP 1
STEP 2
Pull your elbows down until the bar
reaches the level of your chin. Control
the weight back up until your arms are
almost fully straight, and then repeat for
another rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

To better engage the back muscles, you

can try using a thumbless grip and think
about pulling with the elbows rather than
with your hands. STEP 2

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STANDING DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a pair of dumbbells and bring them up just
over your shoulders. Set your feet by moving
them shoulder width apart and bring your
elbows forward slightly at about a 45 degree
angle in front of your body.

STEP 2 STEP 2

Squeeze your glutes, flex your quads, and brace

your core. Take a deep breath in through your
nose and then exhale as you press the dumbbells
straight up. Press until your arms are straight
and positioned directly over your shoulders.

STEP 3
Inhale as you lower the dumbbells by dropping
your elbows into a roughly 45 degree angle in
front of your body until the dumbbells reach
the level of your chin. Pause here briefly, re-
stabilize your glutes and core if needed, and STEP 3
then continue for your next rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid bending your knees and using leg drive to

move the weight up. This is a different exercise.
Instead, keep this a strict press by only using your
upper body to press the weight up.

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DUMBBELL CHEST SUPPORTED ROW (MID/UPPER BACK FOCUSED)

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up an incline bench to an angle of about 30
degrees, typically the second notch up from
the bottom. Grab a pair of dumbbells using a
thumbless grip and lay your chest on the bench STEP 1
with your arms hanging down by your sides and
palms facing each other. Plant the balls of your
feet firmly into the ground with your legs fully
straightened or slightly bent.

STEP 2
To stabilize your body, bring your shoulders
down and away from your ears, squeeze your
glutes and flex your abs. Then, pull your elbows STEP 2
back behind your body at about a 45 to 60
degree angle away from your torso. Squeeze
your shoulder blades together at the top
position.

STEP 3
Control the weight back down to the starting
position instead of letting it just drop. Let your
shoulder blades open up, reset, and then go into
your next rep. STEP 3

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Think about pulling with your elbows each rep in

order to better activate your back.

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REAR DELT CABLE FLY

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Stand in the middle of a cable machine with
the pulleys set at the highest height with no
handles attached. Grab the left cable with your
right hand and the right cable with your left
hand. Grab the little ball at the end of the cable
for grip. Step a few steps back, and then move
your arms straight in front of you at shoulder STEP 1
height. At this point the cables should be
crossing over each other. You can rotate your
hands slightly outwards to match the direction
of the cable.

STEP 2
Brace your core and pull your arms down at a
45 degree angle away from your torso while
keeping your arms straight. Continue pulling STEP 2
as far back as you can so that your arms end
up slightly past your torso. Pause at the end
position briefly, and then control the weight
back to the starting position with your arms
straight in front of your chest.

ADDITIONAL TIPS
STEP 2
If you’re performing just one arm at a time, you’d
perform it the exact same way, but just make
sure that you position yourself so that when
you pull your arm down, the cable is in line with
your arm and that your arm makes a 45 degree
angle away from your body. Standing directly
sideways to the cable helps make this easy to set
up.

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DAY 5: LOWER BODY 3

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)

Wider foot stance, narrower

2-3
Sumo deadlift 3 8 grip in between thighs,
minutes
hips lower, spine neutral.

Step up on bench, press

Weighted step ups 10 each 1 minute
3 through heels, alternate
(*knee friendly) side per leg
legs each rep.

Upper back on bench, keep 1

15 each 1.5-2
Single leg hip thrust  3 leg up in air, place dumbbell
side minutes
over hip of working leg.

Mini band around knees,

feet shoulder-width
10 each 1 minute apart, slight bend in knees
Lateral band walk 3
side per leg and hinge forward, step
laterally to one side and
keep tension in the band.

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SUMO DEADLIFT
For the sumo deadlift, since the exercise is quite technical, it is recommended STEP 1
that you watch the exercise tutorial video.

STEP 1: SETUP
Start with a barbell on the ground. If you have access to big bumper plates, load
the bar with those. If you aren’t going to be using any weight or only have access
to smaller weight plates, either elevate the bar onto a rack, weight stack, or any
elevated platform so that the bar starts at about the level of your shins.
Stand with the bar over your midfoot. Take a sumo stance by moving your feet out
wide, to at least outside of shoulder-width with your toes pointed out. You can tell STEP 1
if your feet are too wide based on your mobility if when you go down to grab the
bar, your knees cave inward and you can’t keep your knees out towards your toes.
Play around with this to see what feels best.
Next, get down to grip the bar by pushing your hips back and then bending your
knees out and forward towards the direction of your toes. Grab the bar with a
double overhand grip with your arms hanging straight down right at shoulder-
width apart, which should be inside your knees.
From here, bring the bar as close to your shins as possible and tuck your chin down
to align your neck with your spine by gazing at the floor just a few feet in front of
you. STEP 1

STEP 2
Stabilize your body by thinking about bending the bar in half towards you by
engaging your lat muscles, and then pull your chest up and hips down to wedge
yourself into the bar. From here, brace your core and pull the slack out of the bar
by lightly pulling up against it and pushing your feet away from the floor.
From here, while maintaining a straight back and keeping your chest up, pull up
on the bar while pushing your feet down against the floor. As you do so, the bar
should travel in a perfectly straight line up over your midfoot and should be kept STEP 2
as close to your body as possible. Your knees should also be pointing out, staying
in line with the direction of your toes. Once the weight passes your knees, drive
your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to finish the lift. From here, control the
weight back down by first pushing your hips back and then once the weight passes
your knees, bending your knees until the weights touch the ground. Again, keep
the bar as close to your thighs and knees as possible. You can choose to either
perform touch and go reps, just lightly tapping the ground with the weights each
rep, or you can choose to let the weights fully settle on the ground and reset your
form before going into the next rep.

STEP 2
ADDITIONAL TIPS
If you still have trouble with rounding your back as you pull, try lightening the
weight and also consider elevating the starting position onto weight plates
to shorten the range of motion. This is especially helpful for taller individuals
or those with certain hip structures that make getting into the deadlift
position difficult. You don’t need to lift from the floor unless you’re planning
to compete as a powerlifter.

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WEIGHTED STEP-UPS (KNEE FRIENDLY)

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides and stand
in front of a stable bench or box, or anything
that you can step on to. It should be ideally
between the level of your knees or mid-thighs.
STEP 2
STEP 2
Brace your core and place one foot on the
bench. Push down into that foot and stand up
until your leg is straight, keeping your other leg
just slightly above the platform. Lower yourself
down in a controlled manner, bring both feet
back together, and then perform another step
up with the opposite leg. Continue switching
back and forth between legs until you complete
the desired number of reps per side.

STEP 2
ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid using your planted leg to kick yourself up

on the way up. Think of that leg as acting simply
as a kickstand for balance. You want 80% to 90%
of your weight to be on the working leg, and only
10-20% on the back leg.

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(WEIGHTED) SINGLE LEG HIP THRUSTS

STEP 1: SETUP STEP 1

Grab a bench or any soft elevated

platform that’s about the height of your
knees or shins. If needed, put a pair of
heavy weight plates behind it to prevent
it from sliding back as you perform the
movement. Place the middle of your
back on the bench and walk your feet out
to straighten out your body. Your shins
should be vertically lined up straight over STEP 1
your feet and your head, shoulders, hips,
and knees should make one straight line.

STEP 2
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
Then, while maintaining your position, lift
one of your legs up towards the ceiling.
From here, drop your butt down towards
STEP 2
the ground while keeping your one leg
elevated. Continue lowering until you’re
about halfway from the ground. Then,
reverse the movement by pushing up
through the heel of your planted leg to
drive your hips back up to the top position.
At the top position, keep your core braced
and pause here for a second or two, really
focusing on squeezing the glute of the
STEP 2
planted leg. Then, return back down and
repeat for more reps. Finish your reps on
one leg before switching to the other side.
Once you’ve mastered it without weight
and are able to do at least 3 sets of 10-15
reps with good form, you can add weight
by holding a dumbbell with one hand over
the hip of the working leg.

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LATERAL BAND WALK

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Wrap a Built With Science mini band
around your knees. Stand with your
feet outside shoulder-width apart,
knees slightly bent, and hinge your
torso forward to about a 20 degree
angle.

STEP 2
Staying on the same side, take a
step laterally out to your side while
maintaining tension in the band, and STEP 2
follow up with another step laterally
with the other leg. Repeat for the
desired number of reps.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

To make the exercise harder, you

can wrap the mini band around your
ankles.

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DAY 1: LOWER BODY 1

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)

Experiment with foot stance,

2-3 squat down to at least
Back squat 3 8
minutes parallel, elevate heels onto
weight plates if needed.

Squeeze glutes hard,

knees 90 degrees at top
2-3
Pause barbell hip thrust 3 8 position, don't go all the
minutes
way down each rep. Add a
3 second pause at the top.

Top of pads at the hip,

Bodyweight 45 degree 1.5-2 flare feet to 45 degree
3 30
hyperextensions minutes angle, round upper back,
push hips into pad.

Attach ankle cuff to cable

machine, cable lowered to
12 each 1 minute
Cable Kickbacks 3 knee-height, slightly lowered
side per leg
torso, rotate foot, and kick
heel back behind you.

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BACK SQUAT
STEP 1

ATTENTION: For the barbell back squat, since the exercise is quite
technical, it is recommended that you watch the full exercise tutorial
video. If needed, perform the exercise regression included in the
video first if needed before performing the full barbell back squat.

STEP 1
STEP 1: SETUP
Set a barbell in a rack at about the height of your mid-chest. Face the bar
and grip it with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Duck
under the bar and place it over the back of your shoulders, letting it rest on
your upper traps. Lift it out of the rack by extending your legs. Take one step
back with one foot, one step back with the other one, and then use a third
step to correct your stance into an even position. The optimal foot stance
will vary, but first experiment with a stance that is just outside shoulder- STEP 2
width with your toes pointed outwards at about 15 degree angle.

STEP 2
Plant your feet firmly into the ground, pull the bar down into your upper
back, and engage your core. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and
then squat straight down by bending at your hips and knees. As you do so,
the bar should remain over the level of your midfoot and the weight should
be evenly distributed between your big toe, your little toe, and your heels.
Your knees should also be bending slightly outwards in the same direction
of your toes. Continue squatting down until your thighs reach at least
parallel or slightly below. From here, while keeping your core engaged,
exhale and reverse the movement by extending your legs, thinking about STEP 2
bringing the bar up towards the ceiling and exhaling as you do so.
When done correctly, the bar should make an almost perfectly vertical path
down and up each rep. Depending on your anatomy, your torso may end
up more vertical or more bent over than others, which is normal as long as
you’re following the tips and avoiding the common mistakes.

ADDITIONAL TIPS: If you find it difficult to reach full depth, you

can try elevating your heels onto weight plates to help with ankle
mobility.

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PAUSE BARBELL HIP THRUST

PLEASE NOTE: The execution of this exercise will be the
STEP 1
same as explained below, just adding a 1 second pause at
the bottom position.

For the barbell hip thrust, since the exercise is quite

technical, it is recommended that you watch the exercise
tutorial video.

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a bench or any soft elevated platform that’s about STEP 1
the height of your knees or shins. If needed, put a pair of
heavy weight plates behind it to prevent it from sliding
back as you perform the movement. Next, grab a barbell,
and load each side with weight, ideally using the bigger
bumper plates if your gym has those available. If you’re
new to this movement, use just the barbell with no weight
at first. You’ll also want to use a thick pad or towel and
wrap it around the middle of the barbell for comfort.
Lay down with your upper back against the bench and the STEP 2
bar sitting over your hips and your hands holding the bar
with an overhand grip just outside your legs. From here,
set your feet. You want them positioned such that at the
top of the hip thrust your knees are bent at a 90 degree
angle and your shins are vertical straight on top of your
feet. Try a few reps without weight to find the sweet spot
position for you. Once you’ve found the right distance, set
your feet at about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider,
with your toes pointed out at a slight angle.

STEP 2
Tuck your chin down and brace your core. Before
STEP 2
initiating the thrust, squeeze your glutes. Then, while
keeping your head and hips in a straight line, continue
squeezing your glutes as you push through your heels to
drive your hips forward to the top position, moving the
weight straight up. At the top position, keep your core
braced and pause for a second or two while continuing
to squeeze your glutes. Control the weight back down
by slowly lowering your butt down towards the ground,
stopping at about halfway up from the bottom position
and then repeating for another rep.

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BODYWEIGHT 45 DEGREE HYPEREXTENSIONS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up a back extension machine
such that the top of the pad sits just
underneath your hips. Flare your
feet out to a 45 degree angle and
round your upper back to better
target the glutes.

STEP 2 STEP 2
Keep your upper back rounded and
raise your body up by pushing your
hips into the pad using your glutes.
Lower yourself back down to the
starting position with control and
repeat for the desired number of
reps.

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CABLE KICKBACKS
STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Attach an ankle cuff to a cable machine
and move the pulley down to about the
level of your knee. Stand facing square a
few steps away from the cable machine
with the non working leg in line with the STEP 1
anchor point of the cable, and then turn
both feet 30 degrees in the direction of
the working leg. Hold onto the pole with
the arm that’s on the same side as the
non-working leg and bend your torso
over forward just slightly.

STEP 2
Brace your core and press down on your STEP 2
non working leg for stability. Lift your
foot and cross your working leg across
the other leg towards the cable. While
keeping your leg straight, use your glutes
to kick your heel back and out behind
you as far as is comfortable. As you do
so, you can rotate your foot such that
the outside part of your foot faces the
ceiling at the end position. Control your STEP 2
leg back to the starting position, again
crossing over your non-working leg, and
then repeat for another rep. Finish your
reps on one side before switching to the
other side.

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DAY 2: UPPER BODY 1

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)
Grip slightly outside shoulder-width,
2-3
Bench press 3 8 keep chest up, lower bar to level of
minutes
nipples, avoid flaring elbows out.

Set bench 2 notches up from

Dumbbell chest supported 1.5-2
3 12 bottom, angle elbows out, squeeze
row (mid/upper back focused) minutes
shoulder blades together.

Set bench 1-2 notches up

1.5-2
Incline dumbbell press 3 10 from bottom, keep chest up,
minutes
avoid flaring elbows out.

Grip outside shoulder width,

1.5-2
Lat Pulldown 3 10 lean back slightly, pull bar
minutes
to just under chin.

Chest supported 1.5-2 Set bench 2 notches up from bottom,

3 15
dumbbell rear delt row minutes pull with elbows at 45 degree angle.

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BARBELL BENCH PRESS

STEP 1 SETUP STEP 1

Lie down on the bench and position yourself such

that your eyes are directly below the racked bar.
Use a medium grip on the bar that’s slightly wider
than shoulder-width apart. Pull your shoulder
blades down away from your ears and pinch them
together to create a small space between your
lower back and the bench. Firmly plant your feet
on the ground. Unrack the bar and bring it over the
level of your shoulders
STEP 1
STEP 2
Control the weight down while dropping your
elbows down at about a 45 to 60 degree angle from
your torso. The bar should travel down and slightly
forward and touch your chest at the level of your
sternum.

After the bar touches your chest, push the

bar up and back to the starting position with STEP 2
your arms fully locked out. The bar should
travel up and slightly back as you do this.
Think about pulling your arms together
as if you were trying to touch your biceps
together to move the weight up.

ADDITIONAL TIPS
STEP 2
Avoid bouncing the bar against your chest at
the bottom position and use control to simply
touch your chest. Whenever possible use a
spotter, especially with heavier loads.

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DUMBBELL CHEST SUPPORTED ROW (MID/UPPER BACK FOCUSED)

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up an incline bench to an angle of about 30
degrees, typically the second notch up from
the bottom. Grab a pair of dumbbells using a
thumbless grip and lay your chest on the bench STEP 1
with your arms hanging down by your sides and
palms facing each other. Plant the balls of your
feet firmly into the ground with your legs fully
straightened or slightly bent.

STEP 2
To stabilize your body, bring your shoulders
down and away from your ears, squeeze your
glutes and flex your abs. Then, pull your elbows STEP 2
back behind your body at about a 45 to 60
degree angle away from your torso. Squeeze
your shoulder blades together at the top
position.

STEP 3
Control the weight back down to the starting
position instead of letting it just drop. Let your
shoulder blades open up, reset, and then go into
your next rep. STEP 3

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Think about pulling with your elbows each rep in

order to better activate your back.

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INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up an incline bench to about 15 to 30
degrees, typically the first to second notch up STEP 1
from the bottom. Grab a pair of dumbbells and
sit on the bench. Kick up the dumbbells one at
a time to get them into position with your arms
straight over your body. Pull your shoulder
blades down away from your ears and pinch
them together to create a small space between
your lower back and the bench. Firmly plant
your feet on the ground.
STEP 1
STEP 2
Brace your core and then control the weight
down by dropping your elbows to about a 45
to 60 degree angle from your torso. Allow your
hands to naturally turn in slightly. Continue
lowering until the weights reach around the
STEP 2
level of your chest, or as low as is comfortable
for you.

STEP 3
Use your chest to push the weight back up until
your arms are fully locked out and directly over
your shoulders. Think about pulling your arms
together as if you were trying to touch your
biceps together to move the weight up.

STEP 3

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LAT PULLDOWNS

STEP 1: SETUP
Adjust the height of the seat or knee
pads so that your thighs are securely
locked underneath, with your feet flat on
the floor. Set your weight then stand up
and grab the bar with an overhand grip
just outside shoulder-width apart. Sit
back down with your thighs under the
pads. Tilt your upper back just slightly
backwards.
STEP 1
STEP 2
Pull your elbows down until the bar
reaches the level of your chin. Control
the weight back up until your arms are
almost fully straight, and then repeat for
another rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

To better engage the back muscles, you

can try using a thumbless grip and think
about pulling with the elbows rather than
with your hands. STEP 2

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CHEST SUPPORTED DUMBBELL REAR DELT ROW

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up an incline bench to an angle of
about 30 degrees, typically the second
notch up from the bottom. Grab a pair
of dumbbells and lay your chest on the
bench so that your head extends off the
end of the bench with your arms hanging
down by your sides. Plant the balls of STEP 1
your feet firmly into the ground with
your legs fully straightened or slightly
bent.

STEP 2
Bring your shoulders down and away
from your ears, squeeze your glutes,
and flex your abs. From here, pull your
STEP 2
elbows back behind your body at about
a 45 degree angle away from your torso.
Continue pulling as far back as you can.
Pause briefly at the end position, control
the weight back down to the starting
position with your arms straight, and
then go into your next rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS TIPS

To best engage your rear delts, try using

a thumbless grip and think about pulling
with your elbows rather than with your
hands. Keep your elbows angled out
at about 45 degrees for best rear delt
activation.

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DAY 3: LOWER BODY 2

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)
Squeeze glutes hard, knees 90
1.5-2
Hip thrust (bodyweight) 3 20 degrees at top position, don't
minutes
go all the way down each rep.

Use wider foot stance, lean torso

Dumbbell Bulgarian split 10 each 1 minute
3 forward slightly, do a set on one leg
squat (glute focused) side per leg
then rest 1 min then do the other leg.

Pull down on handles, avoid

1.5-2
Lying leg curl 3 10 over-arching lower back, control
minutes
the weight up and down.

Sit on the machine with

Seated hip abduction 1.5-2
3 20 knees together, push knees
machine minutes
out and squeeze glutes.

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HIP THRUST (BODYWEIGHT)

STEP 1
The execution of this exercise will be the same
as a barbell hip thrust, just without the barbell
across the hips.

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a bench or any soft elevated platform that’s
about the height of your knees or shins. If needed, STEP 1
put a pair of heavy weight plates behind it to
prevent it from sliding back as you perform the
movement.
Lay down with your upper back against the bench.
From here, set your feet. You want them positioned
such that at the top of the hip thrust your knees are
bent at a 90 degree angle and your shins are vertical
straight on top of your feet. Try a few reps without
weight to find the sweet spot position for you. Once STEP 2
you’ve found the right distance, set your feet at
about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, with
your toes pointed out at a slight angle.

STEP 2
Tuck your chin down and brace your core. Before
initiating the thrust, squeeze your glutes. Then,
while keeping your head and hips in a straight line,
continue squeezing your glutes as you push through STEP 2
your heels to drive your hips forward to the top
position. At the top position, keep your core braced
and pause for a second or two while continuing
to squeeze your glutes. Control your body back
down by slowly lowering your butt down towards
the ground, stopping at about halfway up from the
bottom position and then repeating for another rep.

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BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT (GLUTE-FOCUSED)

STEP 1: SETUP
First, pick what you’ll use for elevation. There are many
options available to you, so watch the exercise tutorial
video to make the best decision for yourself and the
equipment you have available.
Second, adjust your foot stance. To find the optimal
stance, sit on the bench and extend your legs straight
out. Where your feet end up is roughly where you want
your foot position to be. To emphasize the glutes, move
forward by an inch or two.
When your feet are set, they should be about hip width STEP 1
distance apart from each other rather than directly in
front of each other. Grab a pair of dumbbells if needed,
and get into the starting position. Start with your
weaker leg.

STEP 2
With the dumbbells straight by your sides, brace your
core and while keeping your lower back neutral, bend
STEP 1
your torso over slightly. While maintaining this slight
lean forward, squat down and drive your back knee
STEP 2
towards the ground. Continue descending until your
front thigh is at least parallel to the floor. At this point
the knee of your back leg should be almost touching
the floor and the shin of your front leg should be almost
vertical on top of your foot. Pause briefly and then push
through the heel of your front leg to drive your hips
forward. Continue until you finish your reps on one leg,
rest 1 minute, and then repeat on the other leg.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid relying too much on your back leg to push

the weight up. Instead, think of your back leg as a
kickstand for balance. Keep 80-90% of the weight
in your front leg, and just 10-20% of the weight in
your back leg.
STEP 2

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LYING LEG CURLS

STEP 1: SETUP STEP 1

Set up your foot pad and seat so that:

Your foot pad is resting slightly above the
back of your heel.
Your knee is positioned directly beside
the pivot point of the machine. For most
people your knees will end up just slightly
off the very end of the pad or just at the
end of it.
In the starting position when your feet are
in contact with the foot pad, your knees
should be slightly bent rather than fully
extended. STEP 1

STEP 2
Once you get the set up down, contract
your abs, and pull down on the two handles
beside the machine by using your lat
muscles. From here, while keeping your
toes pointed down, curl the weight up
towards your butt as far as you can. Once
you reach the top, control the weight
back down until your legs almost fully
straighten, and then go back into your next
rep.
STEP 2

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid fully extending your legs at the

bottom position. The first 15 degrees
or so of the movement actually
involves more of the calves, so cut
the range of motion short slightly by
stopping each rep a little before your
legs are completely straightened at
the top position.

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SEATED HIP ABDUCTION MACHINE

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up the machine such that when
you sit down, the machine pads
are resting on the outside of your
lower thighs, right above the knees.
Adjust the machine weight to the
appropriate amount for your set.
Tuck your core and squeeze your
glutes. Slightly lean forward and
hold onto the support.

STEP 2
Using your upper glute muscles,
push out against the machine pads
as far as you can. Pause at the STEP 2
end position for a second or two
and then bring your knees back
together until your knees almost
touch together before repeating for
another rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

If you don’t have a machine, you

can replace these with bands or
substitute for the exercise “Side
Lying Hip Raise”.

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DAY 4: UPPER BODY 2

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)
Press in straight line up, keep
Standing Barbell 2-3
3 8 core and glutes engaged,
Overhead Press minutes
avoid arching back.

Grip outside shoulder-width, pull

1.5-2
(Weighted) pull up 3 5 until chin over bar, use alternative
minutes
if unable to do 6 reps in a row.

1.5-2 Keep chest up, avoid flaring elbows

Flat dumbbell press 3 10
minutes out, control the weight up and down.

Shoulder blades down, pull elbows

Chest Supported 1.5-2
3 10 back at a 45-60 degree angle,
Machine row minutes
squeeze shoulder blades together.

Lean torso forward slightly,

1.5-2
Dumbbell lateral raise 3 12 raise arms in scapular plane,
minutes
avoid using momentum.

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STANDING BARBELL OVERHEAD PRESS

STEP 1: SETUP STEP 1
Set up the bar in a rack such that it’s at the level of
your armpits. Get under the bar and grab it with a
grip just outside shoulder-width apart. Tuck your
elbows so that they align directly under the bar
with your forearms vertical. Lift the bar up off
the rack, take 3 steps back, and plant your feet
about shoulder width apart with your toes slightly
STEP 1
pointed outwards.

STEP 2
Squeeze your glutes, flex your quads, and brace
your core. Take a deep breath in through your nose
and then exhale as you press the bar straight up.
As you do so, slightly tilt your chin back to avoid
hitting it. Once the bar passes your head, you can
tilt your head back forward back into its neutral STEP 2
position. Press until your arms are straight.

STEP 3
Inhale as you lower the bar by dropping your
elbows into a roughly 45 degree angle in front of
your body until the bar reaches the level of your
upper chest. Pause here briefly, re-stabilize your
glutes and core if needed, and then continue for
your next rep.
STEP 3

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid bending your knees and using leg drive to move

the weight up. This is a different exercise. Instead,
keep this a strict press by only using your upper body
to press the weight up.

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(WEIGHTED) PULL-UPS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grip the bar using an overhand grip slightly
wider than shoulder-width apart. From here, let
your body hang and then begin stabilizing your
body by bringing your feet together, flexing your STEP 1
quads and glutes and contracting your abs. You
want to maintain this position as you pull.

STEP 2
Initiate the pull by first bringing your shoulders
down and away from your ears. Then, pull your
elbows down and back into your sides as if you STEP 2
were trying to pull them into your back pockets.
As you do this, think about trying to bring your
chest up towards the bar. Continue pulling-
up until your chin is above the bar. From here,
control yourself by letting your elbows move
up and out until your arms are almost fully
straightened, and then continue into your next STEP 2
rep.

STEP 2

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FLAT DUMBBELL PRESS

STEP 1

STEP 1 SETUP
Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on the edge
of a flat bench. Kick up the dumbbells one
at a time as you lay back on the bench to get
them into position with your arms straight
over your shoulders. Pull your shoulder
blades down away from your ears and STEP 1
pinch them together to create a small space
between your lower back and the bench.
Firmly plant your feet on the ground.

STEP 2
Brace your core and then control the weight
down by dropping your elbows to about STEP 2
a 45 to 60 degree angle from your torso.
Allow your hands to naturally turn in slightly.
Continue lowering until the weights reach
around the level of your torso, or as low as is
comfortable for you.

STEP 3 STEP 3

Use your chest to push the weight back

up until your arms are fully locked out and
directly over your shoulders. Think about
pulling your arms together as if you were
trying to touch your biceps together to move
the weight up.

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CHEST SUPPORTED MACHINE ROW

STEP 1: SETUP
If the machine has a seat, adjust the seat
to a height such that when using a wide STEP 1
overhand grip, when your elbows pull
back, they will make an angle of about 45
to 60 degrees. Once you’ve figured out the
proper seat height, if the machine has a
wider overhand grip, use that grip position.
If the machine only has a narrow neutral
grip available, then choose an exercise
alternative otherwise it won’t hit the target
muscles very well.
STEP 2

STEP 2
Bring your shoulders down and away from
your ears and pull your elbows back behind
your body at about a 45 to 60 degree
angle away while squeezing your shoulder
blades together.

STEP 3
STEP 3
Control the weight back down to the
starting position, letting your shoulder
blades open up, and then go into your
next rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

To increase back activation, try using a

thumbless grip and think about pulling with
your elbows rather than with your hands.

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DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISES

STEP 1
STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your
feet about shoulder width apart and knees
slightly bent. Lean your torso forward about 15
degrees.

STEP 2
Brace your core. While keeping your arms just
slightly bent, raise your hands out in front of STEP 2
you. As you do so, raise your arms in a Y position
in front of you. This is about 15 to 30 degrees in
front of your body. Raise the weight until your
arms reach shoulder-height, control them back
down until your hands are down in front of your
thighs, and then repeat for more reps.

ADDITIONAL TIPS
STEP 2
To better help with muscle activation, you can try
using a thumbless grip and rather than thinking
about raising the weight up, think about raising
the weight out as if you were pushing your hands
out towards the walls.

STEP 2

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DAY 5: LOWER BODY 3

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)

Push hips back, slight bend

1.5-2
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 10 in knees, lower until hands
minutes
reach level of shins.

Non-working leg on floor,

10 per 1 minute working leg on foot plate,
Single-leg leg press 3
side per leg bend leg to a 90 degree angle,
keep knee in line with ankle.

Back and shoulder pressing

against ground, barbell
2-3 over hips, knees bent
Barbell glute bridge 3 20
minutes and feet shoulder-width
apart, lift weight until hips
are in line with torso.

Side plank position, knees

and hips bent at 90 degrees,
20 per 1 minute push grounded knee while
Side Lying Hip Raise 3
side per leg lifting body up tall and
opening up hips, bring leg back
down to starting position.

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DUMBBELL ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a pair of dumbbells, hold them by your sides, and
take a shoulder-width stance with your feet pointed
slightly outwards at about a 15 degree angle.

STEP 2 STEP 2
Contract your abs, take a deep breath in through your
nose, then descend by pushing your hips straight back.
Keep just a very slight bend at your knees and keep the
bar as close to your body as possible, ideally right above
the middle of your feet. As you descend, your hands
should move from a neutral position at your sides to
your palms facing towards you with the dumbbells held
horizontally in front of your legs. Lower the dumbbells
only until the point where you can’t push your hips back
without your lower back starting to round, usually at
knee level or mid-shin level. STEP 2

STEP 3
Keep your core braced and then exhale as you reverse
the motion by pushing your hips forward and then
rotating the dumbbells back into the starting position
by your sides. Once your legs are fully straight, repeat
for another rep. Spend about 2-3 seconds on slowly
controlling the weight down, and then about 1 second to
bring the weight back up.

STEP 3
ADDITIONAL TIPS

To better engage the hamstrings, you can think

about pulling the floor back with your heels as you
come up.

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SINGLE-LEG LEG PRESS

STEP 1
STEP 1: SETUP
Move the backrest to the lowest setting
or just 1 to 2 notches up from the bottom.
Adjust the foot plate starting position so
that you only need to extend your legs
slightly to be able to release the weights.
Lastly, if your leg press has safety pins,
adjust them so that they will be able to
catch the weight at the bottom position if
you are unable to lift it.
STEP 2
Plant your non-working leg on the ground
and place the foot of your working leg
relatively high up on the foot plate, around
the middle of it or higher.

STEP 2
Unlock the safety pins, extend your leg to
release the weights, and brace your core.
From here, lower the weight by bending
your leg. Continue lowering the weight STEP 2
until your knee makes a 90 degree angle.
At this point, your shin should be straight
on top of your foot. Push through your
heel to push the weight back up. Continue
pushing until your leg is almost fully
straightened, and then repeat for another
rep. Finish your reps on one leg, take a
minute to rest, and then repeat on the
other leg.

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BARBELL GLUTE BRIDGE

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a barbell, and load each side STEP 1
with weight, ideally using the
bigger bumper plates if your gym
has those available. If you’re new
to this movement, use just the
barbell with no weight at first.
You’ll also want to use a thick pad
or towel and wrap it around the
middle of the barbell for comfort.
Lay down on your back with
your knees bent and feet about
hip width apart and toes slightly
pointed outwards with the
barbell over your hips. Brace
your core, and hold onto the
barbell with an overhand grip
just outside your legs. Before you STEP 2
lift up, squeeze your butt muscles
hard to get them engaged.

STEP 2
From here, use your glutes to
push your hips up and move
the weight until your hips are
in line with your torso. As you
do so, keep your core engaged.
Hold this position for a second
while squeezing your glutes
hard. Slowly lower back down to
the ground and then repeat for
another rep. You should feel a
strong burning sensation in your
glutes as you do this.

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SIDE LYING HIP RAISE

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Start in a side plank position on your
elbow with your hips and knees on the
STEP 1
ground, bent at about a 90 degree angle.

STEP 2
Push through the grounded knee down
and lift your body up as tall as you can
while opening up your hips by lifting
your top leg up towards the ceiling. As
you do so, use your glutes to drive your
hips forward. Come down by sinking STEP 2
your hips back and bringing your legs
back together to the starting position,
and then repeat for another rep. At the
top, drive your hips forward and at the
bottom sink the hips back.
Control each rep and focus on form.
Finish your reps on one leg before
switching to the other side. If this is too
difficult for you to do, I’d recommend STEP 2
starting out with the exercise alternative
“side lying leg raise” instead.

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week
9-12
12-WEEK GLUTE GROWTH WORKOUT PLAN

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DAY 1: LOWER BODY 1

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)

Use wider foot stance, lean

Front Foot Elevated 10 each 1 minute torso forward slightly, do a
3
Reverse Lunges side per leg set on one leg then rest 1
min then do the other leg.

Hip-width stance, grip

2-3
Barbell deadlift 3 6 outside knees, keep head/
minutes
back/hips in straight line.

Attach ankle cuff to

12 each 1 minute cable machine, swing
Standing Cable hip abduction 3
side per leg leg outward and behind,
avoid rotating foot.

Wide bench set up, shoulders

and back pressed into the
2-3
Smith machine frog pump 3 30 bench, make a diamond
minutes
shape with legs, barbell
over hips, and lift hips up.

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FRONT FOOT ELEVATED REVERSE LUNGES

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with
your feet together on a small elevated
platform like a weight plate. Brace your
core.

STEP 2
STEP 2
While keeping your front leg planted on
the platform, take a long step backwards
with your other leg and sink down into a
lunge position by driving the knee of your
back leg towards the ground. Keep your
back neutral and lean your torso forward
slightly by about 20 degrees to better
engage the glutes. Continue descending
until your back knee almost touches the
ground. Pause briefly in this position, and STEP 2
then push through the heel of your front
leg to drive your hips forward, raising your
body up back into the starting position
with your feet together. Take your next
step back with the other leg and continue
alternating until you finish the desired
number of reps on each leg.

STEP 2
ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid relying too much on your back leg

to push your body up. Instead, after taking
your step back, think of your back leg as a
kickstand for balance and don’t rely on it
too much to kick yourself back up.

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BARBELL DEADLIFT
For the barbell deadlift, since the exercise is quite technical, it is
recommended that you watch the exercise tutorial video. STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
We’re going to cover the conventional deadlift, which involves a fairly
narrow stance.
Start with a barbell on the ground. If you have access to big bumper plates,
load the bar with those. If you aren’t going to be using any weight or only
have access to smaller weight plates, either elevate the bar onto a rack,
weight stack, or any elevated platform so that the bar starts at about the
level of your shins.
Stand under the bar with your feet about hip-width apart and toes pointed STEP 2
outwards slightly. When you look down at the bar, it should be directly
over your midfoot. Get down to grip the bar by pushing your hips back
with a slight bend in your knees. Keep your back straight as you do so,
and continue lowering until you’re able to reach the bar. With your arms
straight, grip the bar with an overhand grip that’s about shoulder-width
apart, which should be just outside of your knees. Bring the bar as close
to your shins as possible and tuck your chin down to align your neck with
your spine by gazing at the floor just a few feet in front of you.

STEP 2
Stabilize your body by thinking about bending the bar in half towards you
by engaging your lat muscles, and then pull your chest up and hips down
to wedge yourself into the bar. From here, brace your core and pull the STEP 2
slack out of the bar by lightly pulling up against it and pushing your feet
away from the floor.
From here, while maintaining a straight back and keeping your chest up,
pull up on the bar while pushing your feet down against the floor. As you
do so, the bar should travel in a perfectly straight line up over your midfoot
and should be kept as close to your body as possible. Once the weight
passes your knees, drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to
finish the lift. From here, control the weight back down by first pushing
your hips back and then once the weight passes your knees, bending
your knees until the weights touch the ground. Again, keep the bar as
close to your thighs and knees as possible as you do so. You can choose to
either perform touch and go reps, just lightly tapping the ground with the
weights each rep, or you can choose to let the weights fully settle on the
ground and reset your form before going into the next rep.
STEP 2

ADDITIONAL TIPS
If you still have trouble with rounding your back as you pull, try
lightening the weight and also consider elevating the starting position
onto weight plates to shorten the range of motion. This is especially
helpful for taller individuals or those with certain hip structures that
make getting into the deadlift position difficult. You don’t need to lift
from the floor unless you’re planning to compete as a powerlifter.

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STANDING CABLE HIP ABDUCTION

STEP 1: SETUP STEP 1

Attach an ankle cuff to a cable

machine and move the pulley down
to about the level of your knee.
Stand facing parallel a few steps
away from the cable machine with
the non working leg in line with the
anchor point of the cable. Hold onto
the pole or a fixture with the arm
that’s on the same side as the non-
working leg and bend your torso
over forward just slightly.

STEP 2
Brace your core and press down on
your non working leg for stability. STEP 2
Lift your foot and cross your
working leg slightly behind and
across the other leg away. While
keeping your leg straight, use your
glutes to kick your heel out to your
side away from the cable machine as
far as is comfortable. Control your
leg back to the starting position,
again crossing over your non-
working leg, and then repeat for
another rep. Finish your reps on one
side before switching to the other
side.

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SMITH MACHINE FROG PUMP

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up a wider bench underneath the
Smith machine bar, leaving enough STEP 1
room for your hips to make contact
with the bar. Load each side with
weight. If you’re new to this movement,
use just the barbell with no weight at
first. You’ll also want to use a thick pad
or towel and wrap it around the middle
of the barbell for comfort.
Lay down on the bench with the
barbell placed over your hips. Press
your shoulders and upper and lower
back against the bench. Place your
feet together such that the bottoms of
your feet are touching, and allow your
knees to flare out to the side, forming
a diamond shape with your lower
STEP 2
body. Brace your core, and hold onto
the barbell with an overhand grip just
outside your legs. Before you lift up,
squeeze your butt muscles hard to get
them engaged

STEP 2
From here, use your glutes to push
your hips up and move the weight until
your hips are in line with your torso. As
you do so, keep your core engaged, the
bottoms of your feet in contact with
each other, and your knees flared out to
the side. Hold this position for a second
while squeezing your glutes hard.
Slowly lower back down to the ground
and then repeat for another rep.

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DAY 2: UPPER BODY 1

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)

Standing dumbbell 1.5-2 Use lighter weight, keep core braced,

3 10
shoulder press minutes squeeze glutes, avoid arching back.

Use wide grip handle if possible,

Seated cable row (mid/ 1.5-2
3 10 angle elbows out, squeeze
upper back focused) minutes
shoulder-blades together.

Set your hands slightly outside

1.5-2
Push-Ups 3 8 shoulder-width, descend to the
minutes
ground and push back up.

Bar in squat rack about chest

1.5-2
Inverted Row 3 10 height, overhand grip shoulder-
minutes
width apart, pull elbows back.

Set bench 2-3 notches up from

1.5-2
Lying Incline lateral raise 3 15 bottom, use light weight, raise
minutes
arms in scapular plane.

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STANDING DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a pair of dumbbells and bring them up just
over your shoulders. Set your feet by moving
them shoulder width apart and bring your
elbows forward slightly at about a 45 degree
angle in front of your body.

STEP 2 STEP 2

Squeeze your glutes, flex your quads, and brace

your core. Take a deep breath in through your
nose and then exhale as you press the dumbbells
straight up. Press until your arms are straight
and positioned directly over your shoulders.

STEP 3
Inhale as you lower the dumbbells by dropping
your elbows into a roughly 45 degree angle in
front of your body until the dumbbells reach
the level of your chin. Pause here briefly, re-
stabilize your glutes and core if needed, and STEP 3
then continue for your next rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid bending your knees and using leg drive to

move the weight up. This is a different exercise.
Instead, keep this a strict press by only using your
upper body to press the weight up.

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SEATED CABLE ROW (MID/UPPER BACK FOCUSED)

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Once you’ve found the attachment, get
into the starting position with your knees
slightly bent on the pad and back straight.

STEP 2
Brace your core and bring your shoulders STEP 2
down and away from your ears. Pull
your elbows back behind your body at
about a 45 to 60 degree angle away while
squeezing your shoulder blades together.

STEP 3
Control the weight back down to the
starting position, letting your shoulder
blades open up, and then go into your next STEP 2
rep. You can let your upper body round
forward to fully open up your back, as
long as your core remains tight and your
lower back doesn’t round excessively.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

You can use the V-bar attachment,

but a better option would be a wider STEP 3
handle setup so that your elbows can
flare outwards as you pull. If you don’t
have access to any of that, you can try
putting two handles over a lat pulldown
attachment and twist them to lock them in
place.

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PUSH-UPS

STEP 1: SETUP STEP 1

Get down on all fours and set your hands
by placing them just slightly wider than
shoulder-width apart. With your arms fully
extended, extend your legs one at a time
straight behind you with your toes together.

STEP 2
Bring your shoulders down and away from STEP 1
your ears, engage your core, and flex your
thighs and glutes. Tuck your chin to align
your neck with your spine. Maintain this
position as you lower your body down as
slowly as you can by bending your elbows
at about a 45 to 60 degree angle away
from your torso. Continue lowering until STEP 2
your body reaches the ground. You should
travel down and slightly forwards. From
here, push up and back until your arms fully
straighten. Let your shoulder-blades open
up at the top before proceeding to the next
rep.
Aim to do a total of 3 sets of 6-12 reps with
good form. However, if you can’t quite do 6
reps yet, just try to do as many as you can STEP 2
each set without going to complete failure
and while keeping proper form. A good
option if you can’t do 6 reps is to perform
your first set as full push-ups, and then for
sets 2 and 3 use either banded or push-up
negatives since you’ll be able to do more
reps with that and can continue building up
your full push-up strength over time.

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INVERTED ROW
STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set the bar to the appropriate height in the
squat rack. The higher the bar the easier it’ll be,
so I’d suggest starting out with it set at about
chest height. Grab the bar with an overhand grip STEP 1
slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Move
under the bar with your arms fully straight and
legs fully extended in front of you with your toes
together.

STEP 2
Brace your core and then lightly flex your quads STEP 1
and glutes. Then, while maintaining this position,
pull your elbows back to lift yourself towards
the bar. Continue pulling until your chest almost
touches the bar. As you do so, your elbows
should be angled at about a 60 degree angle
away from your body. Control your body back
down to the starting position with your arms
fully straight, and then repeat for another rep.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Once you can do 3 sets of 10 reps in a row, you STEP 2

can lower the bar so that your body is more
horizontal. Continue to repeat this process. Once
you’re able to do this with your body almost
completely horizontal to the ground is when
you’re ready to progress to banded pull-ups or
unassisted pull-ups.

STEP 2

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LYING INCLINE LATERAL RAISE

STEP 1
STEP 1: SETUP
Set up an incline bench to roughly a 45
degree angle, which is typically 2 to 3
notches up from the bottom of a bench.
Grab a pair of light dumbbells. Lay your
chest on the bench with your legs straight
for support and your arms hanging by your
sides.

STEP 2 STEP 1

Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.

From here, while keeping your arms just
slightly bent, raise your hands out in front
of you. As you do so, raise your arms in a
Y position in front of you. This is about 15
to 30 degrees in front of your body. Raise
the weight until your arms reach shoulder-
height, control them back down to the
starting position, and then repeat for more
reps.

ADDITIONAL TIPS
STEP 2
Note that this exercise does not require a lot
of weight, so if you don’t have light enough
dumbbells, you can try holding onto a 2.5
or 5 lb weight plate instead. To better help
with muscle activation, you can try using a
thumbless grip if using dumbbells and rather
than thinking about raising the weight up,
think about raising the weight out as if you
were pushing your hands out towards the
walls.

STEP 2

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DAY 3: LOWER BODY 2

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)
Squeeze glutes hard, knees 90
degrees at top position, control
Barbell Hip Thrust (1 ¼ 2-3
3 8 weight down to a quarter rep and
reps) minutes
push hips back to top position, then
lower back to the starting position.

Bench in line with cables, hands

10 each 1 minute and non-working leg on bench,
Cable kneeling kickback 3
side per leg ankle cuff attached to working
leg, kick back and behind.

Squeeze glutes hard, knees 90

Pause knee-banded 2-3 degrees at top position, don't go
3 12
barbell hip thrust minutes all the way down each rep. Add
a 1 second pause at the top.

Wrap resistance band around

Band seated hip 1.5-2 knees, sit at edge of a bench
3 30
abduction minutes with knees together, push knees
out and squeeze glutes.

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BARBELL HIP THRUST (1 ¼ REPS)

For the barbell hip thrust, since the exercise is quite
technical, it is recommended that you watch the exercise
STEP 1
tutorial video.

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a bench or any soft elevated platform that’s about
the height of your knees or shins. If needed, put a pair of
heavy weight plates behind it to prevent it from sliding
back as you perform the movement. Next, grab a barbell,
and load each side with weight, ideally using the bigger
bumper plates if your gym has those available. If you’re STEP 1
new to this movement, use just the barbell with no weight
at first. You’ll also want to use a thick pad or towel and
wrap it around the middle of the barbell for comfort.
Lay down with your upper back against the bench and the
bar sitting over your hips and your hands holding the bar
with an overhand grip just outside your legs. From here,
set your feet. You want them positioned such that at the
top of the hip thrust your knees are bent at a 90 degree
angle and your shins are vertical straight on top of your STEP 2
feet. Try a few reps without weight to find the sweet spot
position for you. Once you’ve found the right distance, set
your feet at about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider,
with your toes pointed out at a slight angle.

STEP 2
Tuck your chin down and brace your core. Before initiating
the thrust, squeeze your glutes. Then, while keeping your
head and hips in a straight line, continue squeezing your STEP 2
glutes as you push through your heels to drive your hips
forward to the top position, moving the weight straight
up. At the top position, keep your core braced and pause
for a second or two while continuing to squeeze your
glutes. Control the weight back down a quarter of the way
and drive your hips upwards back to the top position.
After this ¼ rep, then slowly lower your butt down
towards the ground, stopping at about halfway up from
the bottom position. This is one complete rep of the 1 ¼
reps. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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CABLE KNEELING KICKBACK

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Setup a bench such that you can
place one leg on top of the bench
and the other leg attached to the
cable is able to move freely. Attach
an ankle cuff to a cable machine and
move the pulley down to about the
level of your bench height. Place
your hands and non-working leg on
top of the bench such that you’re in
a table top position.Your working
leg should be off to the side of the
bench.

STEP 2 STEP 2

Brace your core and press down

on your hands and non working leg
for stability. Initiate the movement
by using your glutes to kick your
heel back and out behind you as
far as is comfortable, avoiding
hyperextending your lower back.
Control your leg back to the starting
position, and then repeat for
another rep. Finish your reps on one
side before switching to the other
side.

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PAUSE KNEE-BANDED BARBELL HIP THRUST

For the barbell hip thrust, since the exercise is quite
technical, it is recommended that you watch the STEP 1
exercise tutorial video.

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a bench or any soft elevated platform that’s about
the height of your knees or shins. If needed, put a pair of
heavy weight plates behind it to prevent it from sliding
back as you perform the movement. Next, grab a barbell,
and load each side with weight, ideally using the bigger
bumper plates if your gym has those available. If you’re
new to this movement, use just the barbell with no
weight at first. You’ll also want to use a thick pad or towel
and wrap it around the middle of the barbell for comfort.
STEP 1
Wrap your band around your knees. Lay down with
your upper back against the bench and the bar sitting
over your hips and your hands holding the bar with an
overhand grip just outside your legs. From here, set your
feet. You want them positioned such that at the top of
the hip thrust your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle
and your shins are vertical straight on top of your feet.
Try a few reps without weight to find the sweet spot
position for you. Once you’ve found the right distance,
set your feet at about shoulder-width apart or slightly
wider, with your toes pointed out at a slight angle.

STEP 2 STEP 2
Tuck your chin down and brace your core. Before
initiating the thrust, squeeze your glutes and press your
knees against the resistance band and hold that pressure
throughout the movement. Then, while keeping your
head and hips in a straight line, continue squeezing your
glutes as you push through your heels to drive your hips
forward to the top position, moving the weight straight
up. At the top position, keep your core braced and pause
for a second or two while continuing to squeeze your
glutes. Control the weight back down by slowly lowering
your butt down towards the ground, stopping at about
halfway up from the bottom position and then repeating
for another rep.

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BANDED HIP ABDUCTIONS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Using a Built With Science mini band or a mini
band of your own, wrap it around your knees
and sit at the edge of a bench with your knees
together and feet just outside shoulder width
apart and toes pointed out slightly. You can lean
STEP 2
back and hold the bench behind you for support.

STEP 2: EXECUTION
Brace your core and using your upper glute
muscles, push your knees out against the
band as far as you can while keeping your feet
planted. Pause at the end position for a second
or two and then bring your knees back together
before repeating for another rep. TIPS

ADDITIONAL TIPS

If a bench isn’t available, you can do these

standing up. Stand with your feet together, knees
slightly bent and torso bent over about 20 degrees
forward. Take a step up laterally to your side using
your glutes, and then follow up with another
step laterally by the other leg. Continue walking TIPS
laterally until you perform the desired number of
reps for the one side before switching and walking
the other way.
Wrapping the band around your knees makes it
easier, and wrapping it around your ankles will
make it harder.

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DAY 4: UPPER BODY 2

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)
Grip slightly outside shoulder-width,
2-3 keep chest up, lower bar to level of
Pause bench press 3 8
minutes nipples, avoid flaring elbows out.
Add a 1 second pause at the bottom.

1.5-2 Grip outside shoulder-width,

Weighted pull-up 3 5
minutes pull until chin over bar.

Seated dumbbell 1.5-2 Set bench 2-3 notches down from

3 10
shoulder press minutes top position, press in scapular plane.

Dumbbell chest Set bench 2 notches up from

1.5-2
supported row (mid/ 3 12 bottom, angle elbows out, squeeze
minutes
upper back focused) shoulder blades together.

Grab opposite cables, cross cables

1.5-2
Rear delt cable fly 3 12 at shoulder height, pull arms back
minutes
behind you at a 45 degree angle.

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PAUSE BENCH PRESS

STEP 1
PLEASE NOTE: The execution of this exercise
will be the same as explained below, just adding
a 1 second pause at the bottom position.

STEP 1 SETUP
Lie down on the bench and position yourself such
that your eyes are directly below the racked bar.
Use a medium grip on the bar that’s slightly wider
than shoulder-width apart. Pull your shoulder STEP 1
blades down away from your ears and pinch them
together to create a small space between your
lower back and the bench. Firmly plant your feet
on the ground. Unrack the bar and bring it over the
level of your shoulders

STEP 2
Control the weight down while dropping your
elbows down at about a 45 to 60 degree angle from STEP 2
your torso. The bar should travel down and slightly
forward and touch your chest at the level of your
sternum.
After the bar touches your chest, push the bar up
and back to the starting position with your arms
fully locked out. The bar should travel up and slightly
back as you do this. Think about pulling your arms
together as if you were trying to touch your biceps
together to move the weight up. STEP 2

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Avoid bouncing the bar against your chest at

the bottom position and use control to simply
touch your chest. Whenever possible use a
spotter, especially with heavier loads.

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(WEIGHTED) PULL-UPS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grip the bar using an overhand grip slightly
wider than shoulder-width apart. From here, let
your body hang and then begin stabilizing your
body by bringing your feet together, flexing your STEP 1
quads and glutes and contracting your abs. You
want to maintain this position as you pull.

STEP 2
Initiate the pull by first bringing your shoulders
down and away from your ears. Then, pull your
elbows down and back into your sides as if you STEP 2
were trying to pull them into your back pockets.
As you do this, think about trying to bring your
chest up towards the bar. Continue pulling-
up until your chin is above the bar. From here,
control yourself by letting your elbows move
up and out until your arms are almost fully
straightened, and then continue into your next STEP 2
rep.

STEP 2

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SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
STEP 1
Set up an incline bench at about a 60 to 75
degree angle, typically 2 to 3 notches down from
the highest position. Grab a pair of dumbbells
and sit on the bench with the dumbbells resting
on your thighs. Kick the dumbbells up one at a
time to get them up just over your shoulders.
Plant your feet firmly on the ground. Bring your
elbows forward slightly to about a 45 degree
angle in front of your body.
STEP 2
STEP 2
Pull your shoulders down and away from your
ears and brace your core. Press the weight up
until your arms are straight and positioned
directly over your shoulders.

STEP 3
Lower the weight back down by dropping your
elbows into a roughly 45 degree angle in front STEP 3
of your body until the weights reach around the
level of your chin, and then press back up.

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DUMBBELL CHEST SUPPORTED ROW (MID/UPPER BACK FOCUSED)

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up an incline bench to an angle of about 30
degrees, typically the second notch up from
the bottom. Grab a pair of dumbbells using a
thumbless grip and lay your chest on the bench STEP 1
with your arms hanging down by your sides and
palms facing each other. Plant the balls of your
feet firmly into the ground with your legs fully
straightened or slightly bent.

STEP 2
To stabilize your body, bring your shoulders
down and away from your ears, squeeze your
glutes and flex your abs. Then, pull your elbows STEP 2
back behind your body at about a 45 to 60
degree angle away from your torso. Squeeze
your shoulder blades together at the top
position.

STEP 3
Control the weight back down to the starting
position instead of letting it just drop. Let your
shoulder blades open up, reset, and then go into
your next rep. STEP 3

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Think about pulling with your elbows each rep in

order to better activate your back.

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REAR DELT CABLE FLY

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Stand in the middle of a cable machine with
the pulleys set at the highest height with no
handles attached. Grab the left cable with your
right hand and the right cable with your left
hand. Grab the little ball at the end of the cable
for grip. Step a few steps back, and then move
your arms straight in front of you at shoulder STEP 1
height. At this point the cables should be
crossing over each other. You can rotate your
hands slightly outwards to match the direction
of the cable.

STEP 2
Brace your core and pull your arms down at a
45 degree angle away from your torso while
keeping your arms straight. Continue pulling STEP 2
as far back as you can so that your arms end
up slightly past your torso. Pause at the end
position briefly, and then control the weight
back to the starting position with your arms
straight in front of your chest.

ADDITIONAL TIPS
STEP 2
If you’re performing just one arm at a time, you’d
perform it the exact same way, but just make
sure that you position yourself so that when
you pull your arm down, the cable is in line with
your arm and that your arm makes a 45 degree
angle away from your body. Standing directly
sideways to the cable helps make this easy to set
up.

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DAY 5: LOWER BODY 3

Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

(min)

Squeeze glutes hard, knees 90

2-3
Barbell hip thrust 3 6 degrees at top position, don't
minutes
go all the way down each rep.

Experiment with foot stance,

2-3 squat down to at least
Back squat 3 6
minutes parallel, elevate heels onto
weight plates if needed.

Top of pads at the hip, flare

Weighted 45 degree 1.5-2 feet to 45 degree angle, round
3 15
hyperextensions minutes upper back, weight at chest
level, push hips into pad.

Mini band around knees,

1 minute
Band diagonal kickback 3 20 slightly hinge forward, kick
per leg
working leg diagonally behind.

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BARBELL HIP THRUST

For the barbell hip thrust, since the exercise is
quite technical, it is recommended that you watch
the exercise tutorial video. STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Grab a bench or any soft elevated platform that’s
about the height of your knees or shins. If needed,
put a pair of heavy weight plates behind it to
prevent it from sliding back as you perform the
movement. Next, grab a barbell, and load each side
with weight, ideally using the bigger bumper plates
if your gym has those available. If you’re new to this STEP 1
movement, use just the barbell with no weight at
first. You’ll also want to use a thick pad or towel and
wrap it around the middle of the barbell for comfort.
Lay down with your upper back against the bench
and the bar sitting over your hips and your hands
holding the bar with an overhand grip just outside
your legs. From here, set your feet. You want them
positioned such that at the top of the hip thrust your
STEP 2
knees are bent at a 90 degree angle and your shins
are vertical straight on top of your feet. Try a few
reps without weight to find the sweet spot position
for you. Once you’ve found the right distance, set
your feet at about shoulder-width apart or slightly
wider, with your toes pointed out at a slight angle.

STEP 2
Tuck your chin down and brace your core. Before
initiating the thrust, squeeze your glutes. Then, STEP 2
while keeping your head and hips in a straight line,
continue squeezing your glutes as you push through
your heels to drive your hips forward to the top
position, moving the weight straight up. At the top
position, keep your core braced and pause for a
second or two while continuing to squeeze your
glutes. Control the weight back down by slowly
lowering your butt down towards the ground,
stopping at about halfway up from the bottom
position and then repeating for another rep.

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BACK SQUAT
STEP 1

ATTENTION: For the barbell back squat, since the exercise is quite
technical, it is recommended that you watch the full exercise tutorial
video. If needed, perform the exercise regression included in the
video first if needed before performing the full barbell back squat.

STEP 1
STEP 1: SETUP
Set a barbell in a rack at about the height of your mid-chest. Face the bar
and grip it with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Duck
under the bar and place it over the back of your shoulders, letting it rest on
your upper traps. Lift it out of the rack by extending your legs. Take one step
back with one foot, one step back with the other one, and then use a third
step to correct your stance into an even position. The optimal foot stance STEP 2
will vary, but first experiment with a stance that is just outside shoulder-
width with your toes pointed outwards at about 15 degree angle.

STEP 2
Plant your feet firmly into the ground, pull the bar down into your upper
back, and engage your core. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and
then squat straight down by bending at your hips and knees. As you do so,
the bar should remain over the level of your midfoot and the weight should
be evenly distributed between your big toe, your little toe, and your heels.
Your knees should also be bending slightly outwards in the same direction
of your toes. Continue squatting down until your thighs reach at least
parallel or slightly below. From here, while keeping your core engaged,
exhale and reverse the movement by extending your legs, thinking about STEP 2
bringing the bar up towards the ceiling and exhaling as you do so.
When done correctly, the bar should make an almost perfectly vertical path
down and up each rep. Depending on your anatomy, your torso may end
up more vertical or more bent over than others, which is normal as long as
you’re following the tips and avoiding the common mistakes.

ADDITIONAL TIPS: If you find it difficult to reach full depth, you

can try elevating your heels onto weight plates to help with ankle
mobility.

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WEIGHTED 45 DEGREE HYPEREXTENSIONS

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Set up a back extension machine
such that the top of the pad sits just
underneath your hips. Flare your
feet out to a 45 degree angle and
round your upper back to better
target the glutes. Grab a dumbbell
or weighted plate and hold it to your
chest throughout the movement..
STEP 2
STEP 2
Keep your upper back rounded and
raise your body up by pushing your
hips into the pad using your glutes.
Lower yourself back down to the
starting position with control and
repeat for the desired number of
reps.

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BAND DIAGONAL KICKBACK

STEP 1

STEP 1: SETUP
Wrap a Built With Science mini band around STEP 2
your knees. Use a wall or another stable fixture
for support. Stand with your feet together to
start and slightly hinge forward, knees slightly
bent.

STEP 2
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes. Kick
your working leg out behind you at a slightly
diagonal angle, avoiding hyper-extending your
lower back. Return your leg to the starting
position and repeat for the desired amount of
reps before switching to the other leg. STEP 2

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12-WEEK GLUTE GROWTH WORKOUT PLAN

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

I HOPE THIS PDF IS USEFUL FOR YOU!

I put in a lot of effort into providing this routine for you free of charge. All I ask in return is that you show
your support for my work and connecting with me on my social media platforms where I share more
informative content on a regular basis:

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

YOUTUBE

TIKTOK

FACEBOOK

ENJOY!

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12-WEEK GLUTE GROWTH WORKOUT PLAN

DISCLAIMER
The content provided in this PDF is for informa- Please note the following:
tional and educational purposes only. Jeremy
• any and all exercise that you do as a result of
Ethier is not a medical doctor, psychologist, thera-
what you read in this PDF shall be performed
pist, nutritionist, or registered dietitian. The con-
solely at your own risk;
tents of this document should not be construed
as medical, psychological, dietary, nutritional, • any and all meal plans that you follow or ad-
or healthcare advice of any kind. The contents here to as a result of what you read in this PDF
of this document are not intended to diagnose, shall be used solely at your own risk; and
treat, cure, or prevent any health conditions, nor
are they intended to replace a physician, dieti- • any and all foods or beverages that you con-
tian, nutritionist, or other qualified healthcare sume as a result of what you read in this PDF
professional’s advice. You should always consult shall be consumed solely at your own risk.
your physician, dietitian, or other qualified health- No part of this report may be reproduced or
care professional on any matters regarding your transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic or
health, engagement in physical activity, and/or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
diet before starting any fitness program or meal by any informational storage or retrieval system
plan to determine if it is suitable for your needs. without the express written, dated, and signed
This is especially important if you (or your family permission from the author (Jeremy Ethier). All
members) have a history of high blood pressure or copyrights are reserved.
heart disease, if you have ever experienced chest Built With Science™
pain while exercising, or if you have experienced may not be copied or
chest pain in the past month when not engaged used for any purpose
in physical activity. You should also consult your without express
physician, dietitian, or other qualified healthcare written consent.
professional before starting any fitness program,
meal plan, or dietary regimen if you smoke, have
high cholesterol, are obese, or have a bone or joint
problem that could be made worse by a change in
physical activity or diet. Do not start or continue
any fitness program, meal plan, or dietary regimen
if your physician, dietitian, or health care provid-
er advises against it. If you experience faintness,
dizziness, pain, shortness of breath or any other
form of discomfort at any time while exercising
or while following any meal plan/dietary regimen,
you should stop immediately. If you are in Cana-
da and think you are having a medical or health
emergency, call your health care provider, or 911,
immediately.

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