Best Glute Exercises Ranked for Size and Strength (2026 Guide)

The glutes are the largest muscle group in the body and the most dramatically transformable — visible glute development changes how lifters look in every direction. Effective glute training comes from hitting all three glute functions (hip extension, hip abduction, hip rotation) and loading them through their full range. This guide ranks ten glute exercises and tells you which combination actually builds size.

Quick Answer

The two highest-ROI glute exercises are the barbell hip thrust (best peak glute activation, scales heavy) and the Romanian deadlift (best stretched-position hip extension). Run both 1–2× per week, add a unilateral movement (Bulgarian split squat or single-leg RDL), and the glutes grow. Total: 10–16 weekly sets distributed across 2 sessions.

How These Are Ranked

Three criteria, weighted equally:

1. Hypertrophy evidence — direct studies on glute growth or analogous research
2. Loading ceiling — how heavy can you scale without form drift
3. Function coverage — does it train hip extension, abduction, rotation? Lengthened or shortened position?

The Top 10 Glute Exercises

1. Barbell Hip Thrust

Sit on the floor with upper back against a bench, barbell across the hips (with a pad), feet flat. Drive the hips up to lockout (body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees), squeeze the glutes hard at the top, lower under control.

Why it ranks #1: Highest peak glute activation of any major lift. EMG studies consistently show hip thrusts produce 70–80% glute max activation at heavy loads — compared to 50–60% for back squats. The mechanical position (back extended, knees bent at 90 degrees) puts the glutes in their strongest position for hip extension. Loading scales to multi-plate barbell weight, which means real progressive overload.

Trade-offs: Setup is awkward — getting under the bar with a pad takes time, and the start position requires a bench tall enough to support the upper back. Bumper plates make loading easier; standard plates require a slow setup. Many lifters skip hip thrusts because of the setup hassle.

Programming: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with a 2-second pause at the top. Pair with Romanian deadlifts for full hip-extension coverage — see Romanian Deadlift vs Stiff-Leg vs Good Morning.

2. Romanian Deadlift

Hold a barbell at thigh level, hinge forward keeping a flat back and a slight knee bend, lower the bar to mid-shin or just below the knee, drive the hips forward to come up.

Why it's strong: Best stretched-position glute exercise. While hip thrusts load the glutes at full hip extension, Romanian deadlifts load them at full hip flexion — the lengthened position. Research on lengthened-position training shows this stimulus produces strong hypertrophy per set.

The RDL also trains the entire posterior chain — glutes, hamstrings, lower back, even calves as stabilizers. For full posterior development, the RDL covers more muscle than any other glute exercise.

Programming: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps. See Romanian deadlift and the matching What Muscles Does the Romanian Deadlift Work breakdown.

3. Back Squat (Deep)

Standard back squat with full depth — hip crease drops below the knees. Going to parallel or above produces less glute stimulus; deep squats put the glutes in a fully lengthened position at the bottom.

Why it's strong: The biggest compound loader in the gym, period. Heavy back squats train the entire lower body — quads, glutes, hamstrings, adductors, lower back. Glute activation is high through the entire rep, with peak activation at the bottom (deepest stretched position).

Trade-offs: As primarily a quad exercise, the squat doesn't isolate the glutes the way hip thrusts do. For pure glute hypertrophy per set, hip thrusts beat squats. But for total leg-day stimulus (including the glutes' role in larger movements), squats are unmatched.

Programming: 3–5 sets of 5–10 reps deep. See squat and Best Quad Exercises Ranked for matched coverage.

4. Bulgarian Split Squat

Rear foot elevated, front foot on the floor, descend until the rear knee approaches the floor, drive up through the front leg. Hip-dominant variation: keep the torso upright; quad-dominant variation: lean forward slightly.

Why it's strong: Unilateral hip extension under heavy load. Each leg works independently, exposing side-to-side imbalances. Holding dumbbells or a barbell scales loading effectively. Strong both as a quad exercise and a glute exercise depending on torso position.

Programming: 3 sets of 8–12 reps per leg. See bulgarian split squat.

5. Conventional / Sumo Deadlift

Standard deadlift mechanics. Sumo (wide stance) biases the glutes more than conventional because the wider stance increases hip abduction at the start.

Why it's strong: Maximum loading on a hip-extension pattern. Heavy deadlifts train the glutes through both stretched (off the floor) and contracted (lockout) positions.

Trade-offs: As a strength lift more than a hypertrophy specialist, the deadlift produces moderate glute hypertrophy stimulus per set compared to its strength-building potential. RDLs and hip thrusts are more glute-specific.

Programming: 3 sets of 3–6 reps. See deadlift and What Muscles Does the Deadlift Work for the muscle breakdown.

6. Reverse Lunge

Step backward into a lunge position, lower until the rear knee approaches the floor, drive forward to standing. Hip-dominant unilateral movement.

Why include: Gentler on the knees than forward lunges, productive glute volume work. The step-back motion biases the front-leg glute as it pulls the body back to standing.

Programming: 3 sets of 8–12 reps per leg. See step-back lunges and lunges.

7. Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Hip thrust position, one foot on the floor, the other extended straight out. Each side works completely independently.

Why include: Best unilateral hip-thrust variation. Exposes side-to-side strength gaps that bilateral hip thrusts hide. Loading is naturally lighter than barbell hip thrusts (each glute holds half-or-less of the bilateral weight), but per-set glute stimulus is high.

Programming: 3 sets of 8–12 reps per side.

8. Cable Pull-Through

Stand facing away from a low cable pulley, rope between the legs, hinge forward, drive hips through to lockout. Same mechanics as a Romanian deadlift but with cable resistance instead of free weight.

Why include: Constant-tension hip extension. The cable maintains pull throughout the rep, including at the lockout where free weights unload. Strong as a finisher or volume work after heavier lifts.

Programming: 3 sets of 12–15 reps as accessory.

9. Glute Bridge

Lie on the floor with knees bent, drive the hips up to lockout. Bodyweight or with a plate/weight on the hips.

Why include: Easiest glute activation drill, useful as warm-up before heavy lifting, productive as a beginner exercise. Loading caps lower than hip thrusts (no bench means no full hip-extension range), which makes glute bridges accessory-tier rather than primary.

Programming: 2–3 sets of 12–20 reps as warm-up or accessory. See glute bridge.

10. Hip Abduction (Machine)

Seated machine with thigh pads on the outside of the legs, push the legs apart against the resistance. Trains the gluteus medius — the smaller glute muscle on the side of the hip.

Why include: The glute max gets plenty of work from the other 9 exercises. The glute medius (responsible for hip stability and the visible "side-glute" curve) needs direct abduction work to develop. Most lifters undertrain the glute medius, which causes both aesthetic and functional weakness.

Programming: 3 sets of 12–20 reps. See hip abduction.

What to Skip

• Donkey kicks with bodyweight only past beginner level — loading caps too low for hypertrophy
• Smith machine hip thrusts — fixed bar path doesn't allow natural hip movement
• Stair-climber as a glute builder — cardio with mild glute stimulus, not a hypertrophy tool

How to Build a Glute Day

The shortest effective glute program:

• One main compound (back squat or hip thrust): 3–4 sets of 5–10 reps
• One stretched-position move (Romanian deadlift or Bulgarian split squat): 3 sets of 6–10 reps
• One accessory (cable pull-through, hip abduction, or single-leg hip thrust): 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps

That's 8–10 working sets, all glute functions trained. Run 1–2× per week.

For pure glute emphasis: hip thrust + RDL + Bulgarian split squat + hip abduction = 12 sets, glute-dominant, both lengthened and shortened positions covered.

The Bottom Line

The glutes grow when you pair heavy hip thrusts (peak contraction) with Romanian deadlifts (stretched position) and add unilateral work to expose imbalances. Direct glute work plus indirect volume from squats and deadlifts produces full glute development in 8–12 weeks of consistent training.

For more, see our deep dives on Romanian Deadlift vs Stiff-Leg vs Good Morning, Squat: Back vs Front vs Goblet vs Bulgarian Split, and the Best Hamstring Exercises Ranked for matched posterior-chain coverage.