You've tried pretty much everything to sculpt a stronger booty…but you’re still not seeing the results you want. It’s a common problem when it comes to glute training, thanks to endless misinformation out there about how to get a bigger butt. That is, until now: The WH Glute Gains Challenge is a one-of-a-kind exclusive training plan for WH+ members that uses science-backed exercises and methods to increase muscle and tone in the booty area like never before in only six weeks. (Psst: It’s possible to put an inch of muscle on your glutes by the end of the challenge.)
Sign up for WH+ now to unlock the exclusive Women's Health Glute Gains Challenge, unlimited access to WomensHealthMag.com, a 1-year print subscription, 450+ streaming workouts on the All Out Studio app, and more.
First things first, glute training is not a passing fitness fad—it’s the for-real foundation. The glutes represent the largest muscle group, which include the gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, and gluteus maximus, and are essential for functional movement, posture, and back support.
They’re the driving force behind everyday activities from walking and running to lifting and chasing your kids around. “If you don’t have strong glutes, you’re never going to reach your potential in other workouts,” says Sandy Brockman, CPT, the trainer behind this challenge.
Now, it’s time to dive right into the Glute Gains Challenge. Step one? Sign up for your WH+ membership for access to all the programming outlined below. (Your purchase also unlocks our full library of WH Challenges and Guides.)
Buckle up for an exciting and effective six weeks of expertly crafted workouts that will build and chisel your strongest backside ever.
Your 6-Week Glute Gains Challenge
This comprehensive training plan will increase your glute muscle mass and shape your backside, not to mention shift overall body composition. (When you increase muscle mass, you also fire up your resting metabolism and ultimately burn more fat at rest.)
Sweat With Us: Join our WH Challenges broadcast channel @womenshealthmag to sweat alongside our community as we begin these workouts together on Monday, June 17th.
The program, created by Sandy Brockman, CPT, consists of three strength-training workouts that use a barbell and dumbbells, as well as a bench or box. You’ll repeat the workouts throughout the six weeks, adjusting weight and reps as you progress. (No barbell? No problem. Everything can be modified to use only DBs.) You can also do Sandy's 7-Minute Bodyweight Glute Workout Video on days when you have no equipment access.
Join WH+ For Access To The Glute Gains Challenge Now
INSTRUCTIONS: Complete each of the three challenge workouts every week, on nonconsecutive days. (Click on the links and join WH+ to access the workouts.) For max results, adjust your load and number of reps each week as noted in the graphic below.
EQUIPMENT: Barbell and weight plates, dumbbells, bench and/or box, mat
TIME: Each workout takes 45 to 60 minutes, depending on your fitness level
Meet your trainer:
Sandy Brockman, CPT, 52, is a personal trainer and strength coach at Kollective in Austin, Texas. She started strength training at 15 years old and has practiced a variety of styles over her decades-long career, including powerlifting, Olympic-style weightlifting, CrossFit, and bodybuilding. Over the years, she became hooked on cracking the code to glute strength and hypertrophy for women.
What Makes This Program Different
- It uses heavy weights and progressive overload. Mini bands and ankle weights can be awesome for some aspects of glute development, such as working on form. But they probably won’t earn you the growth you’re looking for in the area. “Many people love the burn they feel from those pieces of equipment and think it’s a sign of glute growth, but it really just means you’re getting lactic acid and blood into that area,” Brockman explains. (That lactic acid buildup is still a good thing since it’s a fuel source for your muscles as they work—but it’s not contributing to glute gains, she says.)
What’s actually necessary for upping size and strength is sufficient weight and resistance, as well as progressive overload—continuously challenging the body with more weight or reps. Quick reminder, though: Proper form is still the priority. It’s better to do a move properly with a lighter weight (at first!) than improperly with a heavier one, Brockman stresses. Noted. - It fixes a problem that most women don’t even know is holding them back from glute gains: hip flexor dysfunction. Tight hip flexors prevent you from “accessing” your glutes. Instead, you end up recruiting other muscles to get the work done. Brockman has the solve in the form of “corrective” exercises that she incorporates into *all* of the workouts.
Our modern lives aren’t so conducive to mobile hip flexors, thanks to the fact that most of us are sitting all day long. Brockman herself discovered that, for years, she had been using her quads and hamstrings—not her glutes—to drive lunges, hip thrusts, and deadlifts, all due to hip flexor tightness. The more she worked on opening and releasing the tension in her hip flexors, the better the results in her backside.
Research supports this: Low back, hip, and knee issues were all correlated with hip extension weakness in a study in PeerJ. And female soccer players with restricted hip flexor muscle length were less able to activate the gluteus maximus, in another study in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. - It helps you harness the mind-muscle connection for bigger gains. The most underrated way to make sure your glutes are activating during all those squats and deadlifts is by channeling the mind-muscle connection. How? Brockman packed the challenge with tips to help you maximize every workout even when you're not at the gym.
Ready to try a program that actually yields results? Join WH+ now to begin the challenge.
Glute Training FAQs
How many days a week should you train the glutes to see growth?
Three days dedicated to the booty is a sweet spot for glute growth, Brockman says. But she reiterates the importance of thinking about your glutes outside of the gym as well.
How long does it actually take to get bigger, stronger glutes?
It’s possible to put an inch of muscle on your glutes by the end of this six-week program, Brockman says.
Join WH+ now to start the Glute Gains Challenge
What does “glute activation” mean—and how do you activate your glutes?
It refers to squeezing the glutes to create a strong mind-muscle connection that allows you to effectively tap into your glutes during workouts. Brockman also refers to “correctives” throughout the program: Corrective positions help with hip and hip-flexor mobility.
These mind-to-muscle moves help you use your glutes more efficiently in workouts and everyday life and increase blood circulation in the area, which is important for producing the most power and muscle activation whenever you’re performing an exercise. (You’ll see correctives and activations in all three workouts in the full program.)
What To Eat For Bigger Glutes
When you’re starting to focus more on glute movements, your calorie needs may increase. “The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body, and it requires more energy to power your cells [when] glute training compared to training other muscles in isolation,” says sports dietitian Kelly Jones, RD.
Exactly how many carbs and how much protein to eat is highly individual—but here are a few general rules of thumb.
New to weight training? You might need even less at first—start with 0.63 grams per pound.
Aim for 0.11 to 0.18 grams per pound of body weight every time you eat. For a 140-pound woman, that’s 15 to 25 grams per meal or snack.
Think: olives, avocado, nuts, and seeds for the former and marine sources like salmon or tuna for the latter. Healthy fats are still important; they trigger proper inflammatory responses in your body, which play a key role in muscle recovery. (Vegans can try algae-oil supplements from brands such as Nordic Naturals, Jones suggests.)
Especially ones containing leucine, an amino acid known to trigger muscle protein synthesis, Jones says. (Find it in poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, soy, and oats.)
Take in quick-digesting carbs (a banana or a honey packet) pre-sweat if you haven’t had a meal in three-plus hours.
The 9 Most Effective Exercises For Glute Growth
The must-do movement patterns you’ll see throughout the Glute Gains Challenge workouts.
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