September: Glutes are king - 3 days

Glutes Are King #01: The Ultimate 3-Day Glute Workout

The main focus of Glutes Are King #01 is on the glutes, legs, and core. These areas are trained on all three workout days. Other muscle groups are incorporated once, ensuring their maintenance. Along with the workout details, this article provides an in-depth analysis of various glute exercises, the mechanics of muscle growth, dietary recommendations, and the significance of rest.

Benefits of a 3-Day Glute Workout: Why a Glute Focus Works

Imagine experiencing unprecedented growth in your legs and glutes throughout the week. That's exactly what this rigorous 3-day glute workout promises. By concentrating on the lower body, you stimulate muscle growth consistently throughout the week. This is not just for an Instagram-worthy posterior but also for a strong, functional foundation that supports everyday movements. After each session, your glutes and legs have a window of 48 to 72 hours for recovery. Continue reading to learn how to optimize this growth through diet and rest.

This is an Advanced Glute Workout: The Importance of More Sets

If you think this plan is a walk in the park, think again. Crafted for the advanced gym-goer, there's a rationale behind its intensity. The cumulative number of sets allocated for glutes and legs is substantial. Training thrice a week means your legs and glutes are almost always in recovery mode. Each session involves 6-10 working sets targeting these muscle groups. If you have a year or more of leg and glute training under your belt, this plan is tailored for you. However, beginners might benefit more from a plan with lesser volume. Surprisingly, they might achieve better results than with this advanced regimen. Don't fret; our app also features over 20 leg and glute workouts designed for novices.

Why Training for 3 Days and Resting for 4 is Optimal for Glutes and Legs

Less can indeed be more. By training intensively for three days and resting for four, you allow your muscles ample time to recover and grow. Rest is as paramount as the exercise itself. This equilibrium is precisely what promotes optimal muscle growth in your legs and glutes. Want to squeeze in a fourth training day? That's possible. Opt for a day dedicated to upper body exercises.

How Do Your Glutes and Legs Grow?

Before diving into the first segment of Glutes Are King, it's beneficial to grasp the mechanism of muscle growth. In summary, optimal muscle growth occurs when:

• You train each set to near muscle failure, stopping 1-2 reps short of failure.

• You adhere consistently to your workout regimen. Expect no noticeable glute gains if you haphazardly go through your sessions.

• Advanced trainees perform around 6 to 10 sets per muscle group each session, while beginners should aim for the same volume weekly.

• You consume adequate protein, around 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, and intake 5-10% (for advanced) or 10-20% (for beginners) more calories than expended.

• You ensure at least 7 hours of quality sleep nightly.

For an exhaustive guide on glute training and exercises, click here.

Glutes Are King 01 - The Ultimate Glute Workout Plan

As highlighted, this regimen focuses on glutes, legs, and core across three days. Spanning six weeks, it's tailored for the experienced gym-goer. Six weeks strike the right balance between adaptation and motivation. Ideally, space each workout with a rest day in between. Below are detailed workouts for the initial three weeks. From week four, you'll ramp up the volume by adding some sets to your routine. The rest intervals are 2 minutes for isolated exercises. For supersets, maintain approximately 30 seconds between exercises and 90 seconds between sets. Let's get down to business. Here's the 3-day glute-building workout, Glutes Are King.

Warm-Up

Kick off each intense session with a warm-up. Consider starting with a 50-calorie cardio session, followed by 1 or 2 preparatory sets for the inaugural exercise of each new muscle group. This minimizes injury risks and primes you for maximal lifts. A thorough warm-up, which hardly takes 10 minutes, genuinely accelerates muscle growth.

Day 1: Glutes – Legs – Core – Press

Glutes Are King #01 kicks off with a potent muscle-growth session:

1. Deadlift – 3 sets of 10, 8, and 6 reps

2. Single leg leg press – 3 sets of 10 reps

3. Dumbbell walking lunge – 3 sets of 10 reps

4. Superset: Push up (3 sets of 15 reps) & Leg raise (3 sets of 15 reps)

5. Standing dumbbell shoulder press – 3 sets of 12, 10, and 10 reps

6. Superset: Lying resistance band hip rotations (3 sets of 15 reps) & Medicine ball dead bug (3 sets of 8 reps)

Day 2: Glutes – Legs – Core – Back 

Remember, the goal is to have a bit of muscle soreness after each workout. If all is well, you should be starting today's muscle-building session feeling refreshed.

1. Low bar squat – 3 sets of 10, 8, and 6 reps 

2. Superset: Dumbbell front rack Bulgarian split squat (3 sets of 10 reps) & Bench assisted single arm dumbbell row (3 sets of 10 reps) 

3. Pull through – 3 sets of 12 reps 

4. Superset: Single leg cable hip abduction (3 sets of 12 reps) & Cable ab rotation (3 sets of 15 reps) 

5. Lat pulldown – 3 sets of 12, 10, and 8 reps 

6. Superset: Abdominal roll out (3 sets of 15 reps) & Hip bridge with band abduction (3 sets of 15 reps)

Day 3: Glutes – Legs – Core – Arms 

The final day of the glute muscle-building regimen. As they say, "save the best for last."

1. Barbell hip thrust – 3 sets of 12, 10, and 10 reps 

2. Single leg dumbbell deadlift to overhead forward lunge – 3 sets of 10 reps 

3. Superset: Kettlebell swing (3 sets of 15 reps) & Abdominal pullover (3 sets of 10 reps) 

4. Superset: TRX assisted pistol squat (3 sets of 8 reps) & TRX triceps extension (3 sets of 15 reps) 

5. Dumbbell curl – 3 sets of 12 reps 

6. Superset: Resistance band hip abduction in lunge position (3 sets of 8 reps) & Russian ab twist pro (3 sets of 8 reps) 

Don't feel like writing down this muscle-building regimen? It's ready for you in our app. This includes modifications from week 4, technique videos, and it remembers your weights, allowing you to challenge yourself each workout. Let's get serious!

Related read: Upper glute exercises - 6 key moves for toned buttocks

What Should You Eat for Muscle Building?

You can have the best training plan in the world and train extremely hard, but if you're not getting enough nutrients and not sleeping enough, you will hardly see any results. Therefore, make sure your plates are filled with healthy food sources. Here are the general rules that you come across in scientific literature:

• Calories: Eat 5-10% more calories than you need to maintain your current weight. Building muscle requires energy. Consuming more than 10% above maintenance results in more fat gain.

• Proteins: The key to muscle recovery and growth. Aim for 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight (g/kg) and spread this over 4 to 5 meals.

• Fats: Essential for hormonal balance and overall well-being, but in moderation. Aim for 0.5-1.5 g/kg.

• Carbohydrates: Your fuel for intensive workouts and faster recovery. This is the remaining group and you'll probably need 3-5 g/kg.

Opt for fiber-rich food sources and products rich in vitamins and minerals. When you mainly choose (moderately) unprocessed products (vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts, etc.), this is usually guaranteed.

The Importance of Rest Days: More Than You Think!

In a 3-day glute regimen, rest days are far from 'lazy'. They are crucial for muscle recovery, growth, and minimizing the risk of injuries. Don't think that targeting your glutes and legs for a fourth time with this number of sets will lead to more muscle growth. On the contrary, your glutes will probably grow less.

Supplements for Muscle Building? 

As the name suggests, supplements are an addition to your regular diet, not a replacement. Supplements won't lead to faster or more muscle growth if you're meeting your nutritional targets. However, to reach your protein grams, a protein shake or protein bar can be a useful addition. Essentially, there are only 3 supplements that are beneficial for muscle building:

1. Protein Powder: Whether it's whey, casein, a mix, isolate, or whatever, it doesn't matter. Your body thinks in totals. Absorption rate has been shown to be irrelevant in scientific studies.

2. Protein Bar: This is, of course, a highly processed product. So be careful with the sugar content.

3. Creatine Monohydrate: Most athletes respond to creatine by having slightly more strength, allowing you to squeeze out an extra rep from a set. You'll also retain more water and look more muscular in the mirror.

Using Supplements Responsibly: Here's What You Need to Know

Generally, the supplements mentioned above are safe. However, before starting a supplement regimen, it's advisable to consult a (sports) nutritionist or medical expert. This is especially true if you're already on medication or have underlying health issues.

3 Frequently Asked Questions About a Glute Workout Plan

How often should you train your glutes for results? 
Let's be straight about this: if you truly want results, train those glutes at least 2-3 times a week. This way, your glute muscles receive the growth stimuli they deserve. But, and this is a big 'but', variation and rest are crucial. Without recovery, no gains!

How do you get beautiful glutes? 
Beautiful glutes? They result from a mix of strength training, proper nutrition, and adequate rest. Think squats, lunges, and deadlifts. And don't forget that cardio; a little fat burning can work wonders. Eat clean, train mean, and that peachy booty will naturally follow.

Can everyone achieve round glutes? 
Good question! Everyone has a different body structure, but with hard work and dedication, almost everyone can achieve that rounder look. Genetics play a role, but with the right exercises and nutrition, you can certainly give those glutes a boost. So, don't just dream about those round glutes, work for them!

Get Serious! Glutes Are King #01 Awaits in Our App!

Now it's time to get started with the first glute workout plan from Glutes Are King. Don't feel like writing this plan down? Great, because it's ready for you in our app: Serious Fitness Lab. And yes, we take the "serious" very seriously. Log all your weights, effortlessly switch between alternative exercises, and let the plan automatically increase in intensity after 4 weeks. Say goodbye to endlessly searching for exercises: we have the best videos for every exercise in the plan. And let's be real, if you want more, we have over 50 additional glute and leg muscle growth plans in the app. Including the follow-up parts of this Glutes Are King series.

So, are you ready to seriously develop more muscular glutes? Download Serious Fitness Lab now and start your booty building!