Glutes · Barbell · 31 exercises

Glute workouts with a barbell

A barbell glute workout: glute bridges, Romanian and sumo deadlifts, and reverse lunges.

The glutes extend the hip, so they grow from hip thrusts and bridges, which load them at the top, from hinges like Romanian deadlifts, which load them at a stretch, and from deep squats and lunges. Abduction work (band walks, side-lying raises) trains the smaller glute medius on the side of the hip.

A barbell lets you lift the most weight and add it in small, measurable jumps, which makes it the easiest tool for getting stronger over time. Most of these lifts need a rack, and pressing needs a bench and, ideally, safety pins.

Barbell glute workout

Load the bridge heavy; it’s the glute exercise you can progress the furthest.

Barbell Glute Bridge
Sets
4
Reps
8–12
Rest
2 min
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
Sets
3
Reps
8
Rest
2 min
Barbell Sumo Deadlift
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
3 min
Barbell Rear Lunge
Sets
3
Reps
8 each leg
Rest
90 s

Can’t do one of these?

Machine taken or training somewhere else? Each of these has substitutes that work the same muscles.

Tips

At the top of a bridge or thrust, tuck your pelvis slightly and squeeze. If you feel it in your lower back, you are arching instead of extending your hips.
For lunges and split squats, a longer step and a slight forward lean move the work toward the glutes.
Pair a heavy stretch exercise (Romanian deadlift, deep lunge) with a squeeze exercise (bridge, thrust) in the same week.
Use the plate calculator and add the smallest jump your gym allows. Small, regular increases beat big jumps you can’t hold.

Run this workout in SPLYT

Every exercise here is in SPLYT’s library. Save the workout as a template, log your sets on iPhone or Apple Watch, and next time your weights are already filled in from what you lifted.

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31 glute exercises with a barbell

Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.

All glute exercises →

Questions

How many glute exercises can you do with barbell?

SPLYT’s exercise library has 31 glute exercises you can do with barbell, including Barbell Lunge, Barbell Deadlift and Barbell Back Squat. Each one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration.

How often should I train glutes?

Two to three times a week works well. The glutes recover quickly, and most leg exercises already train them, so spread the work across your lower-body days.

Do squats grow your glutes?

Deep squats do, because the glutes work hardest near the bottom. Pair them with bridges or hip thrusts, which train the top of the movement that squats don’t load.

Do I need a squat rack for barbell workouts?

For squats and pressing, yes: a rack with safety pins lets you train close to failure safely. Deadlifts, rows, curls and Romanian deadlifts start from the floor and don’t need one.

More workouts

Fit it into a weekly split

Upper lower split