Your glutes and legs are your power base. Strong hips and thighs support everything from walking and running to lifting heavy and throwing a kick, they stabilise your knees, hips and lower back, and, let’s be honest, a well-built lower body looks good too. This free glutes and legs workout from the trainers at Hammer’s Gym in Nunawading covers all of that in six exercises. Run it twice a week and watch your squat, your posture and your jeans all change.
Why train glutes and legs?
- Functional strength. Every athletic movement and most daily ones start from the hips.
- Injury prevention. Strong glutes and hamstrings stabilise the pelvis and knees and take load off the lower back.
- Metabolism. The lower body holds your largest muscles, so training it burns the most energy and builds the most muscle.
- Shape. Round, lifted glutes and defined legs create a balanced, powerful physique.
The workout
Focus: muscle growth and definition. Frequency: twice a week with at least two days between sessions. Rest: 60–90 seconds between sets. Warm up first with five minutes on the bike plus bodyweight squats, glute bridges and leg swings.
1. Barbell hip thrusts – 4 sets of 10–12
Primary: glutes. Set your upper back on a bench, drive through your heels and squeeze hard at the top, pausing for a second at full extension. Keep your chin tucked and ribs down so you do not overarch.
2. Bulgarian split squats – 3 sets of 8–10 per leg
Primary: quads and glutes. Rear foot on a bench, front shin roughly vertical. Unilateral work exposes imbalances and hits the glutes deeply. Hold dumbbells for more resistance.
3. Romanian deadlifts – 4 sets of 10
Primary: hamstrings and glutes. Soft knees, flat back, push the hips back and lower the bar to just below the knee, then drive the hips forward. Control the tempo and feel the stretch. Read more in our deadlift variations guide.
4. Sumo squats with dumbbell or kettlebell – 3 sets of 12–15
Primary: inner thighs and glutes. A wide stance with toes turned out targets the glutes from a new angle. Sit back and down, then squeeze up.
5. Cable kickbacks or glute kickback machine – 3 sets of 15–20 per leg
Primary: glute isolation. High reps here are for activation and definition. Keep the weight moderate and focus on the mind-muscle connection rather than swinging.
6. Walking lunges (finisher) – 2–3 rounds of 12 steps per leg
Primary: full lower body. A burnout to build endurance and push your glutes to the limit. Bodyweight is plenty for most people at the end of this session.
Pro tips for glute growth and leg definition
- Progressive overload. Add weight or reps each week; use our beginner’s progression plan as the model.
- Form first. Avoid ego lifting. Perfect form delivers better results and keeps your knees and back healthy.
- Nutrition counts. Eat enough protein and fuel your sessions; muscle does not grow on a deficit of both food and effort. See our protein guide.
- Recovery is key. Legs need 48 to 72 hours between hard sessions. Sleep, stretch and stay hydrated.
- Balance the week. Pair this with an upper-body day and a conditioning session using our balanced gym program guide.
Ready to build your best lower body?
You have the tools; now put them to work. Everything in this session is on the Hammer’s Gym floor: hip thrust benches, racks, cable stations and glute machines, with plenty of space at any hour. Want it personalised? Our personal trainers can build a custom glutes and legs program around your goals and any niggles. Claim a free one-day trial and come and train with us in Nunawading, minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster.