The Most Effective Glute Workout You Can Do In Under An Hour
If you’ve been spending hours in the gym wondering why your lower body isn’t changing the way you want it to, you’re not alone. Many women are told to just “work harder” or “add more cardio,” when in reality, smarter programming is what makes the difference.
On the mindbodygreen podcast, Ashley Damaj, BCBA, MSW, CN, CPT, behavior analyst, therapist, nutritionist, trainer, and founder of Mothership Wellness, shared the exact workout structure she uses to help women build stronger glutes and more balanced lower bodies. Her approach blends efficiency with science, proving you don’t need marathon workouts to see results.
Here’s how she designs a glute session that maximizes strength, time, and enjoyment—all in under an hour.
Start strong: Compound lifts first
According to Damaj, every effective glute workout begins with compound lifts. These are multi-joint exercises that recruit several muscle groups at once. Think hip thrusts, back squats, or Romanian deadlifts.
Why start here? Compounds require the most energy and coordination, so tackling them first ensures you’re fresh and able to push heavier loads. This matters because heavier resistance is a primary driver of both muscle growth and strength gains. Compound moves1 not only stimulate more muscle fibers, but they also improve overall functional fitness and calorie expenditure compared to isolation moves alone.
Damaj’s personal favorite opener: hip thrusts. She calls them essential for building glutes after 35, when it naturally becomes harder to gain muscle mass. Paired with a deep, wide-stance squat, this duo hits the glutes from multiple angles and sets the stage for everything that follows.
Build balance with supersets
Once the heavy compound lifts are out of the way, Damaj shifts focus to accessory work—single-muscle exercises designed to refine and sculpt. But instead of isolating one muscle at a time for the rest of the session, she pairs antagonist muscle groups (muscles that perform opposite actions, like the quads and hamstrings) into what’s called supersets.
Supersets involve performing two exercises back-to-back with minimal rest in between. The key is pairing opposing muscle groups so that while one works, the other recovers. This keeps your heart rate elevated, saves time, and maximizes muscle engagement throughout the workout.
Here’s how to build an effective superset:
- Pick two opposing muscle groups: Think quads + hamstrings, chest + back, or biceps + triceps
- Do your first exercise for your chosen number of reps (for example, leg extensions for 10–12 reps)
- Immediately follow with the second exercise targeting the opposite muscle (such as hamstring curls for 10–12 reps)
- Rest for 60–90 seconds after completing both exercises before starting the next round
- Repeat for 3–4 rounds, adjusting weight or reps as needed
For example:
- Leg extension (quads) immediately followed by leg curl (hamstrings)
- Glute abduction paired with a Romanian deadlift
- Chest press followed by a seated row
This approach not only keeps the workout moving but also boosts efficiency and endurance. Research shows that antagonist supersets can increase total training volume, improve strength adaptations, and reduce total workout time without compromising performance.
Translation: you’ll work smarter, not just harder.
Adjust for your training goal
One of the biggest mistakes women make in the gym, says Damaj, is treating every workout the same. Instead, she alternates between strength weeks and hypertrophy weeks, shifting reps, sets, and rest accordingly:
- Strength weeks: 4 sets of 6–8 reps, heavier weights, longer rests (2–3 minutes)
- Hypertrophy weeks: 4 sets of 10–12 reps, moderate weights, shorter rests (60–90 seconds)
This balance builds both power and visible muscle tone. It also prevents plateaus, since your muscles are constantly adapting to new stimuli. Studies show this kind of periodized training can significantly boost both strength and muscle mass compared to static routines.
Make rest work for you
Many of us hate waiting between sets (myself included!). But instead of reaching for your phone, Damaj suggests using rest intervals productively. She pulls out tools like lacrosse balls or resistance bands for mobility drills, stretching, or prehab work.
This not only makes downtime more engaging but also helps improve flexibility and joint health—two key factors for sustainable training. Think of it as multitasking for your muscles.
What this looks like in action: 45–60 minute glute day
Here’s how Damaj might structure a session:
- Hip thrusts: 4 sets of 8 (strength) or 12 (hypertrophy)
- Back squats: 4 sets, same rep scheme as above
- Superset 1: Leg extension + leg curl, 3 rounds
- Superset 2: Glute abduction + Romanian deadlift, 3 rounds
You’ll finish with a fully worked lower body, without spending more than an hour in the gym.
The takeaway
Strong, sculpted glutes aren’t about chasing endless reps or living on the treadmill. They come from intentional programming: starting with compound lifts, pairing muscles strategically, alternating strength and hypertrophy phases, and making rest time useful.
As Damaj explains, the key is efficiency and sustainability. When your workouts are structured well, you don’t need more time—you just need the right moves in the right order.
