5-day workout split for women with glute focus

Five shorter sessions a week, Monday to Friday, for 8 weeks: three lower-body days for the glutes and legs and two upper-body days, for intermediates.

This split runs Monday to Friday and alternates the lower and upper body. Lower A on Monday is knee dominant (squat, walking lunges, leg extension, abduction), Push on Tuesday trains the shoulders, chest and triceps, Lower B on Wednesday is hip dominant (barbell hip thrust, Romanian deadlift, leg curl), Pull on Thursday trains the back, rear delts and biceps, and Legs on Friday is a shorter glute day in higher reps: the machine hip thrust, back extensions, the leg curl and the leg extension. The glutes get 18 sets a week over three days, more than half of them from hip thrusts, back extensions and abduction, the quads and hamstrings 12 each. The back and side delts get 9 sets a week, the other upper muscles 3-6. Strength training works the same for women and men, so the plan suits anyone who wants this emphasis and can train five days.

SplitDays a weekLevelWeeksMinutesSets a weekEquipmentIn the app
Upper/lower + glute day5Intermediate8≈30–4075Barbell, Dumbbells, Machines, BodyweightUpper/Lower · 5 days · Glutes

Track this plan for free in SmartWorkout

The same exercises, sets, reps and RIR, ready in the app. Logging, rest timer and history are free. Automatic progression suggestions: Premium.

In the app: Plans → Upper/Lower · 5 days · Glutes

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Good fit if

  • You want your glutes and legs to grow most and can train five days a week.
  • You prefer shorter sessions: 30-40 minutes each, warm-up sets and rest included.
  • Your weights go up every week or two, not every session.

Take another plan if

  • You are in your first months of training: start with the 3-day full body plan with glute and leg priority.
  • Five days are hard to keep every week: the 4-day upper/lower split with glute and leg priority trains the same muscles in four sessions.
  • You want the upper body to grow as much as the legs: take the 5-day push/pull/legs + upper/lower plan.

Weekly schedule

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Lower APushLower BPullLegsRestRest

Missed a day? Do the next session in order: the app runs the sessions in sequence.

The lower days fall on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so no heavy leg day follows another. If you train on other days, keep that order: never two lower days in a row, and Friday's glute day at least two days after Wednesday's hip thrust.

The plan, week 1

Week 1 is calibration: pick a weight for the bottom of each range with one more rep in reserve than later. The RIR column shows week 1 → week 2 onwards; the grid below shows what changes in weeks 2-8.

Tempo 3-0-1-0: 3 s lowering, 0 s pause in the stretch, 1 s lifting, 0 s pause in the squeeze. X: lift as fast as you can while staying in control.

What RIR means →How to read tempo →How supersets work →

B3fx3×6–10 · RIR 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 5––1:00
ABarbell Squat3 × 6–103 → 22-0-X-03:00Go as deep as you can with a neutral back; a deep squat works the glutes harder.
BDumbbell Walking Lunges3 × 8–123 → 22-0-1-01:30
CSeated Leg Extension Machine3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:30
DSeated Hip Abduction3 × 12–202 → 12-0-1-11:00Lean slightly forward. The chart counts it as half a glute set: it trains mostly the side of the glutes.
ECalf Leg Press3 × 10–152 → 12-2-1-01:00

15 working sets · ≈40 min · → Superset: go straight to the next exercise, rest after the pair

B3fx3×8–12 · RIR 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 8––1:00
ASeated Dumbbell Shoulder Press3 × 8–123 → 22-0-X-02:00
BIncline Dumbbell Bench Press3 × 8–123 → 22-0-1-02:00
CDumbbell Lateral Raise3 × 12–202 → 12-0-1-01:00
DCable Middle Chest Fly2 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:00
ECable Triceps Pushdown3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:00

14 working sets · ≈30 min · → Superset: go straight to the next exercise, rest after the pair

B3fx4×8–12 · RIR 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 8––1:00
ABarbell Hip Thrust4 × 8–123 → 22-0-X-12:00Upper back on the bench edge, chin tucked, ribs down; one second at the top of every rep.
BRomanian Deadlift3 × 8–123 → 23-1-1-02:30It comes after the hip thrust, so start a little lighter than usual. Bar close to the legs; stop before your back rounds.
CSeated Leg Curl3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:30
DSeated Calf Raise3 × 10–152 → 12-2-1-01:00
EKneeling Cable Abs Crunches2 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:00

15 working sets · ≈40 min · → Superset: go straight to the next exercise, rest after the pair

B3fx3×8–12 · RIR 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 8––1:00
ACable Lat Pulldown3 × 8–122 → 12-0-1-12:00
BChest Supported Machine Row3 × 8–122 → 12-0-1-12:00
CSeated Cable Row3 × 8–122 → 12-0-1-12:00
D1Cable Rear Delt Fly3 × 12–202 → 12-0-1-1→
D2Dumbbell Lateral Raise3 × 12–202 → 12-0-1-01:00
ESeated Incline Biceps Curl3 × 10–152 → 13-0-1-01:00

18 working sets · ≈40 min · → Superset: go straight to the next exercise, rest after the pair

B3fx3×10–15 · RIR 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 8––1:00
AMachine Hip Thrust3 × 10–152 → 12-0-X-12:00Higher reps than on the other days: keep the one-second squeeze at the top of every rep.
BWeighted Back Extension2 × 10–152 → 13-0-1-11:30Round your upper back slightly and push your hips into the pad to keep the work in the glutes rather than the lower back.
CSeated Leg Curl3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:30
DSeated Leg Extension Machine3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:30
EKneeling Cable Abs Crunches2 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:00

13 working sets · ≈35 min · → Superset: go straight to the next exercise, rest after the pair

Track this plan for free

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Week by week

W1W2W3W4W5W6W7W8
PhaseCalibrationBuildBuildBuildBuildBuildBuildDeload
RIR3 / 22 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 14
Working sets7575757575757548
What to doFind your weightsReps, then weightReps, then weightReps, then weightReps, then weightReps, then weightReps, then weightSame weights, half the sets
Done: Lower A
Done: Push
Done: Lower B
Done: Pull
Done: Legs

Week 8 is a deload: about 60% of the sets (4→2, 3→2, 2→1), the same weights and rest, stop at RIR 4. Why a deload helps →

Saved only in this browser. The app keeps your weights and reps.

Worked example: Barbell Hip Thrust

Sample numbers of a simulated lifter, worked through with the manual rule on this page.

WeekWeightReps per setRIRNext session
177.5 kg8 · 8 · 8 · 83Calibration done: add reps
277.5 kg9 · 9 · 9 · 92Add reps
377.5 kg10 · 10 · 10 · 102Add reps
477.5 kg11 · 10 · 10 · 102Add reps
577.5 kg11 · 11 · 10 · 102Add reps
677.5 kg11 · 11 · 11 · 112Add reps
777.5 kg12 · 11 · 11 · 112Next week: deload
877.5 kg10 · 104Next run starts at 85 kg

How to progress on this plan

The simplest method that works on any plan: double progression. Keep the weight and add reps while you finish your sets with the reserve in the RIR column. When every set reaches the top of the range, add one step and build the reps up again.

  • Barbell Squat 3 × 6–10 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 10 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2.5 kg next session.
  • Dumbbell Walking Lunges 3 × 8–12 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2 kg next session.
  • Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 8–12 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2 kg next session.
  • Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 3 × 8–12 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2 kg next session.
  • Barbell Hip Thrust 4 × 8–12 at RIR 2: when all 4 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2.5 kg next session.
  • Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–12 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2.5 kg next session.
  • Isolation exercises (10–20 reps) follow the same rule. With light dumbbells, the next pair can be too big a jump: use the in-between weight, or stay and go 1-2 reps above the range for a week or two.
  • The barbell hip thrust leads Wednesday with 4 sets of 8-12 at RIR 2 and is the plan's main lift. Expect several weeks of added reps before the first 2.5 kg step.
  • Friday's machine hip thrust is a different exercise with 10-15 reps: it is compared only with last Friday.
  • The leg curl (Wednesday and Friday), the leg extension (Monday and Friday) and the lateral raise (Tuesday and Thursday) are written the same on both days, so each carries on from its last session whichever day that was.
  • Free-weight compounds (squat, barbell hip thrust, Romanian deadlift, lunges, both dumbbell presses) stop at RIR 2; machines, cables and isolation exercises at RIR 1.

What to do next session

You loggedNext session
All sets at the top of the range with the planned reserveOne weight step up
Below the top, with the planned reserveSame weight, +1 rep on the sets that allow it
One rep less in reserve than plannedSame weight and reps: repeat the session
Sets below the range, or RIR 0 when the target was 2Keep the weight; if sets fell below the range, one step down
No progress for 2 sessionsCheck rest and honest RIR; after a 3rd session, about −10% and build back up

The full guide: how to progress →

Your starting weights

Enter a recent set of the exercise: weight, reps and how many reps you had left. You get the week-1 weight for the bottom of the range with one rep more in reserve, from the widely used RPE chart (RTS).

 

1RM calculator →

Weekly volume per muscle

Working sets per muscle in a regular week, counted the way the app counts them: a set is 1 for a muscle the exercise trains directly and 0.5 for one it trains indirectly. Warm-ups don't count.

  • Chest51×/wk
  • Back91×/wk
  • Quadriceps122×/wk
  • Hamstrings122×/wk
  • Gluteus19.53×/wk
  • Side delts92×/wk
  • Rear delts61×/wk
  • Biceps31×/wk
  • Triceps4.51×/wk
  • Front delts7.51×/wk
  • Calves62×/wk
  • Abs42×/wk
  • Trapezius61×/wk
  • Lower Back61×/wk
ZonesBelow maintenanceMaintenance zoneGrowth zoneHigh volumeVery high volume

Abs and calves are optional. From 10 sets a week the app labels a muscle "High volume": above its default target and still productive.

Count your own sets →

Substitutions

Choose your substitute in week 1 and keep it for all 8 weeks: the app tracks progress per exercise. Each substitute trains the same muscles directly, so the volume above stays the same.

In the planSwap for
Barbell Squat

Go as deep as you can with a neutral back; a deep squat works the glutes harder.

Front Squat, Lowbar Squat, Landmine Squat
Barbell Hip Thrust

Upper back on the bench edge, chin tucked, ribs down; one second at the top of every rep.

Hip Thrust Smith Machine, Cable Pull Through
Romanian Deadlift

It comes after the hip thrust, so start a little lighter than usual. Bar close to the legs; stop before your back rounds.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Dumbbell Deadlift
Dumbbell Walking LungesDumbbell Step-Up, Kettlebell Rear Lunge, Cable Step Up
Seated Leg Extension MachineSingle-Leg Extension, Sissy Squat
Seated Leg CurlStanding Leg Curl, Single-Leg Cable Leg Curl, Seated Single Leg Curl
Seated Hip Abduction

Lean slightly forward. The chart counts it as half a glute set: it trains mostly the side of the glutes.

Cable Hip Abduction
Seated Calf RaiseSingle-Leg Seated Calf Raise with Dumbbell, Single Leg Seated Calf Machine Raise
Calf Leg PressDumbbell Standing Calf Raises, Barbell Calf Raise, Rotary Calf Raise
Kneeling Cable Abs CrunchesMachine Abdominal Crunches, Decline Crunch, Weighted Decline Crunch
Incline Dumbbell Bench PressIncline Barbell Bench Press, Smith Incline Chest Press
Cable Lat PulldownPull-Up, Lat Pulldown Machine, One-Arm Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable RowDumbbell Bent Over Row, One-Arm Cable Row, One-Arm Low Cable Seated Row
Chest Supported Machine RowDumbbell Neutral Grip Incline Bench Row, Seated Cable Low Row Neutral Grip, Lever High Row
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder PressMachine Shoulder Press, Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Seated Arnold Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Lateral RaiseCable Lateral Raise, Machine Lateral Raise, Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Cable Rear Delt FlyMachine Reverse Flyes, Alternate Bent Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly, Cable Face Pull
Cable Triceps PushdownEZ-Bar Tricep Pushdown, Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension, Machine Triceps Extension
Cable Middle Chest FlyPec Deck Chest Fly, Dumbbell Chest Fly, High Low Cable Chest Fly
Seated Incline Biceps CurlBayesian Cable Curl, Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl, Incline Cable Curl
Weighted Back Extension

Round your upper back slightly and push your hips into the pad to keep the work in the glutes rather than the lower back.

45-Degree Reverse Hyperextension, Machine Reverse Hyperextension
Machine Hip Thrust

Higher reps than on the other days: keep the one-second squeeze at the top of every rep.

Hip Thrust Smith Machine, Barbell Glute Bridge

Adapt the plan

Short on time
Drop the calf raises on Monday and Wednesday, the crunches on Wednesday and Friday, or the chest fly on Tuesday: each saves about 4-6 minutes. Keep every hip thrust, the abduction and the back extensions.
Bulking or cutting
Keep the plan as it is in both. On a cut, aim to hold your weights: reps that drop by one or two are normal, and you can skip the last set of the isolation exercises if recovery suffers.
Bringing up one muscle
The glutes already get 18 sets a week, close to the top of what still pays off, so do not add more. To bring up one upper muscle, add 2-3 weekly sets for it on Tuesday or Thursday, the two shortest days.
Over 40
Warm up a little longer, keep one more rep in reserve on the heavy barbell lifts and take the full rest. Joints decide the pace, not the calendar.
Training at home
This plan needs a gym. At home with dumbbells and a bench, take the 3-day dumbbell glute plan for home.

The same plan in the app

The app opens exactly this plan: all 8 weeks, the same targets, week 1 calibration included. Its description in the app:

A five-day split for intermediates with glute priority, Monday to Friday: Lower A with a knee focus (squat, lunges, hip abduction), Push, Lower B with a hip focus (barbell hip thrust, Romanian deadlift, leg curl), Pull and Legs, a shorter day with higher reps (machine hip thrust, back extension, leg curl). Glutes are trained three times a week, about 18 sets in total, quads and hamstrings 12 each, the upper body fewer. 8 weeks: week 1 is calibration (one more rep in reserve than the target), weeks 2-7 at RIR 2 on free-weight compounds and RIR 1 on the rest, week 8: deload, about half the sets, RIR 4. Progression: add reps first, then weight once every set reaches the top of its range at the target RIR.

Free: the plan, logging weight, reps and RIR, the rest timer, history, previous results and the calculators.

This page teaches the manual method. With Premium, the app suggests the weight and reps for every set after each workout, from the weights, reps and RIR you logged, including week-1 calibration and the deload. Its suggestions can differ from this simple rule because it uses more of your data.

Track this plan for free in SmartWorkout

The same exercises, sets, reps and RIR, ready in the app. Logging, rest timer and history are free. Automatic progression suggestions: Premium.

In the app: Plans → Upper/Lower · 5 days · Glutes

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Questions

The same weekly work spread over five days makes each session shorter, and the glutes get three sessions a week instead of two. If five days fit your week, that is the upside. If they do not, the 4-day upper/lower split with glute and leg priority builds almost as much.

Not with this layout. Monday and Wednesday carry the heavy lifts, and Friday uses exercises that are easy to recover from: the machine hip thrust, back extensions, the leg curl and the leg extension in 10-15 reps. The 18 weekly sets are spread 6, 7 and 5 over the three days.

Because the time goes to the glutes and legs first. Push and Pull still give every upper muscle 3-9 sets a week, with the back and side delts at 9: enough to keep growing, only more slowly than the legs.

Do the next session in order and let the week run one day longer. The app runs the sessions in sequence, so nothing is lost. If you miss days often, the 4-day version will fit your weeks better.

Better not in your first months. Start with the 3-day full body plan with glute and leg priority: it trains the same muscles in three sessions, mostly on machines and dumbbells. Switch once your weights go up only every week or two.

Yes. Fat loss comes from eating a little less than you burn, and the plan keeps, or even builds, muscle while you do. Keep it as written and aim to hold your weights. Walks fit in well; do hard cardio after a session, not before a lower day.

Yes, and it always will be. The whole plan is on this page, and the same plan is free in the SmartWorkout app, with logging, the rest timer and history. You pay only for Premium coaching, meaning progression suggestions and the weekly volume analysis, and for AI credits.

No. You can print the plan and follow the rules on this page. The app saves you the bookkeeping: it shows last session's weights and reps next to every set.

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