12 Bigger Hips Workout for Every Budget

I ripped my favorite gym shorts right down the middle last Tuesday at Costco. My bigger hips workout was finally doing its job, but that embarrassing moment in aisle 12 proved I needed new clothes. I squatted down to grab a heavy 40-pack of Kirkland water bottles and heard that dreaded fabric tear echoing through the store. I spent years doing the wrong exercises. I tried ridiculous Instagram trends that just left my lower back screaming and my glutes completely flat. I’m Ryan Brooks, and I’m sharing the exact routine that actually builds glute and hip mass. No fluffy garbage. Just heavy weights, specific angles, and eating enough protein. Here are the 12 steps of a lower body routine that actually adds tissue. I’ve made all the mistakes so you don’t have to.

1. Make the Barbell Hip Thrust the Core of Your Bigger Hips Workout

The barbell hip thrust is the absolute king of any bigger hips workout. I’m dead serious. If you aren’t doing these, you aren’t growing. I wasted three years just doing back squats before I realized squats barely hit the gluteus maximus compared to thrusts. Certified personal trainer Alexandra Redmond calls these a must-have, and I completely agree. You need 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Rest exactly 60 to 90 seconds between sets. I time this on my phone. Don’t just guess. The biggest mistake I see is people loading up four plates and doing tiny, jerky movements. You need full hip extension. Squeeze your glutes at the top like you’re cracking a walnut. I use a standard 45-pound Rogue Ohio Bar that costs $295. But the real secret is the pad. I bought an All in Motion foam barbell pad at Target for $14.99. Without a thick pad, the heavy bar crushes your pelvic bones. The bruising is awful. I tried using a rolled-up towel for months. Bad idea. Trust me on this. Buy the thick foam pad. Push through your heels. Keep your chin tucked. You’ll feel the burn exactly where you want it.

2. Optimize Bulgarian Split Squats for Glute Bias

Bulgarian split squats are pure torture. But they work. To make this a true mass-building staple, you have to tweak your form. A standard upright split squat hits the quads. To bias the glutes, hop your front foot out further. You want a 90-degree angle or wider at the bottom. Lean your torso forward about 35 degrees. Drive straight up through the heel of your front foot. I do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per leg. I use the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells. They usually run $429 for the pair. They save so much space. I rest my back foot on a cheap $45 CAP Barbell flat bench I grabbed from Walmart. The new trending approach for 2026 is the pulse pause. You drop down, pause for one second, do a tiny two-inch pulse up and down, then drive all the way up. It burns like battery acid. I tried this last Friday and literally fell over on my third set. The time under tension is insane. Just don’t use a bench that’s too high. If your back foot is elevated more than 16 inches, your lower back will take over. Keep it low.

3. Utilize the Hip Abduction Machine for Side Glute Development

The hip abduction machine gets a bad rap. Some fitness snobs say it’s useless. They aren’t right. If you want that rounder shape from the front, you have to build the gluteus medius. This machine isolates that exact muscle. I do 4 sets of 15 to 20 reps. You need high volume here. The key is leaning forward slightly in the seat. I grab the metal frame in front of me and lean forward about 45 degrees. It stretches the glute medius perfectly. I tried sitting straight back for years. I barely felt it. Once I leaned forward, the pump was unreal. I do this at my local Planet Fitness. That $10 a month membership is worth it just for the isolation machines. Wear good shorts for this. I wear my 7-inch Lululemon Pace Breaker shorts that cost $68. They have enough stretch so I don’t rip them on the wide pad settings. A common mistake is letting the weight slam back together on the negative. Control the weight on the way in. Take a full three seconds to let your knees come back together. That eccentric phase builds serious tissue.

4. Add Heavy Cable Kickbacks to Isolate the Upper Glutes

Cable kickbacks are mandatory for upper glute fullness. I used to skip these because I thought they were just a fad. I was an idiot. Heavy kickbacks add serious mass. I bought a pair of Gymreapers ankle straps off Amazon for $19.99. Do not use the nasty, sweat-soaked leather straps they leave out at the gym. They smell like wet dog. Bring your own. Set the cable pulley to the lowest setting. Kick your leg straight back and slightly out to the side. About a 30-degree angle. This hits the upper glute perfectly. I do 3 sets of 12 reps per leg. The trick is keeping your torso completely still. Don’t swing your lower back. Hold onto the metal pole of the cable tower and brace your core. I eat a very specific snack before doing these heavy isolation days. I grab a $1.99 RXBAR from Sprouts. The chocolate sea salt flavor. It has 12 grams of protein and sits light in my stomach. If I eat a heavy meal, bracing my core for kickbacks makes me feel sick. Keep the movement slow. Squeeze at the top for a full two seconds. You might also like: 15 Beautiful Photoshoot Home Workout Ideas to Steal Right Now

5. Master the Sumo Deadlift for Wide Stance Power

Conventional deadlifts are great for your back. Sumo deadlifts are incredible for your hips and glutes. The wide stance forces your adductors and glutes to do the heavy lifting. I stand with my feet way outside my shoulders. My toes point out at a 45-degree angle. I grip the bar right in the middle. The cue I use is pushing the floor apart with my feet. Don’t just pull the bar up. Push the ground away. I do 4 sets of 5 to 8 heavy reps. You need flat shoes for this. Do not wear squishy running shoes. I wear classic high-top Converse Chuck Taylors. They cost $65 and have a completely flat, hard rubber sole. I tried sumo pulling in thick Nike trainers once. My ankle rolled inward and I tweaked my knee. Never again. You also need good grip. I buy standard gym chalk blocks from Kroger of all places. They sell a 2-ounce block in their small fitness aisle for $4.99. Chalk up your hands. It stops the heavy knurling from tearing your calluses. Keep your chest up. If your hips shoot up before the bar leaves the floor, lower the weight. You might also like: 15 Creative Workout Motivation Tips You Haven’t Thought Of

6. Wake Up Your Muscles with Resistance Band Lateral Walks

You can’t just jump into heavy weights. You have to wake up your glutes first. Resistance band lateral walks are my go-to activation drill. I use the Sling Shot Hip Circle band by Mark Bell. It costs exactly $20.00. Do not buy those cheap, thin rubber bands. They roll up your legs and rip your leg hair out. It hurts. The fabric Hip Circle stays perfectly flat. I step inside the band and place it right above my knees. I get into a quarter squat position. Then I take 20 slow steps to the left, and 20 slow steps to the right. I do this for three rounds before I touch a barbell. It pumps blood directly into the hips. I usually sip on a 16-ounce Harmless Harvest coconut water while I warm up. I buy them at Whole Foods for $4.99 a bottle. The electrolytes stop my hip flexors from cramping. The biggest mistake I see with lateral walks is dragging the trailing foot. Pick your foot up and step deliberately. Keep tension on the band the entire time. If the band goes slack, you’re standing too close together. You might also like: 15 Brilliant Dark Basements Home Gym Setup Ideas Worth Trying This Year

7. Hit New Angles with Deep Curtsy Lunges

Curtsy lunges are awkward at first. But they target the side and lower glutes in a way standard lunges just can’t. You hold a weight at your chest. Step one leg back and cross it behind your front leg. Drop your back knee down until it almost touches the floor. Drive back up through your front heel. I use a single 35-pound powder-coated kettlebell from Kettlebell Kings. It costs $89. The thick handle is easy to grip for goblet holds. I do 3 sets of 10 reps per leg. I used to hate these. I couldn’t keep my balance. I fell over sideways in front of a packed gym. The trick is not crossing your back foot too far over. Just cross it slightly past the midline of your body. Keep your hips facing completely forward. Don’t twist your spine. After a heavy session of curtsy lunges, my glutes are completely fried. I always crush a snack immediately after. I grab a bag of the $3.49 Chili & Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips from Trader Joe’s. They have zero protein, but the salt hits the spot after sweating out half my body weight.

8. Build Single Leg Strength with Weighted Step-Ups

Weighted step-ups will humble you quickly. They isolate one leg at a time and force the glute to stabilize your entire body weight plus dumbbells. I use a 20-inch Rogue Wood Plyo Box. It costs $135 flat. I hold a 25-pound dumbbell in each hand. Place one foot entirely on the box. Lean forward slightly. Drive through the heel on the box to stand up. Do not push off with your back foot. That ruins the entire exercise. The back foot is just dead weight. I do 3 sets of 8 reps per leg. The eccentric phase is crucial here. Lower yourself down taking a full four seconds. Don’t just drop back to the floor. I bruised my heel badly last year by dropping down too fast on a concrete floor. Control the descent. I fuel my step-up days with heavy protein. I buy the 18-pack of Premier Protein Chocolate shakes from Costco for $29.99. I drink one exactly 30 minutes before my workout. That 30 grams of fast-digesting protein gives me the energy to push through the brutal step-up sets. Your glutes will scream, but they will grow.

9. Fuel Your Bigger Hips Workout with Serious Protein

You can do every bigger hips workout on the planet. If you don’t eat enough protein, your hips won’t grow an inch. Muscle requires building blocks. I aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. I weigh 185 pounds, so I eat 185 grams of protein every single day. Chicken breasts and lean beef are great. But I rely heavily on shakes to hit my numbers. I buy the 5-pound tub of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey in Double Rich Chocolate. It costs $85 on Amazon. Skip the fat-free stuff. It tastes like wet cardboard. I mix two scoops of that protein powder with 12 ounces of whole Fairlife milk. Fairlife has 13 grams of protein per cup. That one shake gives me 61 grams of high-quality protein. I drink it every night before bed. I’d try building muscle on a vegan diet back in the day. I ate massive bowls of lentils and beans. I was just bloated and miserable, and my glutes stayed completely flat. Animal protein and high-quality whey changed everything for me. Eat in a slight caloric surplus. You need extra calories to build new tissue.

10. Prioritize Sleep and Recovery for Muscle Growth

Your glutes don’t grow in the gym. They grow while you sleep. The workout just breaks the muscle fibers down. If you’re sleeping four hours a night, you’re wasting your time lifting. I learned that the hard way. I used to work out at 5 AM and go to bed at midnight. I felt like garbage and my lifts stalled for six months straight. Now, I demand eight hours of sleep. I take a magnesium supplement to help me crash. I use Natural Vitality Calm Magnesium Powder. The raspberry lemon flavor. A 16-ounce container costs $23.95. I mix two teaspoons into 8 ounces of hot water exactly one hour before bed. It knocks me out completely. I also upgraded my sleep setup. I bought a $45 Coop Home Goods adjustable memory foam pillow from Target. Proper neck alignment stops me from tossing and turning. Stop scrolling on your phone in bed. The blue light wrecks your melatonin production. Put the phone in another room. Drink your magnesium. Go to sleep. Your body requires deep REM sleep to repair that damaged glute tissue.

11. Force Adaptation with Progressive Overload Tracking

You can’t use the same 15-pound dumbbells for a year and expect your hips to get bigger. You have to force adaptation. This is called progressive overload. You must increase the weight, the reps, or the time under tension every single week. I track every single workout. I don’t use fancy apps. I use a physical notebook. I buy a classic black Moleskine Classic Ruled Notebook for $18.50. I write with black Pilot G2 0.7mm pens. A 4-pack costs about $5.00. I write down the date, the exercise, the exact weight, and the exact reps. If I did 225 pounds for 8 reps on hip thrusts last week, I’ve got to do at least 9 reps this week. Or I bump the weight to 235 pounds. If you aren’t tracking, you’re just guessing. I spent my early twenties just doing whatever felt heavy that day. I made zero progress. I was just spinning my wheels. Write it down. Stare at the numbers. Beat your previous numbers. That is the only guaranteed way to add mass to your lower body.

12. Choose Consistency Over Short-Term Intensity

People want a bigger hips workout that works in two weeks. That’s physically impossible. Building real, dense muscle tissue takes months of consistent effort. You need to hit your glutes and hips two to three times a week. Every single week. For at least six months. Do not skip days just because you feel a little sore. I train through mild soreness all the time. I wear my Nike Metcon 9 training shoes. They cost $130 and give me the perfect stable base for every single leg day. If my legs are really trashed, I take an Epsom salt bath. I buy the massive 8-pound bag of Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt from Walmart for $6.98. I dump exactly two cups of salt into a hot bath and soak for 20 minutes. It pulls the lactic acid right out of my legs. Then I get back in the gym the next day. You have to be relentless. Stop switching your routine every two weeks. Pick these exercises. Stick to them. Eat your protein. The results will come.

I personally swear by this routine. It completely fixed my flat lower body. Pin this page, save the workout on your phone, and take it to the gym with you tomorrow. You won’t regret it.