Skip to content
Apply Now

Video6 minWith Nikkiey Stott

Back and Glute Gym Workout for Women: 7 Exercises

Chapters

This video is part ofStrength Training for Women266 lessons · where to start, common questions and more

In this video

This is a straightforward back and glute session you can take straight to the gym. Nikkiey Stott walks through seven exercises in order, starting with heavy sumo deadlifts and finishing with banded glute isolation work, and explains the reason behind each rep range so you know what you're training for.

The back portion pairs a strength-focused deadlift with higher-rep rows, pull-ups and cable pulldowns to burn out the rhomboids and lats. If you can't do a full bodyweight pull-up yet, she shows you can use the assisted machine or bands instead.

The glute portion moves to hip thrusts in a medium rep range, then banded kickbacks and fire hydrants for 30 seconds per leg. If you train at home, the video description includes a full at-home version with dumbbell and band modifications.

Key takeaways

  • Start with sumo deadlifts for six sets: five sets of 5 reps to build strength, then a final set of 20 reps as an endurance burnout.
  • Do T-bar rows for 5 sets of 15 reps, a higher rep count aimed at endurance and burning out the rhomboids.
  • Do 3 sets of pull-ups toward failure, aiming for at least 5 reps per set.
  • If you can't do bodyweight pull-ups yet, use your gym's assisted pull-up machine or bands so you're not lifting your full body weight.
  • Use cable pulldowns for 5 sets of 15 reps as an isolation movement to finish burning out the lats.
  • Do hip thrusts for 3 sets of 10 reps, a medium rep range that works on strength with some burnout.
  • Finish with banded kickbacks and banded fire hydrants, 2 sets of 30 seconds per leg each, roughly 10 to 12 reps per leg.
  • Training at home, swap in dumbbell or banded sumo deadlifts and rows, incline dumbbell lat pullovers, banded skier pulls and dumbbell hip thrusts.

Questions answered

What if I can't do a pull-up yet?

Nikkiey says you can use the assisted pull-up machine in your gym or use bands, so you aren't doing the full bodyweight pull-up. She does 3 sets toward failure, aiming for at least 5 reps.

How many sets and reps should I do for sumo deadlifts?

In this workout she does six sets: five sets of 5 reps to optimize for strength, then a sixth set of 20 reps as an endurance burnout.

Can I do this back and glute workout at home?

Yes. Nikkiey notes the banded kickbacks can easily be done at home, and the video description lists an at-home version using dumbbell or banded sumo deadlifts and rows, incline dumbbell lat pullovers, banded skier pulls, dumbbell hip thrusts, kickbacks and fire hydrants.

How many reps should I do for hip thrusts?

She does 3 sets of 10, which she describes as a medium rep range that works on strength while also giving a bit of a burnout.

How long should I do banded kickbacks and fire hydrants?

Two sets of 30 seconds per leg for each, which she says works out to about 10 to 12 reps per leg. You should feel a big burn by the end.

Ask Nikkiey

Questions this video helps answer, with what Nikkiey says across everything WarriorBabe teaches.

  • Strength Training for Women

    How can I work up to doing a pull-up?

    Work up to a pull-up in stages. Nikkiey recommends starting with inverted pull-ups until they feel comfortable, then jumping up to the bar and slowly lowering yourself (negatives), then banded or machine-assisted pull-ups, and finally full bodyweight pull-ups. Each stage builds the back, arm and core strength the next one needs.

    Read the answer →

Full transcript

Nikkiey: All right, guys, here we are for our first exercise. We're going to be hitting some sumo deadlifts. I'm going to be doing six sets. Five of the sets are going to be five reps, and my ultimate goal there is to optimize for strength. That's why it's a lower rep count. And then that last set, that sixth set, is going to be 20 reps, and I'm going for an endurance kind of burnout there.

All right, here we are for exercise number two. We're going to be hitting some T-bar rows. This is honestly one of my favorite back workouts. We're going to be doing five sets, 15 reps, a little bit of a higher rep count. Again, kind of going here for endurance and a burnout with the rhomboids in your back.

All right, here we are for the third exercise, guys. We're going to be focusing on bodyweight pull-ups. Now, if you have the ability to do bodyweight pull-ups, that's awesome, that's great. But you can also use the assisted machine that's inside of your gym, or you could be using bands to add a little bit more resistance for you, so you're not doing the full bodyweight pull-up. What I'm going to be doing here is three sets, and I'm trying to go for failure, but I really just focus on hitting at least five reps.

All right, you guys, for this fourth exercise, we're going to be hitting some cable pulldowns. This is a primary isolation movement for the lats. I'm going to be doing five sets of 15, since we're getting down to the end of the back workout, just to keep burning out the lats.

All right, now let's turn it over to some booty exercises. With this fifth exercise, I'm going to be doing hip thrusts. I am going to be focusing on three sets of 10. It's almost like a medium rep range, going for strength, but also going for a little bit of a burnout here. So I'm doing 10 reps per set.

And now to finish it off, guys, we are going to be hitting some banded kickbacks. This again can easily be done inside the gym or at home. Doing two sets, focusing on about 30 seconds per leg.

And last here, hitting some banded fire hydrants. Going to be doing two sets, again 30 seconds per leg, which equates to about 10 to 12 reps per leg. Both of these exercises here at the end, the kickbacks and the fire hydrants, really focus on isolating your glutes. You should be feeling a massive burn here at the end after finishing up this workout.

Up next

Everything →

Best of Strength Training for Women

All 266 →

Free Body
Transformation Assessment

Apply now