How often should I train glutes after 40?

For hip thrusts she programs 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, at least twice a week for growth. Sumo squats get 3-4 sets of 10-12. The key detail is effort. If rep eight isn't challenging, go heavier. She says women are conditioned to think light weight and high reps is the safe option, but breezing through 15 easy reps gives your glutes no reason to change. Her clients often start with just the bar and, within three to four months, are hip thrusting 135, 155, some over 185 pounds.

Frequency only works alongside progression and recovery. Nikkiey explains that a beginner's first month is about pattern and consistency, not load. You're grooving the movements and building the mind-muscle connection. After that, something has to progress each week: more weight, more reps or better range of motion. If you're doing the same weight and reps every week, nothing changes. That's where most women stay stuck, and it's a plan problem, not a you problem.

Recovery is the other half. Sleep is when muscles rebuild, and protein is what they rebuild with. If you're under-eating, she says, your body doesn't have the resources to build new tissue no matter how hard or how often you train. That's why adding a third session before you've nailed two, and before your food and sleep support it, usually isn't the answer.