(Yes, even the ones your favorite fitness influencer keeps repeating)
Let’s be real: almost everyone wants stronger, better-looking glutes. Doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, strength-focused or just trying to fill out a pair of shorts – glutes are in.
But like most things in fitness, glute training is wrapped in layers of half-truths and internet nonsense.
So let’s clear the air. If you’re tired of spinning your wheels doing the wrong things for your backside, read this all the way through (and send it to the friend still doing 1,000 donkey kicks).
Myth #1: You Can Change the Shape of Your Glutes
Here’s the deal: your glutes will grow, but they won’t magically transform into someone else’s shape.
Hip width, muscle insertions, and fat distribution? All genetically set.
What glute training can do:
- Build muscle in the glutes (makes you look tighter, rounder, more lifted)
- Reduce fat overall (if paired with nutrition that supports fat loss)
- Improve posture, performance, and how you move
What it can’t do:
- Change your bone structure
- Shift where you store fat
- Turn pancake genes into bubble butt results overnight
You can only build from the raw material you’ve got. Good news? You’ve got plenty to work with.
Myth #2: Squats Are the Best Glute Exercise
Do I love squats? Absolutely.
Are they the best glute movement? Not even close.
A 2016 study by Bret Contreras (aka The Glute Guy) showed that hip thrusts fire up your glutes way more than squats.
Squats are still excellent for building strength and athleticism – but if glute development is the goal, hip thrusts, glute bridges, and kickbacks need to be part of your weekly plan.
TL;DR: Squat for strength. Thrust for the 🍑.
Myth #3: You Can Burn Fat Off Your Butt With Glute Workouts
This one refuses to die. So let’s kill it.
You can’t spot-reduce fat. Period.
Training your glutes will make the muscles stronger and more defined underneath – but it won’t burn fat from your butt unless you’re in a calorie deficit overall.
Your body decides where fat comes off first and last. You don’t.
Want to lean out your backside? Nail your nutrition, train hard, and stay consistent. That’s it.
Myth #4: You Only Need to Train Glutes Once a Week
If you want real glute gains, once-a-week booty day isn’t going to cut it.
Glutes respond well to frequency and volume—which means hitting them 3–4x/week in moderate doses, not one burnout marathon every Friday.
Why?
Because you recover better, move better, and lift heavier when your volume is spread out. That’s how you accumulate enough quality work over time to actually grow.
Myth #5: Glutes Are Mostly Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers
You’ve probably heard that glutes are fast-twitch dominant because of how powerful sprinters look.
But science says otherwise.
The gluteus maximus is about a 50/50 split between fast- and slow-twitch fibers, meaning you need to train across the spectrum.
- Explosive movements like hip thrusts and sprints? ✅
- Tempo work, isometric holds, and high-rep sets? ✅
- Variety in rep ranges and time under tension? ✅
If you’re only doing heavy low-rep work, you’re missing a big piece of the puzzle.
Bottom Line:
If you want stronger, rounder glutes:
- Focus on targeted glute work, not just squats
- Train frequently and progressively
- Eat to support muscle growth or fat loss (depending on your phase)
- Stop obsessing over “booty hacks” and start trusting real programming