Single Leg Exercises for Glutes

Why Your Squats Aren't Growing Your Glutes (And This Will)

The most effective single leg exercises for glutes are the Bulgarian Split Squat, Single-Leg RDL, and Weighted Step-Up, because they force 100% of the load onto one glute, a feat a regular squat simply cannot accomplish. If you've been squatting and lunging for months, frustrated that your quads are growing but your glutes look the same, you're not alone. This is the most common complaint I hear. You feel the burn, you add more weight, but the shape isn't changing. The problem isn't your effort; it's your exercise selection. Bilateral exercises (using two legs) like squats and leg presses allow your stronger muscles-usually your quads and lower back-to take over. Your body is smart; it finds the path of least resistance. If one glute is slightly weaker, the other side compensates. The result is that you move the weight, but the target muscle never gets the stimulus it needs to grow. Single-leg, or unilateral, training removes this option. It's an honest assessment of your strength. There is no compensation. The targeted leg must do all the work, forcing the glute to stabilize and produce force in a way it never has to during a squat. This isolation is the secret to fixing imbalances and finally triggering the muscle growth you've been working for.

The Unilateral Advantage: How 1 Leg Lifts More Than 2

Here’s a concept that feels wrong but is critical to understand: you are stronger on one leg than you are on two, relatively speaking. This is called the 'bilateral deficit.' In simple terms, the maximum force you can produce with two limbs working together is less than the sum of what you can produce with each limb working alone. For example, if you can leg press 100 pounds with your right leg and 100 pounds with your left leg, you’d expect to press 200 pounds with both. But in reality, you’ll probably only press around 170-180 pounds. That missing 20-30 pounds of force is the deficit. Single-leg exercises erase this deficit. By training one leg at a time, you can actually apply a greater overall stimulus to the muscle than you could in a bilateral movement. A 150-pound person doing a bodyweight Bulgarian split squat is putting nearly 120-130 pounds of force through that single glute. To get a similar stimulus from a back squat, they'd need to be squatting well over 250 pounds, a weight that would heavily tax their back and core. Single-leg work is a shortcut to applying heavy, targeted tension directly to the glutes without needing a powerlifting-level back squat. This is the math that proves why your program needs to change. The goal is glute growth, and unilateral work delivers more growth stimulus with less systemic fatigue.

So, the key is applying more tension over time to a single glute. Simple. But what weight did you use for your Bulgarian Split Squat three weeks ago? For how many reps on your left leg? If you can't answer that in 5 seconds, you're not applying progressive overload. You're just doing exercises and hoping for the best.

Stop guessing. Start growing.

Track your single-leg lifts. See your strength and glutes grow week by week.

The 3-Move Glute Protocol: Your 8-Week Plan

Stop guessing and adding random exercises. This is your plan. You will perform two of these three movements each week on your lower body training days. For example, use Bulgarian Split Squats on Day 1 and Single-Leg RDLs on Day 2. Focus on form first, then relentlessly pursue progressive overload. Your goal is to get stronger in the 8-15 rep range.

Step 1: The Bulgarian Split Squat (The Growth Driver)

This is the king of single-leg glute exercises. It provides a deep stretch and massive tension.

• Setup: Place your back foot on a bench or box about knee-height. Hop your front foot forward so that at the bottom of the movement, your front shin is roughly vertical. This distance is crucial.
• Execution: Hinge at your hips and lean your torso forward at a 45-degree angle. This is the secret to making it a glute exercise, not a quad exercise. Lower yourself down until your front thigh is parallel to the floor or lower. Drive through your front heel to return to the start. Think "down and back," not straight down.
• The Plan: Perform 3 sets of 8-12 reps per leg. Once you can hit 12 reps with perfect form, add weight (hold dumbbells). Rest 60-90 seconds between legs.

Step 2: The Single-Leg RDL (The Shaper)

This movement targets the glute-hamstring tie-in, creating that coveted under-glute curve. Balance is the main challenge here.

• Setup: Stand on one leg, holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand. Keep a slight bend (10-20 degrees) in your standing leg. This bend does not change throughout the movement.
• Execution: Hinge at your hip, pushing your butt straight back as if trying to touch a wall behind you. Let the dumbbell travel straight down towards your foot. Keep your back perfectly flat. Go as low as you can without rounding your back, then squeeze your glute to pull yourself back to standing. Don't worry about how high your back leg goes.
• The Plan: Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps per leg. Start with light weight (10-20 lbs) or no weight, holding onto a rack for balance. Once you master the form, increase the weight. Rest 60 seconds between legs.

Step 3: The Weighted Step-Up (The Finisher)

This is a simple but brutally effective movement for loading the glute. The key is eliminating momentum.

• Setup: Find a box or bench that is high enough so your thigh is parallel to the floor when your foot is on it. Hold dumbbells in each hand.
• Execution: Place one foot fully on the box. Lean your torso forward over that foot. Now, drive through that heel to stand up onto the box. Do NOT push off with your back leg on the floor. The back leg is just for balance. Control the descent, lowering yourself slowly over 3 seconds.
• The Plan: Perform 3 sets of 8-10 reps per leg. If it feels easy, your box is too low or you're pushing off with your bottom foot. Focus on the slow, controlled negative. Increase weight when you can hit 10 perfect reps.

What to Expect (And When You'll Feel the Difference)

Progress isn't just about what you see in the mirror. It's about performance milestones. Here is the realistic timeline for someone who commits to this protocol 2 times per week.

• Weeks 1-2: The Awkward Phase. You will feel clumsy. Your balance will be shaky, especially on Single-Leg RDLs. You will be sore in places you haven't felt before. That's a good sign. Use bodyweight or very light weights (5-10 lb dumbbells). Your only goal is to learn the movement patterns. Do not try to be a hero.
• Weeks 3-4: The 'Click'. The movements will start to feel more natural. Your balance will improve dramatically. You can now start adding weight with confidence. If you used 10-pound dumbbells in week 1, you should be aiming for 15 or 20 pounds now. You'll feel a much stronger mind-muscle connection with your glutes.
• Weeks 5-8: The Strength Phase. This is where visible changes begin. You are no longer a beginner at these lifts. You should be consistently adding weight or reps each week. The 20-pound dumbbells should now be 30 or 35 pounds for your split squats. By the end of 8 weeks, you should be lifting at least 50% more weight than you were in week 3. You may start to notice your glutes look fuller or sit higher. This is the feedback loop that proves the process is working.

That's the plan. Two exercises, twice a week. Track your reps, sets, and weight for each leg. Every session. For 8 weeks. Then compare Week 8 to Week 1 to see your progress. Most people try to remember this in a notebook or their phone's notes. Most people lose track by Week 3.

Your glute progress. All in one place.

Every single-leg workout logged. Proof you're building the strength that builds your glutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Balancing During Single-Leg Exercises

Start by holding onto a squat rack or wall with one hand. Focus your eyes on a fixed point on the floor about 6 feet in front of you. As your stability improves over 2-3 weeks, progress to only using one finger for support, then finally to no support.

Knee Pain with Lunges or Split Squats

This often comes from an upright torso, which pushes your knee forward and loads the quad. By leaning your chest forward over your front thigh, you shift the load from the knee joint to the hip and glute. Also, ensure your front foot is far enough forward.

Exercise Frequency for Glute Growth

For optimal growth, train your glutes 2-3 times per week. You can include one or two of these single-leg exercises in each of those sessions. Ensure you have at least one full day of rest (48 hours) for recovery between direct glute training sessions.

Bodyweight vs. Weighted Single-Leg Work

Start with bodyweight for 1-2 weeks to master the form and balance. Once you can comfortably perform 15 perfect reps, you must add weight to create the progressive overload needed for muscle growth. Bodyweight alone will not be enough to build significant size.

Best Exercise If You Can Only Pick One

The Bulgarian Split Squat is the most complete single-leg exercise for glute growth. It offers a large range of motion, a deep stretch under load, and is easy to progressively overload with dumbbells or a barbell, making it the highest-impact choice.