Frequency Recommendation

Frequency, unlike volume, is a rather simple concept to grasp—it is the number of times that the target muscle group will be directly trained in a single microcycle. Though volume (through weekly sets) and intensity (through average proximity to failure) are going to be the primary variables for inducing hypertrophy, frequency is a lever than can adjusted to balance the delicate see-saw between the two. In other words, frequency should be thought of as a tool to optimize volume and intensity, rather than as an independent vertex of an egalitarian triad.

Due to their anatomical architecture and the broad exercise variation that can be utilized when training them, the glutes are going to be more responsive to strategic undulations in frequency, compared to most other muscle groups. 2-3 direct sessions/week can be performed for the glutes rather easily, though I would recommend most trainees to start with 2 sessions/week as a baseline.

If you’re looking for a minimalistic approach, training the glutes hard only once per week can effectively maintain muscle mass and even promote gains (when volume and intensity are accounted for, and especially for beginners and intermediates).

On the high end, I’ve even experimented with having clients train their glutes daily (in some fashion) for a brief period of time. To accomplish this, the exercise selection, intra-session volume, intensities, and rep ranges have to be extremely precise in order to not exceed recovery capabilities. Note that I’m only presenting everyday-training as an example to show how far frequency can be pushed in the extremes—the athletes who I’ve utilized this strategy with have been very advanced and had lagging glutes to the rest of their physique.

Although we should probably avoid changing frequency within mesocycles, it can be (and should be) undulated throughout the macrocycle, especially for those looking to prioritize glute development. The majority of the training year should be ~2x/week, but pushing up to 3x (in times of specialization) or pulling down to 1x (in times of deliberate recovery/resensitization) should be common practice.

For advanced athletes looking to bring up their glutes and can afford to focus less on other muscle groups (i.e. train them at maintenance volumes), I recommend experimenting with high and ultra-high-frequency glute training  (e.g. 4+ sessions per week) for short periods of time (e.g. a single mesocycle). However, this should be done judiciously, and with the understanding that all other training variables need to be in alignment in order to manage fatigue and recovery.