Hourglass Shape (135–160 lbs)

Your glutes already contribute to your lower body curvature, but developing them further deepens the proportion between your waist and hips. Full glute program – all three exercises below – with equal emphasis. Priority: hip thrust loading progression. Timeline: 4‑6 weeks for visible density increase, 8‑12 weeks for projection improvement.

Inverted Triangle Shape (135–160 lbs)

Your lower body is narrower than your upper body. Glute development creates the lower body volume that brings your frame toward proportional balance. This is your highest‑priority training goal. Hip thrusts with heavy progressive loading and direct gluteus medius work for upper hip fullness are your two priorities. Do not be afraid of heavy loading – you need volume and weight to create the lower body expansion your frame currently lacks. Timeline: 8‑12 weeks before lower body development becomes clearly visible as a counterbalance to upper body width.

Objection: Squats Should Be Enough

Squats are excellent compound exercises that train the quads primarily with significant secondary involvement of the glutes. However, the gluteus maximus reaches maximum activation during hip extension – when the hip moves from a flexed position to fully extended with resistance. In a back squat, the hip reaches full extension at the top, which is the point of least mechanical load. The hip thrust, by contrast, provides peak resistance exactly at full hip extension. Research comparing hip thrust to squat consistently shows greater gluteus maximus EMG activation in the hip thrust. You need both. Squats alone are not sufficient for Slim archetype glute development goals.

The Exact Glutes Protocol for the Slim Archetype

Exercise 1: Barbell Hip Thrust

Sit on the floor with your upper back against a flat bench, knees bent, feet flat on the floor at hip width. Place a padded barbell across your hip crease – use a barbell pad or folded yoga mat to prevent bruising. Brace your core, tuck your chin slightly, and drive through your heels to push your hips straight up toward the ceiling. At the top, your shins should be vertical, your thighs parallel to the floor, and your glutes fully contracted. Hold the top for one second. Lower under control. The bar should travel straight up and down – not arc forward or backward.

Sets: 4. Reps: 10. Rest: 90 seconds. Starting weight: 45‑65 pounds. Progressive overload: add 10 pounds every two sessions you complete all 4 sets of 10 with a full second hold. Common mistake: hyperextending your lower back at the top – your lower back should remain neutral; the squeeze is in your glutes, not your lower back.

Exercise 2: Romanian Deadlift

Stand holding a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs, feet hip‑width. Hinge at your hips – push your hips backward while maintaining a straight spine and soft knee bend. Lower the weight along your legs, keeping it close to your body, until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings. Do not round your lower back. Drive your hips forward to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top. The Romanian deadlift trains the gluteus maximus through hip extension under load and simultaneously develops the gluteal fold – the crease between your glutes and hamstrings.

Sets: 3. Reps: 12. Rest: 90 seconds. Starting weight: 65‑85 pounds for a barbell, or 25‑30 pounds per hand for dumbbells. Progressive overload: add 5‑10 pounds when all sets are completed without lower back rounding. Common mistake: squatting the weight down instead of hinging – your hips go back first, not your knees.

Exercise 3: Lateral Band Walk

Place a resistance band just above your knees or around your ankles. Stand with feet hip‑width apart, slight squat position – hips back, knees soft. Step laterally (sideways) while maintaining the squat position, keeping tension on the band with every step. Take 15 steps right, 15 steps left. This directly trains the gluteus medius and is the primary exercise for building rounded upper hip curvature and addressing hip dips.

Sets: 3 rounds of 15 steps each direction. Rest: 60 seconds. Starting resistance: light band. Progressive overload: move to medium then heavy band as the movement becomes easy. Common mistake: standing fully upright during the walks – the partial squat position is mandatory for gluteus medius activation.

Exercise 4: Bulgarian Split Squat

Stand about two feet in front of a bench or chair. Rest one foot on the bench behind you – laces down. Hold dumbbells in both hands. Lower your front knee toward the floor until the front thigh is approximately parallel. Drive through your front heel to return to standing. This unilateral exercise corrects left‑right imbalances, increases hip range of motion, and provides significant glute stimulus at the bottom position due to the hip flexor stretch and the hip extension requirement at the top.

Sets: 3 per side. Reps: 10. Rest: 60 seconds between sides. Starting weight: 15‑20 pounds per hand. Progressive overload: add 5 pounds per hand when all reps are completed with control. Common mistake: placing your front foot too close to the bench – most of your weight should be on your front foot throughout.

Timeline and Signs of Progress

Week 1: Glute soreness in locations many women have never felt – deep in the gluteus medius after lateral band walks. Hip thrusts produce soreness in the lower glutes. Both indicate correct muscle recruitment.

Week 4: Visible shape change begins. Gluteus medius development is the first visual indicator – your upper hip becomes rounder from the side. Your hip thrust weight should have increased by 20‑40 pounds from your starting weight. You will notice glute activation during activities you never noticed before – climbing stairs, standing from a chair.

Week 12: Substantial projection increase. The gluteal fold is more defined. Upper hip curve is visible from behind. Your hip thrust should be approaching 95‑135 pounds. This is when most women start receiving unprompted comments about their physique change.

Signs it is working: Hip thrust resistance increasing every two sessions. Visible shape change in gluteus medius region by Week 6. Activation felt in glutes during daily activities.

Signs it is not working: No increase in hip thrust resistance after four weeks. If this happens, confirm your protein intake is at 120‑145g daily through the high‑protein diet protocol. Inadequate protein is the most common cause of stalled glute development despite adequate training.

For the complete lower body picture, pair this with the hamstrings protocol. Take the XPL Archetype Quiz if your weight or composition has changed significantly.

I train clients in person in Houston, Texas and work with people across the US, Canada, and the UK online through XPL. Take the XPL Archetype Quiz to get your exact protocol, or visit xperformancelab.com/plans-pricing to work with me directly.

The standards behind the standards. — Xavier Savage, XPL Xesthetic Performance Labs, Houston, TX