Grow Glutes and Lose Fat: 5 Smart Hacks for a Stronger, Leaner Booty (Without Spending Hours in the Gym)

Ok, who doesn’t want to lose fat AND have a perkier booty?? Today I’m giving you 5 hacks to help you optimize your glute gains WHILE losing fat.

Win, win, am I right?

Hack 1: Activate Your Glutes

What does “activate your glutes” even mean, you ask? 

Well, let me break it down for you.

As a society, we sit a lot. We drive (sit), we work at a desk (sit), we relax at home on the couch (sit)...you get the picture.

We actually weren’t designed for all that sitting, so long story short, sometimes our glutes get “sleepy”. Meaning when you try to work them, your body chooses to utilize different muscles to complete the movement (for example, your quads and hamstrings) instead of using your glutes. There’s a couple theories on why and how this happens, but I won’t bore you with those details. 

Suffice it to say, you need to teach your body (and brain) to use your glutes again. We do this through “activating” them. 

Basically, this just means using certain exercises to help “wake” them up. I teach my clients in my program to do these exercises before every workout.

Here’s a video of some of my favorite glute activation exercises. Keep consistent with them, and soon your glutes will be firing just like every other muscle in your body!

Hack 2: Focus on Glute-Focused Compound Lifts

So now your glutes are awake (yay!), but here’s where we make the real gains—compound lifts.

Let’s break it down:

Compound lifts are exercises that use multiple joints and muscle groups at the same time. Think: hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, squats, and lunges.

Not only do these moves target your glutes (if done properly), but they also burn a ton of calories and signal your body to build lean muscle.

Isolation vs. Compound: What’s the Difference?

• Isolation Exercises = target one muscle group (like bicep curls).

  
  

• Compound Exercises = involve multiple muscle groups (like deadlifts or squats).

Both have a place in a well-rounded program (more on isolation in a sec), but if you're trying to lose fat and shape your glutes, compound lifts are your best friend.

They give you more bang for your buck—more muscle activation, more calorie burn, and a bigger impact on fat loss and metabolism. Plus, they build the strength foundation you need to train harder (and smarter) over time.

Hack 3: Don’t Skip Glute Isolation Work (Especially Glute Medius!)

Now let’s talk about that often-forgotten muscle: the gluteus medius. It’s like the sidekick to your glute max, but don’t underestimate it—it’s super important for giving you that round, peachy shape instead of a pancake or pear.

If you’ve got a “big butt” already, don’t worry—this isn’t about making it bigger, it’s about making it perkier, more lifted, and stronger.

Glute Medius Isolation Exercises to Try:

• Side-lying leg raises

• Banded hip abductions or Hip abduction machine

• Clamshells

• Standing cable hip abduction

A lot of women I’ve worked with have a weak glute medius, which can lead to compensation from other muscles. Weak glute meds also mean you’re more prone to hip, knee, or even ankle pain—so we definitely want to strengthen it.

Add 1–2 of these moves to the end of your workout (after your compound lifts). Even 2–3 sets will make a difference if you’re consistent.

Hack 4: Train Your Glutes 2–3x Weekly (You Can Handle It!

Let’s bust a myth: you don’t have to train each body part only once a week. That’s old-school bro science.

Women’s bodies are built to recover faster than men’s. We have different hormone profiles, and we can typically handle higher training frequency and volume. So yes—you can (and should!) train your glutes 2–3x per week if your goal is to grow glutes and lose fat.

Why This Works:

• More frequency = more opportunities to stimulate growth and burn fat.

• You stay in a muscle-building, calorie-burning zone throughout the week.

• Training your lower body helps maintain lean muscle during fat loss, which is key to keeping the fat off long term.

This doesn’t mean you’re doing full lower-body blowouts every day.

In my own strength training program (and inside my Fit Lifestyle in a Box), I use a smart, sustainable framework that’s 5 exercises, hits your glutes each time, and my clients and students are in and out of the gym within 45-60 minutes mostly. Talk about efficiency!

Each workout hits the big lifts and layers in accessories that build shape, strength, and functionality. 

You don’t need to live in the gym—you just need a framework that actually works for your life.

Hack 5: Eat Enough Protein

Listen, I know it’s tempting to cut calories like crazy when you’re trying to lose fat. But if you slash too hard—and especially if you’re not eating enough protein—you’re going to lose muscle and  fat. And your booty? Yeah, she’ll shrink too.

If you want to grow glutes and lose fat, you’ve got to feed the muscle.

Protein plays a huge role in recovery, muscle growth, and fat loss. It also keeps you full longer, which makes it easier to stay on track.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

A good general rule for active women is 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. 

So if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for 105–150g of protein daily.

Sound overwhelming? Start by:

• Eating protein with every meal (think: eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, tofu, protein shakes).

• Prioritizing planning your protein first when planning meals.

• Tracking for a few days to see where you’re at.

  
  

Inside my Master Your Macros Workshop, I break down exactly how to find your protein needs, how to plan your meals, and how to stay consistent without getting obsessed or overwhelmed.

The Bonus Hack: Just Walk Into the Gym (I’ve Got You!)

I know the weight room can feel intimidating.

Machines everywhere. Big dudes grunting. You wondering if that thing in the corner is a machine or a medieval torture device 😂

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to be fearless—you just have to take the first step.

I created a No-Fear Weight Room Tour to help you walk into the gym with confidence. It’s a super simple video guide that shows you the basics:

• How to set up for main lifts

• What equipment to use

• How to feel comfortable instead of clueless

It’s 100% free and 100% designed to help you start strong.

Just walk in. One step, one machine, one lift at a time. You’ll be amazed how quickly your confidence builds—and how your glutes do too.

Let’s Wrap It Up: The Real Way to Grow Glutes and Lose Fat

Growing glutes while losing fat is possible—but it takes more than random workouts and cutting calories. It takes a plan that’s built around:

✅ Activating your glutes so they’re actually doing the work

✅ Training with compound lifts for strength and fat-burning

✅ Adding glute isolation work for shape and support

✅ Eating enough protein to build (and keep) lean muscle

✅ Training consistently 2–3x per week with smart structure

And most importantly, it takes believing that you can build strength and lose fat—even as a busy 

Want a Done-For-You Plan That Helps You Grow Glutes and Lose Fat?

Fit Lifestyle in a Box is my 12-week training and nutrition program for moms who are ready to build strength, drop fat, and finally feel good in their bodies.

You’ll get:

• Smart glute-focused strength training (3x/week)

• A simple, macro-based nutrition framework (no food obsession here)

• Meal planning tools and templates

• My 5-step workout structure that gets you in and out in under an hour

• Support, structure, and strategies that work for your real life

If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results that last, check out Fit Lifestyle in a Box.

Your glutes (and your confidence) will thank you. 😉