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Shape: Glutes & abs workout program to build strength and sculpt muscle

BY Heather Robertson
August 14, 2026
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Welcome to Shape - A Glutes & abs program to build strength, sculpt muscle and enhance performance

If your goal is to build stronger glutes, define your core and create a balanced, athletic physique, Shape was designed with you in mind.

This three-week program combines the best of strength training and hypertrophy (muscle-building) techniques to help you build muscle where it matters most while improving stability, posture and overall strength. Rather than chasing endless cardio or random lower body workouts, Shape follows a structured training plan that progressively challenges your body and gives your muscles the recovery they need to grow.

Whether you're looking to enhance your curves, improve your core strength or simply add focused lower body training into your routine, Shape offers an efficient, results-driven plan that fits into your week.

Why train your glutes and core together?

Your glutes and core work together in almost every movement you perform, from walking and climbing stairs to squatting, lifting and running.

Strong glutes generate power, improve hip stability and support healthy movement patterns, while a strong core provides the stability needed to transfer force efficiently and protect your lower back.

Training these muscle groups together helps you:

  • Build stronger, fuller glutes
  • Develop a firmer, more defined midsection
  • Improve posture and balance
  • Increase lower body strength
  • Support better movement during everyday activities
  • Reduce the risk of injury by improving stability

By strengthening both areas simultaneously, you'll create a stronger foundation for every workout and every movement outside the gym.


The Shape program structure

Shape is a 3-week program featuring 4 workouts each week, carefully designed to maximize muscle growth while allowing enough recovery between sessions.

Sample weekly schedule

Day 1: Lower Body Strength (Glute Focus)

Day 2: Upper Body & Core

Rest or Active Recovery

Day 3: Lower Body Hypertrophy (Glute Focus)

Rest

Day 4: Abs & Booty

Rest


Each workout is approximately 40 minutes long and uses equipment you may already have at home:

  • Dumbbells
  • Bench (substitute with a sturdy chair or ottoman!)
  • Fabric resistance band
  • Ankle weights (optional but worth the extra burn!)
  • Stability ball

Every workout is unique, keeping your training fresh while strategically building on the previous sessions.


A smarter way to build glutes

Building stronger, more defined glutes isn't just about doing endless squats or high-rep kickbacks.

Shape uses a combination of heavy strength work and higher-volume hypertrophy training to stimulate muscle growth from multiple angles.

Throughout the program you'll perform exercises that challenge all three glute muscles, helping create balanced development while improving overall lower body strength.

You'll experience:

  • Heavy compound lifts to build strength
  • Targeted isolation exercises for muscle definition
  • Resistance band activation work
  • Stability-focused movements to improve control
  • Progressive overload across the program
  • Multiple movement patterns that challenge the glutes in different ways

This strategic variety helps maximize muscle recruitment while keeping every workout engaging.

More than just an ab program

While aesthetics are often a goal, Shape approaches core training from a functional perspective. Instead of relying on endless crunches, you'll strengthen your entire core through a variety of exercises that challenge stability, control and coordination.

Your core workouts include movements that help improve:

  • Trunk stability
  • Rotational control
  • Balance
  • Posture
  • Everyday functional strength

A stronger core doesn't just look great. It supports better performance in every workout and helps you move with greater confidence.

Why recovery matters

Muscle isn't built during your workouts. It's built during recovery.

That's why Shape includes strategically placed rest days between your lower body sessions.

This allows your muscles time to repair, rebuild and grow while reducing unnecessary fatigue. By balancing training intensity with recovery, you'll be able to maintain higher-quality workouts throughout the program and continue making progress from start to finish.


Who is Shape for?

Shape is ideal if you want to:

  • Build stronger, more sculpted glutes
  • Create a more defined core
  • Improve lower body strength
  • Feel stronger and more athletic
  • Add structure to your training
  • Follow a focused program instead of random workouts
  • Train at home with minimal equipment

Whether you've completed one of my previous programs or you're simply looking for a focused challenge, SHAPE offers an effective way to prioritize two of the most requested training goals: stronger glutes and a stronger core.

Small commitment. Big results.

One of the biggest advantages of Shape is its focused design.

In just three weeks, you'll complete twelve purposeful workouts that combine strength, muscle-building and functional training into a balanced program that's easy to follow and rewarding to complete.

The shorter format also makes Shape a great option between longer programs, after a break from training or anytime you want to dedicate extra attention to building strength and definition in your glutes and core.


Ready to build your strongest shape?

If you're ready to feel stronger, move with more confidence and build muscle that supports you both inside and outside the gym, Shape is ready for you.

Over the next three weeks, you'll challenge your body with purposeful training that combines strength, hypertrophy and strategic variety to help you build stronger glutes, a more resilient core and a balanced physique that looks as strong as it feels.

Join Shape now

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