Women's Intermediate Home Workout (Glutes, Toning & Strength)

Program overview

This program is for women who have finished a beginner plan or have trained for a few months and want visible results in the glutes, legs and arms. It uses dumbbells and a resistance band in four 45-minute sessions per week.

Two days are lower-body days with a strong glute focus: hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts and Bulgarian split squats are among the most effective glute exercises measured in research. One day trains the upper body for toned arms and good posture, and one day is a full-body circuit with cardio for fat loss.

Use dumbbells heavy enough that the last 2 reps of each set feel hard. When you can do the top of the rep range for all sets, move to the next weight.

Equipment needed: A pair of dumbbells (5–25 lb / 2–12 kg), a resistance loop band and a chair or bench.

Weekly schedule

• Mon: Glutes & hamstrings
• Tue: Upper body
• Wed: Rest or walk
• Thu: Glutes & quads
• Fri: Full-body circuit
• Sat: Walk 45–60 min
• Sun: Rest

You can move days around to fit your life. Just avoid training the same muscle group hard on two days in a row, and keep at least one full rest day per week.

Warm-up (8–10 minutes, before every workout)

1. 3–5 minutes of easy cardio: brisk walking, marching on the spot, light jumping jacks or cycling.
2. Cat-cow stretch × 8 reps to loosen the spine.
3. World’s greatest stretch × 5 per side to open the hips and upper back.
4. 10 bodyweight squats and 10 glute bridges.
5. 1–2 light warm-up sets of the first exercise of the day.

The workouts

Perform the exercises in order. "Rest" is the time between sets. Click any exercise for animated pictures and step-by-step instructions.

Glutes & hamstringsLower body

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Glute Bridges	4	12–15 (dumbbell on hips)	60 sec
Romanian Deadlifts	4	10–12	75 sec
Single-Leg Glute Bridges	3	12 per leg	45 sec
Donkey Kicks (Glute Kickbacks)	3	15 per leg (band)	30 sec
Side-Lying Leg Raises	3	15 per leg	30 sec
Dead Bug	3	10 per side	45 sec

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Key exercise of the day: Glute Bridges. The glute bridge is one of the best exercises for building and activating the glutes. Give it your best focus while you are fresh.

Upper bodyArms, shoulders, back

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Incline Push-Ups	3	10–15	60 sec
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows	3	12 per arm	60 sec
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3	10–12	60 sec
Lateral Raises	3	12–15	45 sec
Dumbbell Biceps Curls	3	12	45 sec
Bench Dips	3	10–15	45 sec
Plank	3	40 sec	30 sec

Key exercise of the day: Incline Push-Ups. Incline push-ups put your hands on a bench, box, sturdy chair or kitchen counter so you lift a smaller part of your body weight. Give it your best focus while you are fresh.

Glutes & quadsLower body

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Goblet Squats	4	12	75 sec
Bulgarian Split Squats	3	10 per leg	75 sec
Step-Ups	3	12 per leg	60 sec
Reverse Lunges	3	10 per leg	60 sec
Standing Calf Raises	3	20	30 sec
Reverse Crunches	3	12–15	45 sec

Key exercise of the day: Goblet Squats. In a goblet squat you hold one dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest. Give it your best focus while you are fresh.

Full-body circuitFat loss & conditioning

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Jumping Jacks / Star Jumps	4	40 sec	20 sec
Goblet Squats	4	15	30 sec
Push-Ups	4	6–10 (knees OK)	30 sec
Mountain Climbers	4	30 sec	30 sec
Kettlebell Swings	4	15 (or dumbbell)	30 sec
Bicycle Crunches	3	15 per side	30 sec

Key exercise of the day: Jumping Jacks / Star Jumps. Jumping jacks and their bigger cousin, the star jump, are classic full-body cardio moves. Give it your best focus while you are fresh.

Cool-down (5 minutes)

Finish every session with 60 seconds of child’s pose, slow walking and a few deep breaths. Gentle stretching after training will not prevent soreness, but it helps you relax and shift into recovery mode.

8-week progression

Keep a simple training log: date, exercise, weight (or variation) and reps for each set. If a number goes up compared with last week, you are making progress. If you stall for 2–3 weeks on a lift, check your sleep and food first, then swap to a similar exercise for a few weeks.

Cardio and daily steps

Strength training is the base of this program, but cardio supports heart health and fat loss. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (for example 30 minutes of brisk walking, five days a week), which matches the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines. A daily step goal of 7,000–10,000 is a simple target that also burns a meaningful number of calories without hurting recovery.

For fat loss, add 2–3 sessions of 20–30 minutes of cardio after your workouts or on rest days. Incline treadmill walking, cycling and the elliptical are low-impact choices.

Nutrition for this program

Training creates the signal; food provides the building blocks. Three simple rules work for almost everyone:

1. Eat enough protein: about 0.7–1 g per pound of body weight (1.6–2.2 g/kg) per day, spread over 3–5 meals.
2. Set your calories for your goal: a moderate deficit to lose fat, a small surplus to build muscle, maintenance to recomposition. Use our calorie calculator.
3. Eat mostly whole foods: lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, whole grains, potatoes, fruit and vegetables.

For a ready-made menu, try our 7-day meal plan or get personal numbers with the plan builder.

Recovery: sleep, rest days and soreness

Muscles grow between workouts, not during them. Sleep 7–9 hours per night, take at least one full rest day per week, and manage stress. Mild muscle soreness (DOMS) 24–72 hours after a workout is normal, especially in the first weeks. Light activity such as walking usually helps it fade faster. Sharp joint pain is not normal: stop the exercise and get it checked.

Frequently asked questions

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