Build Your Ideal Physique | Dr. Bret Contreras

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Sep 22, 2025

Dr. Bret Contreras, known as 'the glute guy', is a sports scientist specializing in strength training and muscle building. He shares insights on how to effectively resistance train for aesthetics and performance, emphasizing principles like training frequency, exercise selection, and progressive overload. Bret discusses the importance of glute activation, the 'Big Six' foundational lifts, and offers practical strategies for recovery. He also explains common mistakes with hip thrusts and how to train efficiently for enduring results.

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Train Muscles Twice Weekly

Train each major muscle about twice per week to maximize gains while minimizing recovery risk.
Use 2–3 work sets per exercise and track progressive overload with a logbook.

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Prioritize Progressive Overload

Prioritize progressive overload: increase load or reps over time while maintaining clean form.
Keep workouts focused and track PRs rather than mindlessly repeating sets.

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PRs Transfer Across Variations

You don't need to repeat the exact lifts to get stronger; movement patterns transfer across variations.
Rotate monthly focus (e.g., squat month, deadlift month) while still training all patterns.

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My guest is Dr. Bret Contreras, PhD, CSCS, a world-renowned expert on muscle and strength building for women and for men. Bret is known as “the glute guy” for his expertise in helping people build their ideal physique, including how to grow and/or strengthen their gluteus muscles. He explains how to resistance train to improve strength, hypertrophy and aesthetics, and to overcome genetically or injury-induced weaker body parts. We cover ideal training frequency, exercise selection, sets and repetitions and periodization. Our discussion is for women and men of any age and experience level seeking to maximize their aesthetics, performance and longevity.

Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(0:00) Bret Contreras

(2:43) Resistance Training for Beginners, Tools: Training Frequency; Sets, Progressive Overload, “LULUL”

(10:45) Sponsors: Rorra & Carbon

(13:57) Frequency & Exercise Flexibility, Tool: Switch Exercise Focus

(21:31) Individual Recovery, Women & Adjusting Variables, Tool: 4 Training Patterns

(31:37) Maximum Recoverable Volume (MRV), Determine MRV, Tool: Flexing & Loadless Training

(40:41) Low-Load Glute Activation; Life-Long Strength Gains, Avoiding Pain & Injury

(48:52) Sponsors: AGZ by AG1 & LMNT

(51:54) Tool: Brett’s “Big Six” Lifts; COVID Pandemic, Competition & Exercise Variety

(1:00:18) Difficult Final Reps; Tempo & Hypertrophy; Autonomy & Progressive Overload

(1:11:16) Progressive Overload, Quantity & Quality, Injury

(1:13:22) Gym vs Real-Life Constraints, Motivation, Tool: Individual Training Frequency

(1:23:38) Exercise Enjoyment, Genetics, Long-Term Strength, Injury & NEAT

(1:28:37) Tool: Realistic Consistent Schedules & 5-Year Review

(1:33:00) Sponsor: Function

(1:34:49) Glute Function; Abduction vs Adduction; Glute Vectors, Tool: Rule of Thirds

(1:45:26) Upper vs Lower Glute Maximus Exercises, Frequency

(1:49:26) Common Mistakes of Hip Thrusts

(1:52:06) Exercises to Grow Glutes, Women & Men, Hypertrophy

(2:02:14) Hip Thrust, Barbell, Hip Anatomy; Glute-Focused Hyperextension; Glute Medius Exercises

(2:08:07) Training Lagging Muscle Groups, Maintaining Strength, Muscle Memory

(2:14:23) Neck Training; Focused Training & Maintaining Strength

(2:22:06) Sponsor: David

(2:23:20) Periodic Training, Strength, Pain, Desire to Train; Tool: Training Layoffs

(2:34:24) Tool: Rep Ranges for Lagging Body Part; Growing Calves

(2:37:35) Can You Build Muscle After 40?, Perimenopause, Menopause; Pregnancy

(2:40:44) Saggy Glutes; Gain Muscle & Lose Fat?, Mini-Bulks & Cuts, Recomp, Hormones

(2:47:46) Lifting or Pilates for Strength?; Grow Glutes Without Legs; Hip Dips

(2:51:48) Spot Reduction, Abs & Fat Loss; Wide vs Narrow Hips & Training; Grip Strength; Tool: One Set to Failure

(2:57:48) Acknowledgements

(3:01:32) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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