Strong Curves

The Bootyful Beginnings program from Bret Contreras' Strong Curves book. A 12-week, 3-day-per-week program designed to introduce women to strength training with a focus on building the glutes. Progresses from mostly bodyweight exercises in weeks 1-4 to barbell compounds by weeks 9-12.

Origin & Philosophy

Bret Contreras, known as "The Glute Guy," published Strong Curves in 2013 as a comprehensive guide to glute training. Bootyful Beginnings is the beginner-level program from the book, designed for women who are new to strength training or returning after a long break.

The core philosophy: the glutes are the most important muscle group for aesthetics, athletic performance, and injury prevention, but most people — especially women — have weak, underactive glutes. The program systematically builds glute activation and strength through a progression from bodyweight hip extensions (glute bridges) to loaded hip thrusts, while also developing a balanced foundation of upper body pulling and pressing strength.

Contreras structures every workout around a glute-dominant movement as the first exercise (A1), ensuring the glutes are trained fresh when neuromuscular drive is highest. Upper body work is paired in supersets to keep sessions efficient.

Who It's For

• Experience level: Beginner (0-12 months). No prior lifting experience required. The program starts with bodyweight movements and teaches fundamental patterns.
• Primary goal: Glute hypertrophy with full-body strength as a secondary benefit.
• Best suited for: Women starting their strength training journey, or anyone wanting a structured glute-building program. Works on a bulk, maintenance, or modest cut.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Starts entirely bodyweight and progressively introduces equipment — no intimidating barbell work until week 5
• Every workout opens with a glute exercise, ensuring consistent glute activation and growth
• Superset structure (A1/A2, B1/B2) keeps sessions to about 45-55 minutes
• Three distinct 4-week phases prevent stagnation and build progressive complexity
• Includes dedicated core and hip stability work (planks, clams, abductor walks) that most programs skip

Cons

• No direct hamstring isolation — hamstrings are only trained through compound hip hinges (Romanian Deadlift, Good Morning)
• No lateral delt or rear delt work — shoulders are only hit through pressing and rowing
• Limited quad volume — Squat variations appear but with high rep ranges (10-20) that favor endurance over strength
• Some exercises are hard to replicate in a standard gym (Swiss ball crunches, X-band walks) — this implementation uses closest available substitutes

Program Structure

• Split: Full body with glute emphasis
• Periodization: Linear periodization across three 4-week phases — bodyweight phase (weeks 1-4), mixed equipment phase (weeks 5-8), barbell phase (weeks 9-12)
• Schedule: Fixed weekly — 3 workouts per week (e.g., Mon/Wed/Fri). From weeks 5 onward, the book recommends performing Workout A twice per week if you can train 4 days
• Superset format: Exercises labeled A1/A2 and B1/B2 are performed as supersets. Do one set of A1, immediately follow with one set of A2, rest 30-90 seconds, and repeat. Same for B1/B2. Remaining exercises are performed as straight sets.

Exercise Selection & Rationale

Every workout follows the same template: a glute-dominant movement (A1) supersetted with an upper body pull (A2), a squat/lunge pattern (B1) supersetted with an upper body press (B2), a hip hinge movement, and core/stability finishers.

Glute movements progress across phases: Glute Bridge, Bodyweight (weeks 1-4) → Hip Thrust, Bodyweight (weeks 5-8) → Hip Thrust with barbell (weeks 9-12). This teaches the hip extension pattern first on the floor, then progresses to shoulders-elevated position, then adds load.

Upper body pulls progress from Bent Over One Arm Row and Lat Pulldown (weeks 1-4) to Seated Row and Chin Up negatives (weeks 5-8) to Bent Over Row, Dumbbell and full Chin Ups (weeks 9-12).

Upper body presses progress from Bench Press, Dumbbell and Overhead Press, Dumbbell (weeks 1-4) to Bench Press barbell and Bench Press Close Grip (weeks 5-8) to Push Up, Overhead Press, Dumbbell single-arm, and Incline Bench Press barbell (weeks 9-12).

Squat patterns progress from Box Squat, Dumbbell bodyweight (weeks 1-4) to Step up, Bodyweight and Goblet Squat (weeks 5-8) to Box Squat barbell, Bulgarian Split Squat, and Squat barbell (weeks 9-12).

Hip hinges progress from Romanian Deadlift dumbbell (weeks 1-4) to Romanian Deadlift, Barbell (weeks 5-8) to Romanian Deadlift, Barbell heavier and Good Morning (weeks 9-12).

Core/stability work includes planks, side planks, crunches, side crunches, hip abductor walks, and side lying clams. These rotate across workouts and phases to prevent adaptation.

Substitutions used in this implementation: X-band walk → Hip Abductor, Band. Rope horizontal chop → Cable Twist. Swiss ball crunch → Crunch. Band rotary hold → Cable Twist, Band. Straight-leg sit-up → Sit Up. Dumbbell side bend → Side Bend. Hanging bent-leg raise → Hanging Leg Raise. Barbell American deadlift → Romanian Deadlift, Barbell. Glute march (60 seconds) → Glute Bridge March (1 rep = 60 seconds of marching).

Set & Rep Scheme

The program uses two distinct rep ranges based on exercise type:

• Lower body compounds (Glute Bridge, Bodyweight, Box Squat, Dumbbell, Romanian Deadlift, Hip Thrust, Squat, etc.): 3 sets in the 10-20 rep range. High reps build muscular endurance and work capacity in beginners while allowing them to practice movement patterns with many repetitions before adding load.
• Upper body compounds (Bent Over One Arm Row, Bench Press, Dumbbell, Lat Pulldown, Overhead Press, Dumbbell, etc.): 3 sets in the 8-12 rep range. Standard hypertrophy range for upper body development.
• Core and stability (planks, crunches, clams, hip abduction): 1 set of 15-30 reps (or timed holds for planks). Low set count since these are finishers, not primary movements.
• Exceptions: Chin Up uses 3x3 in weeks 5-8 (negatives for beginners) and 3x1-5 in weeks 9-12. Push Up uses 3x3-10 in weeks 9-12. Incline Bench Press uses 3x3-10 in weeks 9-12. Hip Thrust pause reps in Workout C weeks 9-12 use 3x8-15.

Progressive Overload

The book describes progressive overload as increasing the weight or number of reps each session: "When you begin a new workout week, look back to determine your previous record for a certain exercise. If you did sixteen bodyweight back extensions during your last performance, aim for eighteen in your next session." When the max of the rep range becomes easy, add weight.

This implementation uses double progression to automate that approach: start at the bottom of the rep range, add reps each session, and when you hit the top of the range on all sets, add 5lb and reset to the bottom.

Contreras emphasizes form over numbers: "I would rather you achieve five high quality reps with great form than squeeze out twenty mediocre reps." The rep ranges are guidelines — stop when form breaks down, do more if form stays perfect. Don't get caught up chasing the top of the range at the expense of movement quality.

Core and stability exercises (planks, crunches, clams, hip abductor walks) have no automatic progression. Add reps or hold time manually as you get stronger.

Phase transitions (weeks 4→5 and 8→9) introduce new, harder exercise variations — from bodyweight to barbell — which is the primary progression mechanism across the 12 weeks.

How Long to Run It / What Next

Run the full 12-week program as written. After completing it, Contreras recommends moving to the Gluteal Goddess program (the intermediate program in Strong Curves), which increases training frequency to 4 days per week and uses heavier loads. Other good follow-ups include PHUL (for a balanced strength/hypertrophy split) or Lyle's Generic Bulking (for a dedicated bulk phase with higher frequency per muscle group).

Equipment Needed

Weeks 1-4: Exercise mat, flat bench, dumbbells, exercise box (or bench/aerobics steps), cable lat pulldown machine, 45-degree back extension apparatus, resistance band.

Weeks 5-8: All of the above plus: barbell with plates and clips, chin-up bar, kettlebell, seated cable row machine.

Weeks 9-12: All of the above plus: squat rack, Hampton thick bar pad (for hip thrusts).

Home gym substitutions:

• Lat Pulldown → Chin Up (band-assisted) or Bent Over Row, Dumbbell
• Seated Row → Bent Over Row, Dumbbell or Bent Over One Arm Row
• Back Extension, Bodyweight → Reverse Hyperextension off a bench or Good Morning with light weight
• Hip Abductor, Band → Side Hip Abductor (bodyweight lying abduction)

Rest Times

• Between superset pairs (A1→A2, B1→B2): No rest — go immediately from A1 to A2
• Between superset rounds: 30-90 seconds (rest after completing both A1 and A2 before repeating)
• Straight sets (all remaining exercises): 60 seconds

How to Pick Starting Weights

The book recommends finding your 10-rep max (10RM) for each exercise: "Select a weight you think you can lift ten times with perfect form. This means that the weight is heavy enough that your form would break down on the eleventh rep." If you only make it to five, the weight is too heavy. If you maintain perfect form after ten, it's too light.

Most of weeks 1-4 is bodyweight, so starting weights only matter for the few weighted exercises (rows, presses, cable work). When in doubt, start lighter — the double progression will bring you to the right working weight within a few sessions.

Common mistake: Jumping to heavy weights in weeks 5-8 when barbell exercises are introduced. The transition from dumbbell to barbell is a skill change — start lighter than you think you need to.

Common Modifications

• Add lateral delts: Lateral Raise for 2-3x12-15 at the end of upper body days
• Add rear delts: Face Pull or Reverse Fly for 2-3x15-20 at the end of any workout
• More hamstring work: Add Seated Leg Curl or Lying Leg Curl for 2-3x10-15 on lower body days
• 4 days per week (recommended for weeks 5-12): Perform Workout A on Monday and Thursday, Workout B on Tuesday, Workout C on Friday
• Can't do chin-ups: Use Lat Pulldown with underhand grip as a substitute in weeks 5-8 and 9-12

FAQ

Is Strong Curves good for beginners?

Yes, Strong Curves Bootyful Beginnings is specifically designed for beginners with no prior lifting experience. It starts with entirely bodyweight exercises in weeks 1-4 and progressively introduces equipment, so you learn movement patterns before adding load.

How many days a week is Strong Curves?

The base program is 3 days per week. From weeks 5 onward, the book recommends adding a 4th day by performing Workout A twice per week for additional glute training volume.

How long is the Strong Curves program?

Bootyful Beginnings is a 12-week program divided into three 4-week phases. Phase 1 is mostly bodyweight, Phase 2 introduces barbells and kettlebells, and Phase 3 uses full barbell compounds like squats and hip thrusts.

How does progression work on Strong Curves?

The program uses double progression within each phase — add reps until you hit the top of the range, then add 5lb. The primary progression mechanism across the 12 weeks is the phase transitions, which introduce harder exercise variations (bodyweight to barbell).

Is Strong Curves only for women?

While the book and program are marketed toward women with a focus on glute development, anyone can benefit from the training structure. The emphasis on hip thrusts, glute bridges, and progressive loading builds a strong posterior chain regardless of gender.

What should I do after Strong Curves Bootyful Beginnings?

After completing the 12 weeks, move to the Gluteal Goddess program (the intermediate program in Strong Curves), which increases to 4 days per week with heavier loads. Other good follow-ups include PHUL for a balanced split or Lyle's Generic Bulking for a dedicated bulk phase.