Bret Contreras

Bret Contreras is a US strength coach and researcher who presents himself as "The Glute Guy". According to his own store's About page, he holds a master's degree from Arizona State University, a PhD in sports science from AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand, and the NSCA's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credential with distinction (CSCS,*D). His PhD thesis, examined in a public review on BodyRecomposition, compared vertical and horizontal hip extension exercises such as the squat and the hip thrust. His FAQ page says he is based in San Diego, California.

He is associated with several brands. BC Strength sells training equipment built around the hip thrust, including the Hip Thruster, which BC Strength says he invented and patented. The Glute Lab is his training gym; BC Strength's About page lists Glute Lab facilities in San Diego, Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale. Booty by Bret is his online training subscription and BC Academy hosts his certification course. The legal entities behind these brands were not confirmed: an OpenCorporates search on September 13, 2026 was blocked by a verification page.

He publishes on YouTube (@bretcontreras1, 541K subscribers read on September 13, 2026), on Instagram (@bretcontreras1), X and Facebook, and on his blog at bretcontreras.com. He has appeared as a guest on podcasts including Huberman Lab ("Build Your Ideal Physique", September 22, 2025) and Legion Athletics' Muscle for Life (episode 1111).

What he sells, with prices read on his official store on September 13, 2026: - Booty by Bret: a strength training program aimed at women, with three new full-body workouts every four weeks plus two optional glute workouts, instructional videos, printable workout logs, a private Facebook group and a 10% discount on BC Strength products. The store lists it at $29.95 and his FAQ describes it as $30 per month; the Booty by Bret site mentions a yearly plan with a 20% discount but does not show its price. - StrongLifting Certification Level 1 (BC Academy): an online course at $299 with 80 lessons, 17 eight-week programs and templates, exercise videos and a certificate after an exam. The site offers payment in installments through Affirm. - Personalized Programming With Bret: $119 per billing cycle (every 4, 6 or 8 weeks) for a customized four-week program. The product page states it does not include one-on-one coaching, diet advice or form checks, and does not say whether he writes each program personally. - Books and ebooks: Glute Lab: The Art and Science of Strength and Physique Training (with Glen Cordoza, Victory Belt, 2019), Strong Curves (with Kellie Davis, Victory Belt, 2013), Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy (Human Kinetics), and the ebooks 2 x 4: Maximum Strength, Advanced Techniques in Glutei Maximi Strengthening and Grow Your Glutes without Growing Your Legs. - Seminars: his store has a speaking engagements section, which was empty on September 13, 2026, and says new Glute Lab Seminar dates are announced on his social media and newsletter.

On reputation: statements such as being "the world's foremost expert on glute training" come from his own sites and have no independent source. The Huberman Lab episode page and the other interviews listed are podcast appearances, not independent assessments. No FTC action under his name or his brands' names was found in a web search on September 13, 2026 (the FTC site search could not be loaded). Web searches on September 13, 2026 did not return press coverage by a named outlet about controversies involving him; discussions in forums and third-party videos are not summarized here.

Not confirmed: his year of birth, the year his PhD was awarded, the legal entities that operate his brands, and whether all three Glute Lab locations are currently open.