Setbacks and Regrets

By the far the hardest part about improving my physique is eating.  Right now I'm supposed to be on deficit and some days I am successful, others not so much.  Consistency is so important to building a physique, I'm not progressing as I wish. While writing this..I am snacking on Christmas chocolates from nuns (I had to eat it, right?)

So instead of getting frustrated at my body for not changing, I have to challenge myself to stick to my macronutrient/caloric requirements.

Tomorrow is a new day.  So I will wake up with the same goals-stick to my plan.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

List of Booty Building Exercises

This a working list.  I will add and edit this list as needed.

moderate stance squats
wide leg squats
sumo squats
narrow stance squats
front squats
Zercher squats

conventional deadlifts
Romanian deadlifts
single leg deadlifts
good mornings

lunges
curtsy lunges
walking lunges
reverse lunges
smith machine lunges
Bavarian lunges
side lunges

hip hyperextension-can be performed a variety of ways
hip thrusts
alternating hip thrusts


These exercises all involve flexion and extension of the knee, hip, and ankle joints, but I find that some target glutes more effectively for my body.  Everybody is different, so try a variety until you find what works best for you.  I don't do all these exercises, as some are too stressful on my back.

Weekly Workout Routine for a Bigger Butt

I received an email from a beautiful lady named Velie asking to post a week's worth of workouts. I love getting emails because it reminds there is actually some really use for this blog.  

Right now, I'm still working on decreasing body fat, so I am on a calorie deficit and I have increased my cardio.   [let me also say this, even though I have been on a deficit my glutes have still been improving..firmer, rounder, higher..it looks bigger even though it hasn't grown in inches since I have been on a deficit)

If you are trying to increase booty mass, you need a caloric surplus and I would suggest lifting heavy twice a week (glutes) spaced apart as far as you can.

Include about 15-20 intense cardio like walking lunges, squat jumps, incline sprints etc. These are exercises that will increase your heart rate, but also will work glutes. For example: on treadmill use incline, on elliptical push thru the heels,  on stair step push thru the heels and squeeze with every step; squat jumps and lunges (all of their variations) just squeeze with every rep. 

Note: I do not have a set workout schedule.  I ALWAYS do a heavy leg day at least once per week.  This is just an example because on days I have extra time I'll do 1 hour moderate cardio, if I don't have a lot of time I'll do 20 min of intense cardio.  No matter what type of cardio I do there is always a focus on glutes.  

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Heavy Leg Day: Warm-Up (using dumbbells) Reverse Lunges [15, 20, then 25 lbs] *Curtsy Lunge to Side Lunge [body weight] Single Leg Deadlifts [15, 20, 25 lbs] Squats (on Smith Machine) [135, 185, 205] *Lunge (on Smith Machine) [135, 155, 175] **Hip Hyperextension (on cable machine) [30,40, 50 lbs]  **I do this two different ways, leg straight and with the knee bent **Hip Thrusts (dumbbells, preferably Olympic bar) [55, 55, 65 lbs] Deadlifts (curl bar or dumbbells) [weight varies] Hip Adductor/Abductor Machines [weight varies] Tips -Only goes as heavy  as your form will allow - I usually do about 3 sets of 10; but I might do 2 sets of 6 or 3 sets of 5, or even 3 sets of 12; it depends of how much I'm lifting and more importantly how much my back can handle (i have a bad back) -If you don’t feel it working in your butt, you are probably just using your leg muscles *These exercises are the best at isolating just the glutes, practice these with and without weight to train your glutes to start contracting.	Rest	Rest Day	Cardio (1hr) Incline Walking Jogging Jump Rope Arms/Abs (I usually do a mix of light weight and body weight exercises)	HIIT cardio (20 min) Squat jumps Plank Lunge jumps Burpees Walking Lunges Plank Single Leg Deadlifts Tips -Squeeze your glutes with every single rep -This day could be another heavy leg day, where you could decrease weights, and increase reps; I’m choosing to do cardio (with glute emphasis) because I’m trying to lose weight.	Rest Day	Cardio (1hr) Incline Walking Jogging Jump Rope Arms/Abs

How to Really Make Your Booty Grow

So you're doing a 100 squats a day and you still don't see any growth?
I will try to help with some a couple of tips.

1.  If you don't "feel it" in the glutes, either during or after your workout, chances are your legs are doing most of the work.  To fix this I suggest doing exercises that specifically target the glutes like hip thrusts or hip extensions (even better at the beginning of your workout, then progressing to more compound exercises like squats).

2. Another suggestion would be to do this without weight until you really can use the glute muscles.  I say this all the time but you have to squeeze the glutes to activate them.

3. Don't just do squats.  I feel like I better results with walking lunges, barbarian lunges, hip thrusts, split squats, and deadlifts, than just squats alone.  The truth is I don't do many squats because of my bad back.  When I do squat I don't do a bunch of reps (between 4-7) because of my back, but I do try to lift heavy.

4. The other things that can halt results is not eating enough.  I think this is another reason women who do tons of weight lifting are not growing.  I try to always get a surplus of calories on the days I work my glutes.  This is sometimes difficult if you are eating healthy, so plan ahead.

5.  If you don't already drink protein shakes, START! I saw the biggest change when I consistently drank my protein shakes.  I use GNC ampliflied wheybolic.  I don't know a bunch about supplementation, but this stuff works!! It's waaaay better than other proteins I've tried.

6.  Be consistent and patient.  I work glutes twice a week almost every week.  Its not easy for women to build muscle, its takes time.


Good Luck!

Thoughts on Carb Cycling

Just to be clear I am a amateur.  I don't want to look like a figure model. Or at least that is not my immediate goal.  I am  just beginning to test carb cycling.  I've been eating low carb on days I don't weight train and high carb on glute days.  While I've seen short term results on my ab (yes!) I found I wasn't getting enough calories on low carb days.  I have not yet mastered tons of eggs or meat.  I'm going to start becoming a bit more flexible on my diet and start listening more to body.  I want to ensure I get enough calories and protein to support my weight training.

On another note, I finally got a sugar craving after 5 weeks without sweets (like cakes, brownies, donuts) and I think it has something to do with the lack of carbs I've been consuming.  I do not like where that is going because I feel like it might lead to a worthless cheat.   I'd much rather use that for a date with my man.  So I gave in a ate some pineapples (big whoop) and I kinda of felt bad but why?? I need to be positive and love myself and body.  Negativity and guilt associated with pineapples sounds sad..another reason I don't see myself competing.

As for the carb cycling, I think I'll just avoid carbs at dinner, except on weight training days.  Breakfast and other meals I feel NEED carbs.  I'm a student! I need energy and brain power.

Good Morning!

 

 I woke sore and satisfied.  I'm still not doing my entire workout for building glutes because of my back injury.  It feels a lot better, but until I get my core strength majorly improved  those will be avoided (mainly deadlifts and heavy squats)

The workout:

deep step ups

walking lunges until failure
side lunges with bar
4x10 deep step ups

walking lunges until failure
3x10 plie squats

2x10 each leg hip hyperextension
walking lunges until faiure
3x10 hip thrust with bar

then-> 10 minutes of hill sprints



Remember! I used light weights, but you must continue lift heavier and heavier weight to make real gains + surplus of calories.  I can tell a slight difference in growth, but I changes in shape and it's becoming firmer.

Hill Sprints for Bigger Glutes!

 

Hill Sprints for a Bigger Booty!!

 

I'm lucky to have such a steep hill close by.  Hill sprints are great are for your glutes, legs, heart and overall body composition.  You will definitely feel the burn in the butt shooting up those hill.  Sprints are a good idea for high intensity cardio and are perfect if you're short on time.  Remember to also have a protein shake after to build up what you tore down!

 

Unless you've got a good bit of weight to lose, I don't recommend running if you want bigger glutes.  Running eats away at your fat stores and possibly muscle over time.  Stick to sprints and uphill walking for cardio.

Single Leg Glute Exercises

Single Leg Glute Exercises

 

These are a big tougher of on form, but it gets better with time.  I'm still practicing on my single leg exercises.  Just a reminder to build bigger glutes you want to incorporate these into bilateral exercises too, like squat variations, hip thrusts, etc. AND lift heavy weights (with progressive).  I am recovering from a back injury so I'm avoiding those exercises as of right now.

 

 

 Bulgarian Split Squat (lunge)

Single leg Deadlift

 Hip Hyperextension

Alternating Butt Lift

 Step Ups

 Walking Lunges

 I forgot what this is called!

Alternating Hip Thrusts

 

 

This was an okay alternative workout, but I'm not counting it as actual "weight lifting."  These exercises can help shape your glutes and help them become more perky, but are not the best option for putting on mass.  This workout was more like a short session of high intensity cardio, which I finished off with hill sprints.

Glute Workout After Low Injury

Back pain is not something I'm unfamilar with.  I've been told I have a degenerative spinal disease which sounds like what everybody would have as the aging process goes on...but maybe mine just started earlier. 

Last week I hurt my back during an glute workout when I went up on the weight.  I thought it was just a little issue and continued workout for the next couple of days.  When the pain didn't subside, I played it smart.  I'm going to be nurse so I need my back! I've been resting for 3 or 4  days.

So I'm going to take it easy for my 1st glute/leg workout tomorrow.

The plan

 1) going naked-naked squats, naked lunges, hip hyperextensions because weights can aggrevate my lower back.  I don't particularly enjoy this because this is hindering my muscle growth, but better safe than sorry.  I don't want hinder growth in the long term.
2) core exercises-I need to work on strengthing the core strength I've lost over the holidays.  Lack of core strenth+increase in weights is just asking for a back injury
3) single leg workouts-single leg squats, lunges, split squats, bulgarian lunges, skater squats, single leg deadlifts. 

This will be my first glute workout of the week and I'm hoping to be able to put the weights back in by Thursday, if not then Saturday..we will see!

Burn Fat and Build Muscle!

Burning fat and building muscle are probaby #1 and #2 on people's wish list.  It may to seem like the big three 1) diet 2) cardio 3) strength training.  For those who just want to build a musc;e "tone" and lose a little jiggle this might be an attainable goals. But for those who want to build curves this is a little trickier.

To build muscle we need calorie surplus.  But what if you're trying to lose belly fat AND build a booty??  This is why bodybuilders have bulking seasons and cutting seasons because these goals require two different game plans.  Some people who are bulking will omit cardio in order to salvage calories to be used for muscle building.  I am not interested in this at this moment because bikini season is coming up!

So what's the plan? I read an article on bodybuilding.com
                              -> http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kelly3.htm

What I took from the article was timing  and amount of when to eat carbs and when to change up the percentages of your macros (carbs, fats, and proteins) while also alternating low intensity cardio (supposedly targeting fat) while also lifting weights and days with high intensity cardio.  I'm going to tweak this to fit my school schedule, while erring on the side of building muscle over losing fat.  Also, this is just for me and this is first week I'm trying it.  Another thing is I don't plan on becoming "carb phobic" like so many others.  I'm not a bikini competitor (mad respect though) so I don't want to eat like one.

My schedule should look something like this

Sunday
-"lower carb before weights
-weights, then protein shake-----lifting heavy as possible w/ proper form
-then post workout meal high carb and protein
-then eating even more at dinner

Monday
-average carb intake with good amout of protein* (will add values later)
-class all day until 5
-high intensity cardio (HIT)
-protein shake
-low carb dinner (ex. lots of lean meat and non-starchy veggie)
*this is a variation of the what the article says, it says low carb day, but I'm going to try and balance that bc I still want to have enough calories for my glutes!

Tuesday
-"lower carb" day
-either optional LIT cardio squeezed bt claaes or rest day

Wednesday
-lONG day at hospital
-rest day

Thursday
-average carbs then LIT
-protein snack (ex. boiled eggs)
-weights (later that day) ----this day i will use lighter weight more reps
-protein shake
-post workout meal (high carbs and protein)
-eat as much as I can (healthy that is)

Friday
-average carb early in the day with adeqyate calories
-HIT
-protein shake
-low carb dinner

Saturday
-average carbs with protein
-weightss----heavy as possible considering my back injury
-protein shake
-eat, eat, eat!!

So I will try this for the next two weeks see what happens!

Back Pain and Building Booty

So I've been on a short bulking phase since the second week in February.  Everything was going fine until I hurt my lower back during deadlifts.  It happened after I went up on my weight (which necessary to gain mass) So after several more sessions with low back pain, I've decided to take a rest.  So what do I do now? (I need to build these glutes!!)

First, I have cut back on my calories, if you are trying to put on mass you need a surplus of calories ( I was taking in about 2000-2200 calories with 120-135 grams of protein)  I will prob go down to about 1500-1600 and see how my body starts to react.

Second, change the workout.  Instead of mass building and back breaking squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts.  I am going to avoid these exercises completely for the next few days.  Instead, I am going to focus on incline walks, incline sprints, and yoga.  These exercises still work the glutes, so I while I won't be putting on mass, I can work on the shape of them.  After a few days I will start back on glutes using single leg workouts (single leg squats, deadlifts, leg lifts) which tend to pull a little less on the back.  Hopefully after that I will be able to slowly incorporate weights back into my workout.

Although I'm slightly disappointed because this is holding me back from bikini season! This does give me time to hopefully loose some of the stomach fat that I have accumulated.  It's much better to rest and try to recover from  an injury instead of continuing to aggravate it until it get serious.

Tips for Getting a Bigger Butt

1.) Eat more calories. ( but not from junk, you'll just get fat)
2.) Have workouts specifically for glute training.
3.) Train glutes twice a week if possible,
4.) Allow a day or two for recovery.
5.) Use progressive overload.  (adding more weight as time goes on)
6.) SQUEEZE! I can't stress how important is to make mental connections with you glutes with every rep.
7.) Practice contracting glutes during free time.
8.) Drink protein shakes, if possible in the morning, but DEFINITELY after working out when you muscles need it the most.
9.) Push yourself to go further with glute workouts.
10.) Lose weight first, the smaller your stomach is the bigger your butt will look.
11.) Stretch! Stretch muscle fascia will aid in the growth of muscles.
12.) Avoid long distance running.
13.) Do all cardio on a incline. (sprinting, walking, etc)

Eating for a Bigger Butt

The diet for bigger glutes is the same as any muscle building regimen.
"Bulking" up your muscles requires eating more calories than you burn. You don't want to eat a diet full of extra junk calories, stick to protein sources, whole grain carbohydrates, legumes, vegetables including non starchy varities, and fruits. 

You can add between 200-300 extra calories per day.  Everybody is different so gauge it after several to weeks, take notice of changes in measurement.  You might need to increase that amount if you are still burning too many calories to add extra muscles. Be care with this as after I lost of the weight I wanted and started focusing on bulking up my muscles, the extra wiggle room in my diet led to cravings.  Long story short, I gained 10 lbs of FAT! ( Granted there were some other things, such as a 3 week vacay without a gym that led to my demise)  This is why I must STRESS eating clean even though you can eat more.

Also to get a bigger booty you must be weight training with progressive overload to encourage your muscle fibers to grow.  Check out my butt building workout for ideas on which exercises to do.

How to Get a Bigger Booty

To achieve that rounder, plump derriere you have to be patient and relentless.  It comes down to diet and exercise.  My one piece of advice is that if you have any weight to loose..lOSE IT FIRST! Your butt will appear bigger if your waist is smaller.  Also for your glute muscles to grow you will have to eat, so you want the rest of your body to be as close to perfect as you want.  I will continue to add posts about losing weight and gaining glutes.

In my journey to a plumper derriere, I lost weight and everything was looking better until I started eating more for my muscles.  I began to get used to eating more food and I started eating the WRONG kind of food and gain some weight back.  But! I did see an inch and half gain from when my butt was it's flattest to now.  Also the difference between my glutes then and now is that I haven't lost inches, just muscle mass.  My glutes are much looser and I cannot feel that "hunk" (lol) of muscle that I once felt.

So, for now I am on the same track as other ladies who need to lose weight, but would like a bigger butt.  Eat a lower calorie diet, while maintaining protein intake as much as possible and working your butt up in the gym!

So how to get a bigger booty:
1) Use exercise that targets glutes (try my butt building workout click here)
2) Squeeze glutes!!! Exercise is pointless if you aren't really targeting those glutes.
3) If you are not in need of losing weight, then eat more! Yes eat more! You need extra calories so grow your muscles.
4) Protein shakes, after every workout and in the morning if possible (more to come about shakes in the future)

These are well known general guidelines more specifics coming in the future.

Healthy Dinner Idea-BBQ Pita Burger

For one burger:
3 oz grilled hamburger*
1 tbs. bbq sauce ( i LOVE sweet baby ray's, worth the 35 calories)
lettuce
tomato slices
half pita loaf**

Nutritional Info:
271 calories
6.8 grams fat
25.8 carbs
25.8 protein

*lean ground beef
**75 calories for half whole wheat pita loaf

So delicious! I spray a little canola oil and sprinkled a pinch of garlic salt before filling the pita pocket with the beef and sauce and putting it back  the grill.  (if you don't have a grill use the over or stove top to heat the pita up ) Top the warm pocket with lettuce and tomato for a fresh crunch just like a burger!

Change it up!
-use turkey or chicken (potentially saving some calories)
-make it Mexican inspired, add sliced pepper and a little bit of cheese

Healthy Dinner Idea

This is a common "diet" type dinner, but eating healthy doesn't have to be bland.  Here are two reasons people have a hard time eating healthy:
Some ideas for making healthy eating an easier transistion using my dinner tonight.

Oven Roasted Chicken Breast with Brown Rice and Mushrooms

Chicken-oven roasted chicken is delicious and I love the flavor imparted from the dressing. Of course if you wanna save more calories you can use skinless.
I marinated two (bone in skin on) chicken breast seasoned with onion powder, garlic salt, and pepper in 1 tbs. Italian Dressing and 1 tbs. olive oil for about 30-45 minutes.

Brown Rice-use a little butter and the sauce from the mushrooms
I used parboiled brown rice for ease.  I sauteed a a few large pieces of onion and a smashed garlic clove in a little bit of EVOO for about 3 minutes then added water to make a broth to boil the rice in.  After the rice was finished I added a tbs of whipped butter after draining the rice.

Mushrooms-i just recently got into mushrooms, the flavor is good if you can get used to the texture (you MUST become more open minded to change from unhealthy eating) Best thing is a litte gravy for the rice and chicken.
Sauteed onion and garlic two minutes added sliced button mushrooms.  After cooking the mixture for about 8 more minutes, added 1/2 cup chicken broth, brought to a low boil to added 1tsp of cornstarch blended with a little broth to tighten it up. I cooked the sauce down a little.

This was a LOT of food for me, I couldn't finish it all.

Pumped Glutes After Workout

These are my measurement directly before my butt building strength training workout (exercises listed in my last post).  I gained at 1/2 inch "pump" after my workout. 
So what is muscle "pump"?                    

It's that tight, full feeling you get after training muscles.  Blood is pumped to your muscles to give your cells the energy

they need to fuel your workout.  The pump is the blood and other products pooled in your muscles.  Muscle pump is a good indicator you've effectively targeted that body area and with proper diet should experience muscle growth over time.  To get that muscle growth you need to be progressively moving up with weights and doing the right exercises to target those muscles.

Bigger Booty Workout

Today was my first day in over month getting back to doing (almost) FULL strength training glute workout.  It took about 45 minutes and I burned 334 calories (according to my MIO watch)
REMEMBER to effectively target the glutes you need to SQUEEZE with every exercise, if you glutes are not becoming tight and you are using adequate resistance, chances are your quads or hamstrings are taking over for your glutes. Also, if you are a beginner start with light weights or do them naked (without weights!)

Butt Building Workout

1.) Deep squats [w/45 lb Olympic bar]
3 sets of 12
2.) Sumo deadlifts [45lbs]
3 sets of 12
3.) Sumo squats [95lbs on Smith machine]
3 sets of 10
4.) Hip thrust [with 95lbs O. bar']
2 sets of 10, 1 set of 8**did this until failure
5.) Hip hyperextension [5lbs on cable machine]
3 sets of 12 on each leg
6.) Hip bridge [95 lb O. bar]
1 set of 10**couldn't do anymore!
7.) Single leg stiffed leg deadlifts
2 sets of 10 on each leg

7 Tips to Gain (or Regain) Motivation to Workout and Eat Right

I have been trying to regain the motivation for a healthy lifestyle since coming back from 3 weeks of vacation (little exercise) and it hasn't really jumped off liked i'd hoped. It's been a month and the cellulite, loose skin, and overall puffy look of my body is getting to me.  Also, I feel sluggish and winded when I do  make it to the gym. 

I have a new client so I really think this will help to refocus. Yes, even personal trainers fall off the wagon sometimes. Here are some ways to get motivated.

1. Read before and after journeys/pictures.  Reinstating the fact that you can have the body of your dreams can help you focus on setting goals and getting them accomplished. I like to see the transformations on bodybuilding.com

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/trans.htm

2. Enlist a friend! This is usually one of the first ideas people have when starting or restarting working out.  While I do think friends can help keep you motivated, you MUST keep in mind your needs and goals because you don't want an unmotivated friend holding you back from making it to the gym or eating an order of large fries right in front you.  Try your local classifieds or google "workout partners" there are websites tailored for finding people with similar interests.

Craigslist.org

3. Grab a the newest issue of your favorite fitness magazine, or even better subscribe! Having a monthly issue delivered to house is a good idea if you'd like a constant reminder.  Fitness based magazines can be really similar, but some of my favorites are Oxygen Magazine and Women's Health.  I find these are better for those a little more "advanced" and offer more in-depth information than some mags.

http://www.oxygenmag.com/
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/

4.  Take full length picture of your body in a swimsuit.  Take detailed notes of things you would like to change.  Then come up with a plan to make those things happen.  I'll go ahead and post these private(embarrasing) photos for example.

I am about 6 lbs overweight, I will be about 130 lbs (my pre-France body) when I lose those extra lbs. In my opinion, my  butt looks flatter that normal in those shorts, but even with that I need to get my booty right!!  These too tight shorts used to fit :(......MOTIVATION!!

5. Learn new recipes. Healthy eating can still be delicious.  Learning to make new types of cuisine can help propel you start making better decisions all around.  My new favorite recipe is oven fried chicken with homemade breadcrumbs.

6. Make a new workout routine.  Get excited about something!  Figure a routine around a certain goal and do it a few times a week.  For me, its working on improving my butt while burning enough calories to get this extra weight off.  Whether is your stomach, legs, or any other body part you can create a new routine to reach your goals.

7. Make small changes.  Stop eating processed snacks.  Add a new veggie to your repetoire.  Swith from white to wheat, eggs to egg whites.  Try to incoporate small changes into your everyday life.  Focus on these until they become routine.  Changes are more likely to stick when they are taken in small doses.