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.

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

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.

Back in the Gym After a Month Off

Finally! Today was my first day back in the gym in a little over a month.  I pretty much took it easy and focused on form and and balance, instead of lifting heavy weights.  I could definitely tell my balance was off, my muscles were weaker, and I don't have as strong "mind-muscle" connection with my glutes as I have previously had.  My workout consisted of:

1) lunge variations
2) squat variations
3) hip hyperextension exercises
4) a few inclined sprints
5) lower body stretching

I only spent about 30 minutes in gym, I plan on working back up to the 45-60 min routine I was doing before I went to France.

Bad news: My legs are so loose! I definitely see a difference in cellulite, especially on the back of my legs and my entire leg in general is loose.  There are skin folds (I previously couldn't grab) that are easy to squeeze lol.

Good news: All problem areas can definitely be improved.  If your legs look like this or even with more fat, YOU CAN GREATLY IMPROVE THE SHAPE AND LOOK OF YOUR BODY!! With hard work and fixing my rather inconsistent diet, my legs will return to their former tightness in about a month or so (this is the plan, but I MUST follow a strict schedule and eat HEALTHY)

Also in other good news, I had a 1/2 inch "pump" in my glutes and I could see a definite change in them after my workout, that's motivation!

And Part 3 of "Losing Weight and Improving Your Booty coming soon.

Losing Weight and Improving Your Booty-Part 2

Walking on an incline is probably the easiest way to lose weight while improving your booty.  I honestly don't think this is the best way, but it's low impact and great for beginners (or just when you are too tired to do anything else).  Although I don't consider myself a beginner, I like to walk on incline especially when I am in a "bulking" phase and don't want to go to hard on my legs. 

The best thing about using a treadmill for incline is you get to adjust the incline.  My advice would be take it to the highest percentage.  You will get the most out of the exercise and also burn a lot of calories! When it becomes too difficult, try bringing down the speed instead of the incline.

If you are trying to lose weight, this is an excellent cardio workout.  Easier than running, but incline walking can definitely be challenging.  Your heart rate to be in the fat  loss zone. 

Why this sheds pounds:

Incline walking is a cardio exercise that gets your heart rate going, and essentially that's all you need to burn calories.

Why this helps shape your booty:

Like I said before, I don't think this exercise is more efficient than stair stepping in shaping the glutes, but it is an easier, more low impact way to make a difference in your body.  This also strength the hamstrings, which in my opinion, adds to the sex appeal of your body.

As with every exercise, you must give your body time to change!

Losing Weight and Improving Booty-Part 1

Part 1: Using Stairs to Shed Fat and Shape Your Butt

 Note: This exercise is intended for those who wish to lose weight while improving the look of their glutes, if you wish to pack on glute mass this is not for you.

Climbing stair is a great way to get your heart rate pumping and shedding pounds.  Using correct technique, you can also help get your glutes into shape. 

Correct Techniques

1. Step with heel FIRST onto the step.  This is crucial if you want to target your glutes and not just other leg muscles.

2. Skip a step in between.  This allows for your thigh to be more parallel to the ground and in turn reaches deeper in to glutes.

3. Mind to muscle connection.  Each time you step up literally think about using your glues and SQUEEZE.

Why this sheds pounds:

In a 10 minute walk, I burn around 50 calories

In ten minutes of stair climbing, I burn about 100 calories

That's a 50% increase in the amount of calories burned!

(Based on heart rate monitor and being 132 lbs, if you weigh more you'll burn more calories)

Why this helps shape your booty:

The action of hip and knee joints is extension, this type of movement uses your leg and glutes muscles to propel you not only forward (as in walking) but also upward.  The more you can make the connection with your glutes and the deeper you can sink with the leading leg, the deeper you will reach your butt muscles.

Beginners: start with walking up the stair focusing on squeezing the glutes and descend back down the stairs quickly (but safely!) to keep heart rate up. 

Intermediate to Advanced: Change it up! Step out wider, move faster, add in leg lifts, change up descending patterns.

Losing Weight While Improving Your Booty

For the most part, when trying to change your body you are either:
1: losing fat
2: building muscle

While you can do both of these together, one will be limited by your diet.  To lose weight: Calories consumed must be LESS THAN calories expended
To gain (serious) muscle: Calories consumed must be MORE than calories expended.

If you do need to lose weight, but you would like to reshape, tighten, or lift your booty, you can work on this while losing weight.  The most important thing  is to reach your goal weight and then if you still need mass in your glutes, begin a muscle building routine.

I'm going to post a 3 part series on 3 different cardio exercises that can help you lose weight and improve your booty.