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!

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.

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)

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 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.

My Before and After Weight Loss Pictures

Although my goals today are to gain more curves, that wasn't always a problem.  I used to weigh 167 lbs and now I am between 130-133 lbs, depending on my diet.  After losing almost 40 lbs, I had lost some of the curve appeal I actually enjoyed.  If you need to loss weight, I suggest losing the excess fat before trying to gain glute mass.  It's easier to lose weight first before attempting to shape your body with weight training.

3 weeks without lifting weights

I've spent the last three weeks on a trip to France.  I had no access to a gym and I was a little concerned about losing muscle in my glutes.  I tried to salvage my gluteals buy doing body weight exercises (hip thrusts, squats, lunges) and also by taking advantage on the hills in the French countryside.  I also did not count calories, but I did try eat as much protein as I could.  Before I left I was on a little junk food binge and had gained about 7lbs in pure fat, thank goodness I lost this while I was there.  Question is: did I also lose muscle? Yes, unfortunately I can see the loseness in my thighs and butt. But, on the bright side, I didn't lose inches on my butt.  Here are my measurements before and after my trip.

May 18, 2012              July 7, 2012

Waist-26 in                 Waist-25.5 in

Thighs                         Thighs

  upper-22.5                    upper-22.5

  middle-21                     middle-21.5

  lower-18.5                     lower-19.5

Butt-36.5                     Butt-36.5

I lost around my stomach, but my thighs are slightly larger, something I do not want.  My fitness goals for the next month are slightly different than before.  Instead of gaining more muscle mass in my glutes, I am going to try and maintain their size, while cutting down fat on the rest of my body.  The difficult part about that is I am going to be moving around and staying in hotels.  So, I'll write another post on staying in shape or losing weight while traveling.  Feel free to leave any questions or comments!

Fit and Curvy Body Shape

     Most fitness magazines show the same type of "fit-looking" women.

         Some, though, show women who are figure competitors.

                      But my ideal body type is more like this.

I want to have the six pack AND the big, full glutes.  The hard part for some women (who arenot blessed the genetic material to have full, round butt) is to chisel away body fat while keeping  their curvy parts curvy.  It basically comes down to weightlifting and diet, depending on where you are at with your body shape.  For example, women with a body similar to the first picture (average fitness mag cover girl) would have to incorporate more food into her diet.  She would need those extra calories to build up the muscle she is lacking in her lower body.  For someone who needs to lose weight first would need a different weightlifing plan and diet to achieve the same look.  It all comes down to hard work, but more realistically genetics.  But you can change the shape and size of your butt! More to come about diet and exercise to get a bigger butt!