Written by Jamie Bantleman
Behind The Scenes
"How can I tone my bum without gaining thunder thighs?"One of the most desired areas for growth on a girl is the glutes. How often do you see social media parade the endless ‘booty’ pictures. Do you want to join in on the '#instabooty' bandwagon? Become a '#bootybuilder' with the following tips!
First and foremost you should always consider the training frequency of the targeted muscle group. For maximal growth there must be enough time spent developing the muscle as well as enough time resting the muscle, this will allow development and aid recovery from intense sessions.
Developing lagging body parts can be done by targeting the area 2-3 times per week. Use different angles, number of repetitions and sets as well as shortened and lengthened time under tension, this will really benefit those stubborn areas.
Glutes can be worked by isolated movements such as rope pull throughs and reverse hyperextensions as well as within the larger more compound movements such as the squat or deadlift.
The gluteus muscles are made up of the gluteus medius and minimus which lie beneath the gluteus maximus. The Glut.Max moves in a different way to the other 2 part of the muscle as it is moved by hip extension where as the Glut.Med and Glut.Min are moved by leg abduction. Therefore to ensure all of the muscles above are worked efficiently it is vital to make sure your programme includes all of the different movement patterns to avoid over domination in certain parts of the glute.
Exercises that are great for the gluteus maximus are Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, Hip Bridges, Rope Pull Throughs and Good Mornings. However, for the gluteus medius and minimus, exercises such as Walking Lunges, High Step Ups and Cable Kick Backs. These movements are much more isolated and have less impact on the joints around the gluteus muscles such as the lower back, therefore prioritising movements such as deadlifts at the start of the workout is the best way in which to go about programming for glute development.
The 'Bootylicious' Workout
The plan below should be repeated over a 9 day cycle. For best results, make sure you warm up, stretch, cool down and keep your diet on track. Have a look at our Active Women range for extra benefits!
Complete day 1, rest for 2 days, complete day 2, rest for 2 days, complete day 3... You get the picture?
| Gluteus Muscles Development Plan Day 1 | |||||
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest |
| A1 | Deadlift | 5 | 5 | 3010 | 120s |
| B1 | Barbell Hip Bridges | 5 | 8 | 30X0 | 10s |
| B2 | Dumbbell Walking Lunges | 5 | 8 | 2020 | 90s |
| C1 | Back Extension | 5 | 10 | 3110 | 10s |
| C2 | Cable Kickbacks | 5 | 10 | 3110 | 90s |
You can do it.. Keep going!
| Gluteus Muscles Development Plan Day 2 | |||||
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest |
| A1 | Glute Ham Raise | 4 | 8 | 3010 | 10s |
| A2 | Wide Stance Dumbbell Squat | 4 | 8 | 4110 | 60s |
| B1 | Romanian DeadLift | 4 | 10 | 3010 | 10s |
| B2 | Reverse Hyperextension | 4 | 10 | 3110 | 60s |
| C1 | Squat Position Hold (Banded around knees) Each Leg Moving laterally for 3 seconds holds | 4 | 12 | xxxx | 10s |
| C2 | High and Wide Leg Press | 4 | 12 | 3110 | 60s |
Nearly there...
| Gluteus Muscles Development Plan Day 3 | |||||
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest |
| A1 | Back Extension | 4 | 8 | 3010 | 10s |
| A2 | Reverse Hyperextensions | 4 | 8 | 4110 | 60s |
| A3 | Romanian DeadLift | 4 | 10 | 3010 | 10s |
| A4 | Dumbbell Wide Stance Squat | 4 | 10 | 3110 | 60s |
| A5 | High and Wide Leg Press | 4 | 12 | 3010 | 10s |
| A6 | Dumbbell Walking Lunges | 4 | 12 | 3110 | 60s |
And breathe...
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Hard GainerExtreme
ZMAImproved Sleep
BCAA'sMuscle recovery
Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you're concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or introducing any major changes to your diet.
