Last week, Tony Welford, one of our top Trainers at Bodyline, was the subject of a client’s blog post. This week Tony gives us his top tips for strengthening your glutes and changing the shape of your bum!
Can you fire up the gluteus muscles without your hamstrings contracting………?
Lying face down, one thumb pressed into your bum cheek, two fingers pressed into your hamstrings, see if you can contract one without the other. This is a good a pre glute workout exercise to get your mind switching on to the glutes that you want to be activating.
I would also advise doing 2 sets of single leg body weight squats first.
I would also advise doing 2 sets of single leg body weight squats first.
Hypertrophy:
If you want to add size and better shape to the glutes you need to be thinking about hypertrophy sets, reps, rest times and tempo. Doing 100 body weight squats in the morning and 100 body weight squats in the evening is not going to give you that bum you want, sorry. It’s going to be much harder work than that. You are going to have to overload the muscle and aim for progression with the weights your lifting. Hypertrophy can be 4-5 sets of an 8-12 rep range, very close to failure with good form on each set. Each set should last approx 40-60 secs, with a 60-90 second rest between each set.
Also if you’re on a restrictive diet and not getting enough good quality proteins and calories, you’re going to be banging your head against a brick wall trying to build some muscle in the glutes.
Strength:
I would make sure you have been through a good strength training phase before a hypertrophy one. Otherwise you could be hitting plateau after plateau with your next training phases. Maybe a 5×5 routine for at least a 4-6 week block of under 6 reps, maybe creeping up to 8 reps in the last 2 weeks would be good.
Exercises:
- Back Squats, but with feet slightly wider to activate more glutes and you MUST get your bum below your knees.
- Glute Raises in bridge position with a bar across your hips, lower bum to floor raise up and contract. Shoulders are on a bench.
- Sumo Squats with both feet raised up on steps, feet wide, toes pointing outwards. Hold a dumbbell in both hands between the legs and, again, bum must go at least below the knees for this to work fully.
- Step Back Lunge off Step, carry dumbells in each hand and doing one leg at a time to create the right amount of tension in the glute ensuring the back knee bends below the level of the front foot.
Tony working with a client on their Sumo Squats
Should you have questions raised from this blog, you can, as always, contact Tony through the Bodyline Website or directly at his twitter account @pttonywelford
Great points Tony, thanks for taking the time to share them.
Thanks for your comment Lorna, will pass it on to Tony.
All the best,
Roy