Getbig Female Info Boards > Womens Physique, Bodybuilding, Wellness and Training
GLUTE/LOWER BODY TRAINING
ripitupbaby:
As Promised, this thread is dedicated to GLUTE/LEG and LOWER BODY Training.
There are "many ways to skin a cat" and variety is always important to keep the body guessing and keep yourself interested in the workouts...so EVERYONE please feel free to post your training suggestions in this thread!
This thread is for Glute/Lower Body Q&A with anyone who is interested. I bet we can all learn something from each other.
I'll start with some of my suggestions for lower body training, focusing on glute and backside development - for women who are in pursuit of the coveted "Apple Ass."
I'm gonna break this down into three sections and three separate posts, and we'll go from there:
(1) General Tips and Cardio
(2) Specific Exercises
(3) Sample Workouts
(1) GENERAL TIPS AND CARDIO
LIFTING
---For lower body and glute workouts, I recommend relying primarily on large and/or compound exercises, which I will describe in Part 2 of this post.
---Try to create workouts that include 4 or 5 exercises with 3-4 sets each. I usually start with a compound exercise and do four sets, and then three sets of everything else in the workout.
---Whether bulking or cutting, I don't change too much about the exercises themselves, just the amount of weight I use and the number of reps.
Bulking - I prefer heavier weight that allows me to go about 8-10 reps on the lower body workouts.
Cutting - I prefer lighter weight that allows me to go about 15-20 reps on the lower body workouts.
---Remember that you can make ANY weight feel heavy by slowing down the movements, squeezing and holding at the top/bottom, and/or slow negatives. NEVER sacrifice your form for heavier weight - it is not worth it, and you risk injury.
For those of you who do not want to grow too much in the lower body and want to focus more on toning, I would stick with weights that put you at least in the 12-15 rep range per set. You should be struggling and reaching failure towards the end of the sets, though - don't make it too easy for yourself!
CARDIO
Use your cardio to help develop your lower body, not just to burn calories! Modify what you do for cardio to focus more on your butt.
---Try to split your cardio from your weight lifting if you can. I try to do my cardio in the morning and lift in the evenings. If this is not possible, try to do cardio after lifting so that you are strongest for the lifting.
---Nothing beats the stair climber in my opinion. Make it your new best friend. LOVE IT and it will love you back.
---Walking on an incline is great for toning your backside as well.
---Sprints and track workouts are great, but I would avoid running long distances if you are trying to develop or add muscle mass to the lower body.
You will notice that there are not many long distance runners out there with big quad sweeps or large legs. Long distance running burns size off your legs. I have eliminated running from my workouts completely for this reason. I do sprints and track workouts, however. You'll also notice that there aren't many sprinters out there without awesome leg/quad separation...sprints are great for this purpose. I recommend at least one sprint/track workout per week if you can swing it.
ripitupbaby:
(2) SPECIFIC EXERCISES
First, I will ID the three MUST-DO exercises, IMO, for glute and lower body development.
---FREE SQUATS. No Smith Machine. Just you and the weighted barbell on your shoulders. Keep your upper body upright when you squat (don't bend forward) and squat like you are going to sit down on a toilet, maybe a little deeper. No need to go ass-to-ankles, as this is just a recipe for injury. Make sure your ass and knees stay comfortably behind your ankles when you squat.
Feet forward, shoulder width apart is a "normal" stance. Feet pointed outward with a slightly wider stance will focus more on the inner thighs.
---WALKING LUNGES. One of the BEST exercises in the world!! I prefer a barbell on my shoulders, but you can also do these with dumbells in your hands. These are best when they are done WALKING, not lunging in one place.
The lunges should be pretty deep, but make sure that the knee on the leg you are lunging with stays behind the ankle (don't hyper-extend).
Lunge up and down the gym, hitting about 12-15 lunges for each leg per set. Use the track if your gym has one, but don't lunge around the corners.
Take the barbell outside and lunch in the parking lot or down the street. Hills can be used for walking lunges too.
I remember working with my trainer once, and he had me doing walking lunges with the Olympic bar uphill in town, right in the middle of the street. RIght when I was DYING, I remember him saying "come on, only about 60 yards left!" :D
---STRAIGHT LEG DEADLIFTS. Another great exercise and one of the guy's favorites! ;D
Again, I prefer the weighted barbell, but dumbells work too.
Stand with your legs straight and slightly apart, in a "comfortable" position. Bend forward sliding the weight down your legs and keeping your back straight. You should be pivoting 100% at the hips and keeping the weight over your heels. Check your form in the mirror....do them with a mirror next to you so that you can watch how you bend.
Only go down to about mid-shin with the weight - no need to go down to your toes, as the lower range will engage your lower back more than your hams and glutes.
When coming back up, focus on squeezing the glutes and keeping your weight over your heels.
In addition to the three MUST-DO exercises, I like to incorporate the following into my lower body workouts:
---Leg Extensions. Squeeze and hold at the top. Adjust foot positioning to vary the exercise.
---Butt Blaster/Donkey Kick machine
---Lying Hamstring Curls. I like to do these one leg at a time.
---Seated Hamstring Curls. This machine is great for working the sartorius muscle, which is the longest muscle in the body.
---Leg Press. Good for the quads, and again you can adjust your foot position to focus on the outer/inner thigh.
---Calf Raise Machines. I use both the seated and standing machines, but if you have a Donkey Calf Raise machine, that is even better because it engages the glutes and hams too.
:)
ripitupbaby:
(3) SAMPLE WORKOUTS
Again, there are many ways to construct good workouts for the lower body, and variety is always a good thing for your body AND your mind.
When I really want to focus on lower body development, I tend to work my lower body twice a week, with one workout more focused on the glutes/quads, and the other more focused on hams/calves.
DAY 1 - GLUTES/QUADS
---Free Squats 4 sets
---Walking Lunges 3 sets
---Leg Press 3 sets
---Leg Extensions 3 sets
---Butt Blaster 3 sets
DAY 2 - HAMS/CALVES
---Walking Lunges 4 sets
---Straight Leg Deadlifts 3 sets
---Seated or Lying Hammy Curls 3 sets of one exercise, or two sets of each
---Standing Calf Raises 3 sets
---Seated Calf Raises 3 sets
ANOTHER OPTION FOR ONCE/WEEK
IF you are limited with time or only want to hit the lower body once per week, I would recommend making your workout consist of the three MUST-DO exercises (squats, lunges, deads), plus one calf exercise, plus one other machine of your choice (leg extensions, presses, hammy curls, etc.) Change the machine of your choice weekly when you do the lower body workout.
:)
davidpaul:
I used to do the walking lunges, they are a tough fuckers to do, really get you breathing.
Butterbean:
Thank you for this thread Rip :)
Do you have an opinion on using the stairmaster backward?
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