Buns of Steel – Glute Training

One of the most common subjects I’m asked questions about by women is regarding glutes – how to get and keep them firm and more importantly…keep them elevated! Throughout my years of training, I have struggled with this myself so I can completely understand the frustration.

Personally, I noticed big change in my glutes after I was no longer playing competitive basketball. While playing, my glutes were the tightest they have ever been. But after stopping I noticed that they began to get a little softer and didn’t sit quite as high.

To get them back to where they had been I began training legs twice a week instead of once as well as squatting lower to hit them, but honestly none of that seemed to get them back to where they were during my basketball days. Realizing this, I decided to start training them by performing exercises in the gym that resembled movements I did when I played.

Building or lifting your glutes differ in terms of training. In order to build, you want to perform exercises such as weighted squats, deadlifts, lunges, and leg presses. If you’re looking to tighten your glutes, exercises like cable kickbacks, glute kick machines, glute bridges, and leg lifts (performed on your knees and forearms kicking one leg up at a time) are the way to go. And if you’re looking to lift them, the key is to perform explosive exercises! This includes exercises such as jumping squats, jumping lunges, box jumps, and the all time best glute exercise is without a doubt sprinting! When is the last time you saw a serious sprinter who didn’t have amazing glutes? After I began incorporating these explosive exercises into my routine, I noticed a major change.

Along with sprints, I swear by the stair master. I rarely use any other piece of cardio equipment. Instead of just climbing them like any other stairs, I stay focused on my glutes the entire time. I sit my hips back so my knees are almost directly above my ankles and push through my heels as I squeeze. Making sure that you’re targeting your glutes with every step will force your body to burn more calories as well as more fat from your glutes by increasing the blood circulation to that area. Consistency is extremely important when attempting to transform a trouble area, so hitting the stairs every workout where you can directly target your glutes, will ensure results. I have made these exercises the foundation of my leg workout and I am a firm believer that there is no better way to train your glutes than with sprints, explosive exercises and the stairmaster. So now it’s time for you to go try it out. Stick by the sprints, stair master and explosive movements, and soon you’ll be seeing a different rear-view in the mirror!

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