Weight Training
Butt Exercises
Your
Guide To A Tighter Tush
by Raphael
Calzadilla, BA, ACE, RTS1
From eFitness - Providing you with customized,
convenient and affordable workout plans! "The characteristic of
genuine heroism is its persistency. The heroic cannot be common, nor the common
heroic."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
To say I was bombarded with emails after my
first Gladiator Glutes article is an understatement! A slew of people emailed
to say that not only are they making progress on the routine, but they want
more, more, more! So, I guess I’ll continue to be a pain in the…
butt. Here is part two of the Gladiator Glutes series.
The three most common questions I get are,
"How do I get a flat stomach?" "How do I lose these hips?" and "How do I
tighten my butt?" Every female client I've ever trained has asked me,
“What do I have to do to get a great looking butt?” Not one of my
male clients has ever asked me that question!
The gluteus muscles are one of the most
beautiful sets of muscles in the body, yet people always seem to buy clothes
with the goal of covering them. Let’s face it, we know that people are
looking. So, whether you have a "flat butt," a "big butt" or "no butt," I have
a routine that will kick butt!
One of the things I’ve always told my
clients is that after working with me, they’ll be able to lie on the floor
face down and I’ll be able to bounce a dime off their rear ends! Yes, I
have that much confidence that I can help anyone get a better looking backside.
However, like all good things, it does take work.
I’m providing one of my all-time
favorite glute routines that works like a charm. Hopefully, you’ll have
trouble sitting down the next day. If you perform this routine correctly and
with the proper consistency and intensity, you’ll never wear that black
extra large t-shirt that falls to your knees again! Before I provide a
brief overview of the gluteus, I need to make one thing perfectly clear as I
did in my last glutes article. You will never have a great looking butt if your
body fat is excessive. You don’t have to be skinny or be at 3 percent body
fat. In fact, you can probably be 15 pounds over your ideal weight and still
have great glutes. However, at a certain point, excess body fat will negate any
affects you’re attempting to accomplish. That being said, your thought
process to get great glutes should begin with your nutrition working for you
and not against you.
Let’s get a better understanding of the
eye catching gluteus muscles. The glutes are comprised of the gluteus maximus,
gluteus medias and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is a major stabilizer
of the pelvis and runs from the iliac crest to the femur and iliotibial band.
The gluteus medias and minimus lie directly
beneath the maximus. The primary function of the gluteus maximus is to extend
the thigh at the hip and also to rotate the thigh away from the midline of the
body. The gluteus medias and minimus serve to move the thigh away from the body
and towards the midline of the body. There’s more to this muscle group,
but this should be a good introduction for you. Plus, I know you’re eager
for the workout. I always like to provide a brief overview of a muscle group,
because it’s important to know how your body functions.
GLADIATOR GLUTE WORKOUT... PART 2
I will not be providing descriptions for
each and every exercise. That’s what eFitness and our 3-D exercise
animations are for! One of the interesting things about the gluteus muscles is
thatthey are difficult, if not impossible, to completely isolate. Other muscle
groups will come into play, but that’s actually a good thing because it
will create more total balance and symmetry to your body.
After all, great glutes should be
accompanied by great quadriceps and hamstrings. However, I have had great
success with specific foot positioning to better attempt to isolate the glutes.
In this new glute workout, I step things up a bit, so take your time getting
used to it and go at your own pace to begin. In this workout, I manipulate time
between sets as well as incorporate super sets!
It’s show time!
 1a. SQUATS: The barbell squat is one
of the best lower body exercises on the planet. It works just about the entire
lower body. However, leg positioning can assist in better isolating the glutes.
If you position your feet about 1-2 inches past shoulder width and squat to a
parallel position, youll really feel those glutes being worked. However, you
have to go to the parallel position for maximum effectiveness. Dont let ego
guide you on this exercise. Lower the weight if necessary and focus on perfect
form. This routine will have you performing three sets of 20 reps to momentary
muscular failure. However, after each set of squats, I want you to go directly
to the next exercise without a break!
 1b. STATIONARY
LUNGES: Stand straight with your feet together. Hold a dumbbell in each
hand with your arms down at your sides. Step forward with the right leg and
lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor. Bring the left leg
back in line with the right leg and repeat the process with the same leg for 15
reps. The step should be long enough so that your left leg is nearly straight.
Then, perform the same movement with the
opposite leg. Do not let your knee touch the floor. Make sure your head is up
and your back is straight. Your chest should be lifted and your front leg
should form a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the movement. Also, your knee
should not pass your foot. After completing both legs, rest three minutes and
then perform 1a and 1b all over again. Remember, perform three total sets
combined with squats.
ANGLED LEG PRESS: Place your feet two
inches higher than you normally do on the leg press machine in order to place
more overload on the gluteus and hamstrings. Your feet can be positioned at
shoulder width or just a little wider. Make sure you lower the weight just a
tad below 90 degrees, but no more. We cant forget that we need to protect those
knees! Complete three sets of 15 reps of the leg press and take no more than 75
seconds between sets. This is a high volume rep routine. Make sure your legs
are high enough on the platform so you can really feel your glutes on the
negative part of the movement.
 STAIRMASTER: Now, Im going to
switch gears and have you perform 25 minutes on the Stairmaster. This will
place a little different emphasis on the glutes and incorporate some additional
calorie burning cardio. Many people dont perform cardio after an intense
leg/glute workout, because its just so intense. Well take it the extra mile and
finish things off, so that we incorporate the best of both worlds.
By the way, when you're performing this
movement, your body should be upright and you should not support your body with
the handrails. It is acceptable to balance yourself with the handrails, but
avoid using them for support (as this will take away from your workout). Do not
lean forward!
Perform the above routine every six days for
three weeks. If you don’t feel your glutes the next day after performing
this routine, then something is seriously wrong! Also, if you’re a
beginner or novice then reduce the sets to just one or two and focus on form.
You’ll need to build to the volume and intensity safely, but once you do,
people will be noticing. The end result will be admirers noticing and thinking,
"great butt!"
A competitive bodybuilder and former 2001
Mr. Connecticut, the author, Raphael Calzadilla, BA, ACE, RTS1 2001 Mr.
Connecticut (Short and Masters Class) is a veteran of the health and fitness
industry who specializes in a holistic approach to body transformation,
nutrition programs and personal training.
He earned his B.A. in Communications from
Southern Connecticut State University and is certified as a personal trainer
with ACE and APEX. In addition, he successfully completed the RTS1 program
based on biomechanics. |
