The holidays are a time for all things bright and beautiful, even gorgeous bums. I’m thinking about yours and mine! LOL! Jokes aside, I think a trained and perky bum is everyone’s most stunning decoration and here’s what I am going to be doing to keep mine tight over the holidays.

 

I have done these moves to build a bum where there wasn’t one – mine was a curve lacking wasteland. With a bit of sweat in the gym, I have built an acceptable if not pretty good one. PS. My mom had no butt either. Had to build it.

 

Get in the gym and give it everything you’ve got!

 

YOUR GLUTE CIRCUIT

 

1. Flat Bench Single Leg Lying Leg Raise with ankle weights
Place a flat bench against a wall, or somewhere where it won’t move.
Lie on your back on the floor perpendicular and near to the flat bench.
Attach a soft ankle weight to each ankle.
Place one foot on the edge of the bench – this will be the working leg.
The other leg is straight out in front of you.
Engage core, and keeping hands on the floor by your sides, lift your hips while squeezing your glutes and raise your hips as high as you can. Hold and then lower.
Repeat for 10 – 15 reps and 3 sets per leg
 
NB: to get the most out of this exercise, drive through the lift with the working leg, through your heel and really squeeze the buttocks during the lift.
Make it harder: hold at the top of the raise for 15 little pulses.

 

2. Wide Stance Sumo Squat with Dumbbell
Since many of us don’t have access to a gym I am recommending this squat exercise for glute training because you don’t need heavy equipment, just a dumbbell (moderate weight).
Select a good weight – at least 35 pounds – dumbbell. You only need one.
Stand with your feet comfortably far apart and toes pointing out.
Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and have it in front of you, hanging between your legs.
Engage core – your core works all the time even when you aren’t directly training it.
Keep your upper body upright and tight.
Inhale deeply and slowly sink down with the dumbbell held in both hands between your knees. Don’t rest your forearms on your quads.
Hold and squeeze glutes, exhale and then rise up.
Repeat for 10 reps and 5 sets
 
NB: the value of the exercise is improved when you drive through your heels and concentrate on the glute squeeze all the way. Keep your knees in line with your toes in the squat position.

 

3. Supine Butt Bridge
Lie on the floor with your legs hip width apart and drawn towards your body. Hands are by your sides, palms down.

Engage core and contract glutes.

Slowly raise hips as high as possible. Hold the squeeze at the top of the move.
Then exhale, lower and repeat. This is a fully extended hip raise.
After you have performed 10 full range repetitions, remain at the top of the hip raise, keeping glutes contracted, and perform 10 little pulses, then return to performing 10 full range lifts, so you have done a total of 30 butt squeeze movements.
Perform 3 sets of 30 reps per leg (10 full range lifts, 10 pulses, 10 full range lifts with no rest in between)

 

4. Supine Butt Bridge with Weight
Repeat the above exercise but add a weight plate by placing an appropriate weight on your abdomen. Perform the same movements as above.
Perform 3 sets of 30 reps per leg (10 full range lifts, 10 pulses, 10 full range lifts with no rest in between)

 

5. Lunges
Stand erect with feet together. Step forward with your left foot and sink to the floor so that your right knee is almost touching the floor. Return to start upright position and continue to work each leg alternating the lunging action. Keep lunging knee tracking over toes not to one side or the other.

Perform 5 sets of 10 reps per leg

 

NB: lunges work the glutes only if you concentrate on the squeeze.

 

6. Kneeling cable kickback
Attach a low cable ankle strap to your right leg. Set the cable to it’s lowest position. With the end of a flat bench facing the weight stack, kneel on the bench with your left leg. Keeping the right leg straight and free of the bench kick backwards taking the leg to its’ fullest range of movement. Lower and repeat. Work the left leg in a similar manner.
Perform 5 sets of 8 – 10 reps
 
NB: do not overly swing the leg. This cheats the movement and does not adequately stress glute muscles.

 

7. Standing cable kickback
Stand facing the cable machine with a low cable attachment strapped to your right ankle. You may lean forward to grasp an upright to help maintain your balance. Kick the right foot backwards through its’ entire range of movement. Lower and repeat. Work left leg in a similar manner.
Perform 8 – 10 reps for 5 sets

 


Click here for my #12daysofgiving Glute Circ-Out workout playlist!