Written by Jamie Bantleman

Behind The Scenes

"How can I tone my bum without gaining thunder thighs?"

One of the most desired areas for growth on a girl is the glutes. How often do you see social media parade the endless ‘booty’ pictures. Do you want to join in on the '#instabooty' bandwagon? Become a '#bootybuilder' with the following tips!

overhead squat

First and foremost you should always consider the training frequency of the targeted muscle group. For maximal growth there must be enough time spent developing the muscle as well as enough time resting the muscle, this will allow development and aid recovery from intense sessions.

Developing lagging body parts can be done by targeting the area 2-3 times per week. Use different angles, number of repetitions and sets as well as shortened and lengthened time under tension, this will really benefit those stubborn areas.

Glutes can be worked by isolated movements such as rope pull throughs and reverse hyperextensions as well as within the larger more compound movements such as the squat or deadlift.

deadlift

The gluteus muscles are made up of the gluteus medius and minimus which lie beneath the gluteus maximus. The Glut.Max moves in a different way to the other 2 part of the muscle as it is moved by hip extension where as the Glut.Med and Glut.Min are moved by leg abduction. Therefore to ensure all of the muscles above are worked efficiently it is vital to make sure your programme includes all of the different movement patterns to avoid over domination in certain parts of the glute.

Exercises that are great for the gluteus maximus are Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, Hip Bridges, Rope Pull Throughs and Good Mornings. However, for the gluteus medius and minimus, exercises such as Walking Lunges, High Step Ups and Cable Kick Backs. These movements are much more isolated and have less impact on the joints around the gluteus muscles such as the lower back, therefore prioritising movements such as deadlifts at the start of the workout is the best way in which to go about programming for glute development.

The Best Exercises to Get Toned Glutes

The 'Bootylicious' Workout

The plan below should be repeated over a 9 day cycle. For best results, make sure you warm up, stretch, cool down and keep your diet on track. Have a look at our Active Women range for extra benefits!

Complete day 1, rest for 2 days, complete day 2, rest for 2 days, complete day 3... You get the picture?

Gluteus Muscles Development Plan Day 1
OrderExerciseSetsRepsTempoRest
A1Deadlift553010120s
B1Barbell Hip Bridges5830X010s
B2Dumbbell Walking Lunges58202090s
C1Back Extension510311010s
C2Cable Kickbacks510311090s

You can do it.. Keep going!

Gluteus Muscles Development Plan Day 2
OrderExerciseSetsRepsTempoRest
A1Glute Ham Raise48301010s
A2Wide Stance Dumbbell Squat48411060s
B1Romanian DeadLift410301010s
B2Reverse Hyperextension410311060s
C1Squat Position Hold (Banded around knees) Each Leg Moving laterally for 3 seconds holds412xxxx10s
C2High and Wide Leg Press412311060s

Nearly there...

Gluteus Muscles Development Plan Day 3
OrderExerciseSetsRepsTempoRest
A1Back Extension48301010s
A2Reverse Hyperextensions48411060s
A3Romanian DeadLift410301010s
A4Dumbbell Wide Stance Squat410311060s
A5High and Wide Leg Press412301010s
A6Dumbbell Walking Lunges412311060s

And breathe...

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