Do you have a fav body part to train? 

Is it the one you’re best at?  The area that needs most work?

My fav body part to train is butt!  For a few reasons.  The primary one is I LOVE that a previous problem area is now an asset.

Back in the early 90’s I’d get around with not one but two jumpers tied around my waist to hide my butt…. Supremely not fashionable.

I hated swimming not only because I possessed little skill, equally because I hated parading around in my togs (that’s bathers or swimsuit in non-Kiwi!)… Debilitatingly self conscious.

At my first job in a silver service Italian restaurant the boys in the kitchen would break into song whenever I turned  & exited the kitchen, “I like big butts…”  HUMILIATING. enough said. 

I now get even more comments on my derrière. The difference is they’re flattering.

YES, I have upgraded my mindset with regard to my body – beyond that I’ve also farewelled flabby & forbidden flat… so in the interests of sharing some Booty Love: 

Key 1. FOCUS: Ensuring Your Mindset Is Working For You.

=> As with other aspect of your health goal if you’ve been focusing on what you don’t want – you’ll have been getting more of exactly that!  It’s time to get clear on the body (the booty!) you want, to picture it – either your own from the past or someones else’s asset. I’m serious.

Action Step: source a picture that inspires you and put it somewhere that you get to see it repeatedly every single day.  My place of preference is my screen-saver.  

=> Now you have the inspiration it’s time to eliminate any negative language that you may be in the habit of using when you describe your body or your ability to achieve your goal.

Creating a new habit takes discipline and it will seem forced to start with.  However, when you persist it’s amazing how effectively you can eliminate the self-talk that has held you back and replace it with more resourceful thoughts => language => actions => RESULTS.

With the knowledge that when you take away something there needs to be a replacement to fill the void it’s time to come up with some supportive alternatives to the negative self-talk.

Action Step: take the time to think of everything you currently say, feel, think that is not championing your achievement of this goal.  Manufacture an alternative for each to be switched to immediately each time you start that old thought. 

Yes, manufacture…this is about creating the beliefs and new neural associations (habitual pathways in your mind) that work to your best advantage.

=> Finally it’s time to harness your focus in each and every rep of each and every set when you are training – to get the most out of your work-out.  The mind-muscle link is now widely acknowledged.

This means your ability to focus 100% on the muscle you are training will increase muscle fiber activation and maximize the results you achieve from your training.

Action Step: ok this one is optional butt recommended!  Many people find it easier when starting training to actually lightly touch the muscle they are focusing on to assist with accurate muscle recruitment. 

You’ve seen the people with hand on stomach while working abs?  Your call here.  However at the very least make a conscious effect to focus on the main target area as you work it, think ‘firm butt’ (or whatever work for you!) in each of the exercises in the program to follow.  It really is especially important with your Glutes (butt muscles) as most people are ‘Quadricep dominant’ and much more readily recruit their quads even when it’s the Glutes job to jump in and help out.

Onwards with the exercise component of Booty Love…

Key 2. GREAT GLUTES WEIGHTS: Ensure You Target Your Glutes Twice A Week.

=> A split routine is necessary to accommodate the range of exercises needed for that delightful derrière.  Your split will be dependent on how many days you train weights.

For example if it’s 3 days a week the split may be: 

Day 1. lower body (Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps).

Day 2. upper body (Back, Chest, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps).

Day 3. predominately lower body with 1-2 back and 1 chest.

I like 4 days as follows including 1 core exercise at the end of each day: 

Day 1. (Monday) Back (4 exercises), Chest (2 exercises – it’s mainly a back day but my chest work-out is weak if I do it with shoulders or triceps) & Biceps (covered with back).

Day 2. (Tuesday) Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps. (I haven’t worked my calves separately for years as aesthetically I don’t want any more size or definition than what comes naturally with all the walking I do)

Day 3. (Thursday) Shoulders (4 exercises) & Triceps (2-3 exercises).

Day 4. (Saturday) Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps with Back (2 exercises) and maybe 1 triceps and 1 isolated biceps.

As this post is about the Booty, that’s where I’ll provide the exercises (and they’ll also cover your hamstrings and quadriceps) however it’s important to note that all muscle groups need to be worked for an esthetically pleasing and efficiently functioning bod!

=> Form is always more important than lifting a heavy weight.  Having said that, you need to be working hard – at the end of each set if you feel like you had more reps in you the intensity needs to increase!

Either the weight needs to go up, the speed needs to slow down, increase your range of motion, decrease your rest period or superset/tri-set 2-3 exercises back to back without rest.

=> Include 2 days rest between working the same muscle group for adequate recovery.

More of my fav exercises: Fat Loss Moves

AND NOW: the specific lower bod exercises to sculpt Booty Love…

A1. LOW (knee gently kiss ground) BARBELL LUNGE (8-12 repetitions)

A2. WALK-OUT (6 repetitions each side)

B1. BB SQUAT (8-12 repetitions)

B2. 1.5 Rep REVERSE LUNGE (12-20 repetitions)

C1. BB DEAD-LIFT (8-12 repetitions)

C2. STEP DOWN (my height of ‘step’ set up is 7. Yours will be dependent on your height and strength. Start with body-weight and progress to hold a 10kg plate and then a 10kg plate in each hand) (8-12 repetitions)

D1. SPLIT SQUAT (8-12 repetitions)

D2. SIDE PLANK LEG RAISE (12-20 repetitions)

Key 3. EAT CLEAN: For Booty Emphasis All Other Areas Need To Stay Lean!

=> Genetically a lot of us are more inclined to store fat in our butt, hips and thighs.

Wherever your fat likes to hang clean food is the fat shaving savior.

Specifically;

Eating primary one ingredient based meals based around fibrous veg, lean protein and good fat is going to help grow and maintain lean muscle mass which is metabolically active tissue so your metabolism will be cranking.

Regular meals help stabilise blood sugar levels which creates an environment for fat burning and lessons the chances of hunger/craving induced bingeing which inevitably leads to elevated blood sugar levels, the release of insulin and the creation of an environment conducive to fat storing.

Clean food eaten frequently also utilises the thermic effect of food. That is the amount of energy your body uses just to metabolize the food.

Protein has the highest at up to 30%.  A general rule is the more natural the food is, the harder your body will work to process it – and that’s a good thing. Accordingly fake, processed, sugary and fatty foods elicit the lowest thermic effect at around 3%. 

Some Simple Guidelines;

=> Avoid eating Carbs and Fat together as this combination creates the perfect hormonal environment in your body for FAT STORAGE.  Obviously there will be small quantities of all macronutrients in each meal however an optimal focus would be…

SO: Meals 1 – 3 = Carbs and Protein

Meals 4 – 5/6 = Protein and Fat

=> When possible eat your Carbs at the 2 times your body is most primed to make use of them as fuel (rather than store them as fat). Directly following your intense weights session and the first meal of the day.

=> For optimal strength during your weight work-out, eat as necessary to fuel your session OR avoid food prior if that is how you train your strongest.  Most people train well with a light snack around 60-90mins before training, however every ‘body’ is different.  Generally, you do not want your body to be wasting energy metabolizing a big meal rather than on dominating your session though.

=> To fuel your muscles consume Protein (with optional carbohydrates to help with absorption) within 30-45 minutes of finishing your weights session.

=> Consume plenty of Cruciferous veg.  Why?  Our stress filled, toxin filled world is rampant with substances that mimic the effect of estrogen in our body.  If estrogen gets outta whack it can lead to extra fat storage in estrogen sensitive areas such as HIPS & THIGHS (and flabby hips and thighs aren’t going to flatter your booty!) 🙁 …luckily the cruciferous family of veggies have super-veggie abilities to create a balance again.  Your slim thigh friends? Broccoli, kale, brussels, cauliflower & cabbage! 

My fav recipes: FREE ‘Easy Vegan’ plan.