Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Video :: Favorite Leg/Glute Exercises

So I mentioned this a few times either on twitter, instagram and youtube - but because I've gotten a lot of requests on what my favorite exercises are etc.. I decided it would be best to break these up into a series.. so starting off with the most asked one - what are my favorite legs/glute(BOOTY) exercises..




These are ALL of our favorite leg/butt exercises that can help build the perfect Booty!


Watch the video (don't forget to like and subscribe!):






Barbell Back Squats:


Keep back straight and knees pointed same direction as feet, bend knees forward and allow hips to bend back behind. Descend until hips and knees are fully bent. Extend legs until knees and hips are straight. Rinse and repeat

When done properly (ATG = @$$ to grass.. meaning not quarter squats/above parallel) but basically when your butt touches your calf or literally your @$$ to the floor or as LOW as possible) these squats target a lot more than just your glutes and quads.. but they target your core as well (because you should keep your core/abdomen tight at all times during this exercise) 

And for those ladies that have asked me what exercises that help "build a booty" these exercises in the video and am picturing here are ALL great exercises to build your legs and butt.  I must say that in order to build muscle (booty and legs).. you need to lift heavy.. no not 20lbs.. but heavy (of course as much as you can tolerate.. i've been squatting for quite a while and have noticed a dramatic change in my legs and butt, especially after having Sophia.. After having her I literally had a pancake butt LOL but now it's getting super perky and round.. I'm definitely going to keep going until i'm satisfied with my butt lol.. so if you want to build a butt and your legs - this is definitely one exercise you'll not want to skip!


Deadlifts (RDL's):

(this is not my max. My Max is 205lbs)

(Xtian's Max is 545lbs)

There are different variations of this exercise (Romanian Deadlift, Stiff-Legged Deadlift etc) and this is a great exercise that not only works out your hamstrings aka "hammies", but also works out your glutes (as you squeeze them together), but also works out your quads, back, biceps and core. This is a complex exercise.. and I also lift heavy too.. but definitely with ALL exercises, you want to perfect and practice on form before adding heavier weight.. Nothing worse than having bad form but lifting heavy.


Bench Step-Ups:


This is single leg (but of course you do both, but not at the same time) can be very difficult if you've never done these before but definitely strengthens your glutes, quads, hamstrings, core and helps build balance. As with most exercises, you want to really squeeze your glutes when you reach the top and drive with the weight on your heels not the ball of your foot. you'll definitely feel these in your butt! The trick is to have a higher bench or a platform, but work with what you have (cause I sure didn't have a higher bench..). I just started incorporating this into my leg routine, so hence why I'm still sorta wobbly in the video!


Pistol Squats:

Another great exercise to work quads and glutes. (this is basically a one legged squat)  Can be done on a bench (like a bench step up), or as a modification can hold on to a chair or wall for support if your balance is not good. 


Good Mornings:


Another great exercise to work hammies (which in turn helps lift your booty!) When you go down, you really want to feel that stretch in your hamstrings (try not to bounce though at the bottom) and like the squat and deadlift - you want hip drive as you go up and down. so when you go back up - REALLY SQUEEZE YOUR BUTT ;D 


Bulgarian Lunges/Split Squats (weighted or not):


You definitely do not want to skip these exercises.. although it's great training both legs at the same time (i.e.: squats and deadlifts etc), these single leg exercises are great to create balance between both legs as well as balance and proprioception. This of course also prevents injury.  I know that some people complain of knee pain when doing these exercises leg exercises.. but when done properly as with any exercise, these can actually strengthen your knee stabilizers depending on how strong your glutes are. So you can do a deep lunge which will target more glutes/hammies.. or shorter distance hits quads more. Although I used an older clip from a few months ago, you get the idea! 


Lying Leg Curls:
this exercise is yet another great exercise to strengthen your hamstrings. The  lying leg curl exercise is the most common exercise to develop hamstrings, because it allows you to fully isolate your leg biceps without stressing other muscles. We often times forget about the back of the legs when we are so used to working on the quads etc.  There are many variations of hamstring exercises that are also our favorites (like glute ham raises etc, but these are just the main exercises we do)


We hope you enjoyed the video! Although we love to do other leg/glute exercises (like glute ham raises, hip thrusts, one legged RDL's etc) these are the usual exercises that we always do on leg days. Please comment, like and subscribe to our channel for more! (next up will be favorite ab, arms, etc - you decide!) 



FTC/DISCLAIMER: NOT a sponsored post. Also, as with any exercise regimen, please consult your doctor before starting any exercise regimen/program.  We are NOT personal trainers, so please read these exercise posts at your discretion 


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