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More than losing weight or being a specific size, several clients have shared with me that they just want to feel confident enough to wear those jeans or that dress. Well great legs are certainly within everyone's ability to attain, and you don't even have to sit on those ridiculous machines working your legs in and out for 1000 reps at a time. Whether you're trying to lose weight or become a stronger athlete, to do either you have to move your legs more. And to move your legs more, there are certain exercises that everyone should do to tone, strengthen, and most importantly, decrease risk of injuries that often occur with a sudden increase of activity. If you want to skip all the nerdy Personal Trainer Speak, skip below to the video to see my entire butt workout. But if you have a specific issue that may be butt-related, read on to see how adding these exercises to your routine will help you! Love Your Butt! Your derriere is not just for balancing a glass of champagne - it is a collection of muscles that work together to help the rest of the leg move to propel you forward and up. Any movement that requires hip extension, that is to move the legs from a bent to a straight position, requires the engagement of several muscles that hang out back there. To strengthen and shape, a combination of resistance exercises that target the biggest muscle, the gluteus maximus, and the smaller underlying gluteus medius can help the butt maintain that rounder, lifted look. But here's the thing: no two bodies, and therefor, no two butts are the same. Muscle size does not dictate strength so not everyone's muscles will look the same, even if they can perform exactly the same way. Still, doing these moves will definitely help prevent that dreaded "pancake butt" that no one wants to have!  Clockwise from top: Stationary lunge, bar half/squat w/ kick-back, weighted squat w/ optional overhead press. Protect Your Butt! When the glutes get a little overworked by repetitive motion exercises (like running or cycling), that can result in a variety of issues that may hinder future activity, which is why it's important to work the butt not just for how it will look in those jeans, but to keep it moving strong through every sport and exercise. Complaints from clients and fellow runners alike range from deep low back pain to sciatica to a literal pain in the rear that can only be relieved by constant pressure, like sitting on a lacrosse ball. What is happening here is that while the biggest butt muscle is getting its workout, the deeper, underlying hip extensors are being strained. A combination of strengthening and stretching these smaller muscles is vital for everyone, especially those with a high activity level that involves moving the legs. Exercises that require very little or no movement while holding the leg in a certain position help increase the strength and endurance of these smaller muscles, making them better able to withstand the constant pulling and stretching that goes along repetitive exercises.  From top: "bird-dogs", plank w/ leg lift, "fire hydrants" - ankle weights or resistance bands optional. Watch the video HERE for my entire routine. These are great exercises you can do anywhere, with very little equipment. Just a couple of weights and bands or ankles weights are all you need to do each exercise, so not having a gym to go to should not prevent you from getting your butt into gear! Don't for get to "thumbs up" my video, and leave a comment here, there, or anywhere (FB, Instagram, Twitter) letting me know what exercises you'd like to see or learn more about. And don't forget to hit me up if you're in the ATL - I'm on MeetUp AND Groupon; fill out the Contact Form or email me for more information!
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October 2020
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