After a few weeks on the east coast, I’m back!  I ‘m now 16 weeks into my glute training program and have added in a few new exercises  to experiment with and to help keep things fresh .  I started my morning with a 40 minute fasted cardio and then hit the gym in the afternoon.

This is what my training session looked like…

Warm Up  – 1 mile

Foam Roll -  8-10 min

Dynamic  Exercises & Stretches -  neck rotation, side and overhead  and side arm circles, arm swings, shoulder dislocation, overhead squat, dynamic hip flexion, leg swings and hip circles, ankle circles, cat-camel, glute bridge, spinal roll, hip flexor stretch, glute stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch
Clam shells – 3 sets of 20 (I have now included these in as part of my warm up)

backside update

1a) Lateral Hurdle Jumps – 4 sets of 10
1b) Reverse Leg Press – 4 sets of 12  (with a 3 sec hold at top position)
1c) RKC Plank – 4 sets for 60s (my elbows were farther away from my body, legs together, glutes squeezed and  in a front plank position.  I pulled my feet towards my elbows and pulled my elbows toward my feet contracting all muscles in body.)
1d) Single Leg Hip Extension on Swiss Ball – 4 sets of 15 (Lying on my back, I placed my working foot on top of a swiss ball, toes up with a slight bend in the knee.  My opposite foot was up in the air.  I raised my hips up off the ground and held the top position for 2s.  These were not only great for the glutes but a pretty sick core exercise as I had to maintain balance so I didn’t fall off the ball )

Cool Down – side planks, glute stretch, hip stretch
1 mile walk

my serving with asparagus & mixed greens

chops right out of oven

Ingredients
2 Organic Boneless Pork Chops
2 cups Hazelnut meal
½ tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1TBS basil
1 TBS Oregano
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
2 Organic eggs (Cage-free)
2 tsp of dairy-free pesto

Directions
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.  Mix hazelnut meal and seasonings in a medium size bowl.   In a separate bowl, scramble the eggs with a fork.  Dip the pork chop into the egg and immediately coat with the seasoning mixture.  Place chops in a casserole dish, or on a cookie sheet lightly coated with coconut oil. Bake for 35-40 min.  Take out of the oven and top  with a tsp of pesto while cooling.  I served this with asparagus and a mixed green salad.

Here’s what my training session looked like….

Warm up – 1 mile walk
Foam Roll – 10 min

slide reverse lunge start position

slide back into reverse lunge

slide reverse lunge bottom position; contract and hold for 5 seconds

Dynamic Exercises and Stretches:  hip flexor stretch, neck rotation, side and overhead arm circles, arm swings, shoulder dislocation, overhead squat, dynamic hip flexion, leg swings, ankle circles, hip circles, cat-camel, glute bridge, spinal roll, hip flexor stretch, glute stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch

Box Squat Jump – 3 sets of 5 (I always like to start with some kind of explosive movement before I get into my training)

Elevated Pistol Squats – 5 sets of 10 (I used a plyo box to do these.  I stood on the edge of the box, on one leg, with my arms extended out in front. My opposite leg was extended straight out and kept parallel to the ground as I squatted down as far as possible.  I find these always to be challenging if I haven’t done them in a while.)
superset with
Single-Leg Band Reverse Hyper – 5 sets of 15 (these are still at the top of the list for me . I made sure to pause at the top position for a 2 second hold and I really contracted the glutes)

Maximal Contraction Slide Reverse Lunge – 5 sets of 15 (I placed a slide underneath the ball of my working foot, slid back into a reverse lunge position.  In the bottom position, I concentrated on pulling my front heel back and pushing my opposite knee forward to help contract all the muscles in the lower body, especially the glutes , and I held this position for 5 seconds before returning to start. These are by far the simplest and easiest exercise, yet so effective!)
superset with
Barbell Glute Bridge – 5 sets of 10 (I sat on a mat and rolled a loaded bar over me from my feet, placed the padded bar across my hips, velcro face up, and with an even hand position on the bar.  I laid on my back and set up in glute bridge position.  Squeezing the bar tightly, I raised my hips and held at the top position for 3 seconds, really squeezing the glutes.  I enjoy these and feel they are easy to set up when you’re training alone.  This was such a fun superset for me and I always get excited when working with the barbell!

Swiss Ball Mountain Climber – 3 sets of 25 (I placed my hands on a swiss ball for stability and alternated raising each knee. This is an awesome exercise for ab strength, back and shoulder stability…and a nice change from doing regular mountain climbers )

Cool Down – front and side planks, glute bridge, glute stretch, hamstring stretch and hip flexor stretch
I mile walk home

This was seriously one of the best lower body/glute workouts I’ve done in a while. I have already started my day with some morning fasted cardio, will be heading to the hill for some sprints, then ending my day with mobility drills and foam rolling.

Here’s what my afternoon training session looked like….

Warm up – 1 mile walk
Foam Roll – 10 min

Dynamic Exercises and Stretches:  hip flexor stretch, neck rotation, side and overhead arm circles, arm swings, shoulder dislocation, overhead squat, dynamic hip flexion, leg swings, ankle circles, hip circles, cat-camel, glute bridge, spinal roll, hip flexor stretch, glute stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch

cossack squat start postion

cossack squat lowered position

Dumbbell RDL – 5 sets of 10 (love all RDLs… I always get a nice stretch in the hamstrings and real nice glute hit from these )
superset with
Reverse Hyper – 5 sets of 20 (just used my bodyweight with a 2 sec hold at the top position; after 5 sets my glutes were on fire!)

Cossack Squat – 5 sets of 15 (these are one of my favorite lower body exercises I like to do to help build my hip strength, flexibility and mobility all at the same time;  I only needed to use my bodyweight.  I started in a wide, “sumo” stance with my toes pointed out; squatted and started the motion by shifting my weight to one side, kept an arch in my lower back and upper body upright, made sure my knee tracked over my toes and my foot on the “working side” was on the ground. My opposite leg remained  straight, with my toes off the ground and pointed upwards as I kept my heel on the ground.  I’m always trying to work on form and technique and there’s so much to think about when doing these!)
superset with
Single-Leg Elevated Glute Bridge – 5 sets of 15 (glute bridge position with my front foot elevated on an aerobic step, held for 2 sec at the top position)

Swiss Ball Front Plank -3 sets for 60s (had my elbows on the swiss ball and feet on a flat bench, I kept my core really tight and braced to keep my balance, so I didn’t fall off the ball )
superset with
Swiss Ball Side Plank – 3 set for 30s

Cool Down – hip flexor stretch, glute stretch, hamstring stretch, glute bridge
1 mile walk home

I am starting to see results (and Jay is too )… very excited about this!

place BB on back, squeeze and hold firmly

elevate front foot and place back foot on bench

squat down keeping back arched and chest out

After a few beach workouts, I returned to the gym for a training session to mix things up a bit.  The exercise of the week for me was a harder version of the BB Bulgarian split squat, as I elevated my front foot, to increase my ROM in my hips and to really hit the glutes, hamstrings and quads.  These were much harder than I thought, as I had to concentrate on my form but also keep my balance at the same time so I didn’t fall .  I did my first set with just my bodyweight to warm up and to be sure of my foot placement.  I then placed the BB on my upper back, (again, I’m not looking to load heavy weight on my back) placed my lead foot on an elevated surface (using an aerobic step) and my back foot on a flat bench. I squeezed the bar on the upper part of my back and held the bar tightly and firmly with a thumb-less grip, while  keeping my core tight.  I squatted down on my front leg keeping my back arched and chest out.  From the bottom position, I led with the chest to return to the start position as this really helps to keep the arch in my back.  I love these as they hit the glutes real nice!  After 5 sets of 10 alternated with elevated single-leg hip thrusts, I could barely walk .   I will be heading back to the beach today for some more sled drags, pulls and swings.

Here’s what Sunday’s beach training session looked like…..

Warm-up

Dynamic Exercises and Stretches:  hip flexor stretch, neck rotation, side and overhead arm circles, arm swings, shoulder dislocation, overhead squat, dynamic hip flexion, leg swings, ankle circles, hip circles, cat-camel, glute bridge, spinal roll, calf stretch

single-leg kettlebell RDL

Broad Jump – 5 sets of 5
superset with
Kettlebell Front Squat – 5 sets of 15 (these where explosive with a 2 sec pause at the bottom. Be sure to keep the core tight and back arched; lead with the chest as you come up without losing the arch in your back. )

Maximal Contraction Walking Lunge -5 sets of 15 (since I’ve been doing these in the sand, my reps have greatly increased)
superset with
Band Good Morning – 5 sets of 20 (I can’t get enough of these )
superset with
Single-Leg Kettlebell RDL– 5 sets of 12 (these are sick in the sand…I kept saying that to Jay the whole time … I paused at the bottom for a few seconds before returning to start position.  Be sure to get a nice stretch in the hamstring and really squeeze the glute)

I finished up my workout with some kettlebell sled drags, pulls and swings. You know that feeling when your legs feel like jello afterwards…check!

Kettlebell Sled Drag – 3 x 50 yds
superset with
Kettlebell Swing – 3 sets of 20

Kettlebell Sled Pull – 3 x 50 yds
superset with
Kettlebell Swing – 3 sets of 20

Cool down – glute stretch, hamstring stretch, glute bridge, front and side plank

If you’re still wondering about some of these exercises; you can find video demos on my Youtube page.

This was good times for sure!  My legs needed a little rest, so we stayed for a little and soaked up a few rays before heading back home .

Here’s what my training session looked like…

Warm Up
Dynamic Exercises:  arm circles, arm swings, neck rotation, shoulder dislocation, over head squat, hip flexion, hip circles, leg swings (forward/back &side to side), ankle circles, cat-camel

handstand on parallettes

Standing Broad Jump – 5 sets of 5 (harder to do in sand for sure…before jumping be sure to take a deep breath in and really brace the core; concentrate on the landing with toes down in the sand.)
superset with
Explosive Bodyweight Squats – 5 sets of 10 ( since I was not using weight, I was sure to explode out of the bottom position and really squeeze the glutes at top.

Maximal Contraction Walking Lunge – 5 sets of 15 (I really like doing these on the sand as you really have to concentrate on form and balance.)
superset with
Band Good Morning – 5 sets of 20

Kettlebell Sand Drag – 4 x 50 yd
superset with
Kettlebell Sand Pull – 4 x 50 yd

Handstands on parallettes – I did these 3x’s.  (I was able to hold my handstand for almost 15 sec, so I’m thinking the next progression for me will be handstand pushups.)

Cool Down – stretches and short walk home

Here’s a little peek at my workout…

pesto chicken tenders right out of oven

my serving on mixed greens and half a yam

just fyi, here's the pesto I use

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs  Organic chicken tenders
¼  tsp salt
1 TB Italian seasonings
½ tsp of basil
½ tsp of oregano
2 TBS crushed garlic
2 lemons
3 TBS of pesto
pepper to taste
Coconut oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spread a 7 x 11 inch glass casserole dish with coconut oil.  Place chicken tenders side by side in the dish and sprinkle with seasonings.  Spread the crushed garlic all over the tenders.  Squeeze the juice from the lemons on top of the chicken and let sit before putting in the oven.  Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes until the tenders are no longer pink inside.  Take out of the oven and spread the fresh pesto on top while the tenders are cooling.  Serve with your own sides.  I always enjoy my chicken on top of a mixed green salad.

Here’s what my afternoon training session looked like…

Warm Up

1 mile walk
Foam Roll -10 min

Dynamic  Exercises and Stretches – shoulder dislocation, overhead squat,  arm circles, arm swings, hip circles, dynamic hip flexion, leg swings, hip flexor stretch, glute stretch, hamstring, cat-camel, spinal roll, calf stretch

single leg BB squat

single-leg elevated glute bridge

opposite arm/leg RDL

1) Box Jump – 3 sets of 5

2a) Single Leg BB Squat (on bench)- 5 sets of 10 –  (I kept the weight super light and it was still very effective.   I used a weighted straight bar and placed my back foot on a flat bench.  Be sure to squeeze the bar on the upper part of your back and hold bar tightly and firmly with a thumb-less grip. Squat down on front leg keeping your back arched and chest out.  Keep the core tight and lead with the chest as you come back to start position as this will help to keep your back arched.  Be sure to use your glutes to pull back up.  These will definitely be added to my list of favorite glute exercises .)

2b) Single -Leg Elevated Glute Bridge– 5 sets of 15 ((lay on back with knees bent in glute bridge position, place one foot on an elevated box; I used one of those aerobic steps; and raise the other leg.  Lower  hips straight down and lift back up and be sure to hold 2 sec at top to really isolate the glute)

2c) Opposite Arm/Opposite Single- Leg Romanian Deadlift – 5 sets of 10 (I held a 10 lb plate for balance in opposite hand.  Keep your core tight and on one leg, bend at the waist while lower the weight to the ground. You should feel a nice stretch in the hamstring and be sure to use your glute to pull back up to starting position.

3) Cross-body Mountain Climber-3 sets of 25

4a) Front Plank 3 set for 60s
superset with
4b) Side Plank – 3 sets for 30s

Cool down – prone mountain, glute bridge with foam roller between knees, glute stretch, hamstring stretch, spinal roll

1 mile walk home.

Be sure to check out my YouTube page to find video demos of these exercises and more.

I’m really working hard; sticking to the plan and working the glutes… hope it all pays off!

I’m  heading out for some fasted morning cardio and will be hitting the foam roller, flexiblity and mobility drills and getting in some heavy KB drags on the beach.  Good times!

Recently asked….

JF: What are your favorite/ most result producing glute exercises?

Here are my top 10 favorite glute exercises which I have incorporated into my training and find to produce the best results…

1. Single-leg Romanian deadlift

2. Single leg hip thrust/glute bridge

3. High step up

4. Pistol squat

5. Barbell squat

6. Rack deadlift

7. Band good morning

8. Single-leg band reverse hyper

9. 45 Degree back raise

10. Hill sprints

This is a continual journey for me…as many of you are unaware that I was told by Jay, at first sight, that I had a pancake a$$.  I will not have that again!!

Please feel free to share your favorites below