10 Tips for Building Great Glutes

Appearance is important for everyone. We all feel good when we receive compliments about our looks, especially when the reason for our good look is the hard work we put in the gym. This is a typical example of positive reinforcement and it is in our human nature to seek that reinforcement. Both, men and women, have favorite days of the training week, when they focus on the body part they want to improve the most. For women, this body part is usually their glutes and they spend a lot of time doing legs exercises and following glutes building programs. While many things are strongly individual and relative, according to the woman’s fitness level, goal and preferences, there are 10 general tips that are valid for anyone, who wants to shape great glutes.

1. Have a clear goal and make a plan. Be honest with yourself whether you only need to get fitter, or you must lose some weight too. When you want to achieve something, it is very important to be aware of where you are currently on the path towards your destination, and what your obstacles are. Then, think about what is going to be your plan! Maybe you need a personal trainer, maybe you need help with your diet, or maybe a group class would be the best option for you. Whatever it is, make a plan and half of the work is done.
2. Build some muscle! Yes, this would mean to start lifting heavier weights and not to fear them. You are not going to get bulky, unless this is the look you aim for, and getting that look does not happen overnight, so chill out and grab the iron. If you really want to have nice shaped legs and glutes, you need to work on gaining a few pounds of pure muscle that will give you this curvy Brazilian booty look.
3. Use variety of exercises! Do not focus only on heavy squats and deadlifts, but do not neglect them either! You need those 4-6 reps of the squats to build the muscle, but you also need some lighter sets of 13-15 reps, after the heavy ones, to shape and define what you build. Consider burnout sets of 30+ reps at the end of your workout of some simple and less complex exercises like donkey kicks and glute bridges.
4. Do not stick with one workout for too long but do not change it too fast either. This one is a little tricky, and you might need to experiment a bit to find out what works best for you. It is good for your body to do different exercises to avoid adaptation, but you must also give your workout plan some time to work. Every week you should challenge your legs and glutes with a harder workout than the last one by adding more weight, increasing the reps and/or the sets, but do not change the entire workout every time. Change some of your exercises only after you had completed 6-8 weeks of consistent work.
5. Include balance exercises too like single leg Romanian deadlift, Bulgarian split squats, single leg jumps, single leg glute bridges, etc. Often, people avoid single leg exercises, because they are difficult to perform and it is easier to say “I do not have good balancing skills, I cannot do that.” Balance is something you develop overtime and it could be the missing piece in your workout. Such exercises ensure that both of your sides grow stronger equally and prevent you from many injuries that could happen from imbalance in the muscles.
6. When your goal is to improve the appearance of a particular part in your body, this should be on your mind more often than just once a week. You can decide whether to have one, or two legs days in your training week, depending on how much time you have and how advanced you are. However, you must perform 5-10 minutes of glutes exercise approximately 4-6 days a week, apart from your main glutes training. Those 5-10 minutes do not need to be hard and should not feel as a chore. Instead, perceive them as 1% daily effort that gets you closer to your goal and pick a glutes exercise you like. You can do it at home every morning, every night before going to bed, or after you go to the gym. It is totally up to you, it could be something as simple as 50-100 bodyweight squats, 5min of wall sit, 100 kickbacks or whatever you feel like doing. It is the consistency that matters here, not the count. It is even better to do just 10 seconds of wall sit on a day you feel like skipping, than not doing anything at all. Build the habit of putting some work every day and the results will follow.
7. Add some cardio. This might seem controversial to number 2, but gaining muscle does not mean not to do cardio. Besides the many benefits for your heart and conditioning, cardio trainings would keep your legs and body lean. Legs and glutes look even more defined and better shaped, when they are leaner; so again, seek for the balance between building muscle and gaining weight too fast. Appropriate cardio would be HIIT, sprints, fast biking, Tabata workouts. It is much better to have 2-3 sessions a week of 20 minutes fast paced cardio, than 1 hour session of less intense cardio once a week.
8. Stretch. When you commit to train your glutes and legs more often, especially with weights, it is likely to lose some flexibility and become stiffer. Do not let this happen and take time for stretching. Just like with everything else so far, the thing that matters most about stretching is consistency. Make sure you stretch every day for at least 5-10 minutes. If this sounds like it is too much effort, start with stretching every other day for 5 minutes and gradually increase the length and the frequency. Furthermore, having a day or two of the week for longer stretching sessions could really take your flexibility to the next level and boost your recovery significantly, so consider joining a stretching and mobility class.
9. Pay attention to your diet. You can be doing everything right in the gym, but the right habits must follow in the kitchen too. Depending on your goal, make sure you know what and when you should be eating. Stay away for processed foods, overeating or starvation. Do not force anything. If you are on a diet for losing weight, reduce you calorie intake wisely. If you are trying to gain weight, increase your calorie intake wisely. Your food must contain all of the micro and macronutrients you need, and if you have doubts about your diet, consider asking for a professional guidance.
10. Track your progress. It is very easy to get obsessed with the result we expect and not give ourselves credit for how far we have come during the process. The truth is that there is never a final destination in fitness, because we realize we can always progress more. Do not be too harsh on yourself, try to notice every little change and be proud of yourself. Making before and after pictures every 2-3 weeks could be helpful, makes it easier for you to see your actual progress, and keeps you motivated.

Are you from Allen, Plano or Dallas? If yes, come and visit us at [Hidden Gym]! Our professionals can give you the best advice and guidance in order to bring out the fittest version of you. We also have many group classes, where you can come to meet other people and have more fun, while working out! The Glute 30 class and the Recovery class are the perfect options for you, if you are on the journey of building great glutes! Come alone or bring a friend with you and join [Hidden Gym]!

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