Now that you’ve read “How Women Tone After 35” you’ve got a good foundation on how to actually change your body composition. One of the biggest requests we hear from women who begin to change their body here at Wallace Training Systems is “I want to lose my belly and my saddle bags, but I DON’T want to lose my butt!” This is a fair request.
Women want to feel feminine when they change their body composition. Women don’t want to look like men when they lift weights, they want to look like in-shape women. Lucky for you, we can absolutely do that with properly programmed weight-training. There are certain exercises that will target the glute complex (your butt) so that it sticks around even when your waist-line continues to shrink.
Here at Wallace Training Systems we use all of the following exercises in both our group classes and our personal training:
1) The Barbell Back Squat – The back squat is the king of lower body development. The back squat, when performed properly and to the correct depth, will absolutely target your glutes. We spend A LOT of time mastering the back squat here at Wallace Training Systems. Not only is it a great glute developer, but it also develops your quads and contributes to general muscle fatigue which will help you build that feminine, hour-glass look.
2) The Band Resisted Step-Out –We use this hear at Wallace Training Systems as a glute builder and a glute activator. There is some research to suggest that “activating” the glutes (with some light resistance like that with a Band Resisted Step-Out) before a heavy compound lift will help you use your glutes more effectively and can contribute to more overall development. If you find your knees are caving in, or your back is hurting when you squat, consider adding this into your regime.
3)The Hip Bridge – The hip bridge is great for focused glute building. The hip bridge is a very low-skilled movement so it’s great for beginners and it’s very easy to progress. Here at Wallace Training Systems we use this to really focus on the glutes if the quads are fatigued from other exercises.
This is not an exhaustive list of every exercise you can do for your glutes, but it should get you pointed in the right direction. Remember, programming is key. If you go into the gym and do the same thing all the time, or do an exercise too often, you’ll stifle your results. These are exercises that should be implemented into a well-structured, well-designed, exercise routine. Furthermore, proper form is paramount to get the most out of ANY exercise. When in doubt, we advise seeking professional help to ensure you get the most out of your hard work!