Evaluation

This Article was Featured in Muscle & Fitness Hers Magazine

Author: Michelle Johnson

Losing weight not only deflates cup size, it can flatten your backside too. The goods news is that even after you’ve sent unwanted pounds packing, you can combat dreaded fanny droop by adding the right strength moves into your routine. Here, nine moves that will plump up your rump and give it a lift.

● Keeping your chest high, abs tight, and knees slightly bent, lean forward at the hips, letting the bar naturally track away from your body.

● Pause when you feel a good stretch, then carefully reverse the motion by contracting your glutes and hamstrings, allowing the bar to come closer to your body as you approach the 
top position.
● Squeeze your abs, back, and glutes at the top.
Do this: 4 sets of 15 reps each

Superset it with:

Seated Leg Curl
● Sit in a seated leg curl machine with your back against padded back support.
● Place the back of lower legs on top of leg pad.
● Secure the lap pad against your thighs just above your knees. Grasp handles on lap support, or use the sides of the seat for support.
● Bend your knees and contract your hamstrings, pressing the leg pad downward.
● Slowly return to start and repeat.
Do this: 4 sets of 15 reps each

 

Walking Lunge (not shown)

● Stand erect and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your thighs.
● Step forward with one foot, and bend your knees and hips to descend toward the floor until your back knee almost touches down.
● Push back up to standing, bringing your back foot forward to meet your front foot.
● Step forward with the opposite foot and repeat.
Do this: 4 sets of 10 reps each

Bench Step-Up
● Grasp a dumbbell in
each hand.
● place one foot up on a bench and press through your heel to step up. Squeeze the quad of your working leg
 to bring your body up in
a straight line.
● Let your trailing leg stay straight and slightly behind you and squeeze your glutes
as you step up.
● Hold for one count, then lower your trailing foot back to the floor under control, leaving your working foot on the platform. Repeat for reps.
Do this: 4 sets of 15 reps each leg

Superset it with:

Single-Leg Leg Press (not shown)
● Sit squarely in a leg press machine and place your right foot on the platform.
● Keeping your chest up and lower back pressed into the backpad, lift the sled and unlatch the safeties.
● Bend your knee to lower the weight towards your chest, stopping before your lower back and glutes lift off the pad.
● Pause for a moment, then extend your leg to press the weight up, stopping just short of locking out your knee.
● Squeeze your thighs hard at the top and repeat using left leg.
Do this: 4 sets of 10 reps each

Back Extension
● Lie facedown on a 45-degree back extension machine, cross your arms in front of your
 chest, and hook your ankles underneath the foot pads. Your hips should be square across the top pad, knees unlocked, with a slight arch in your lower back.
● Contract your abs to support your lower back, then contract your hams and glutes to bring your upper body in line with your legs.
● Without pausing, bend your knees as you continue pulling with your hamstrings to bring your torso back as high as possible, trying to bring your hips slightly off the pad.
● As you feel your knees begin to separate, reverse direction to bring your body back in line with your legs, then relax the hips to bend forward from the waist, back to the start position.
Do this: 4 sets of 15 reps each

Superset it with:

Cable Kickback
● Attach an ankle cuff to a low-pulley cable and fasten it around your ankle.
● Stand facing the weight stack and step back with your non- working foot.
● Keeping a slight bend in your working knee, drive your leg straight back by squeezing your glutes.
● Repeat for reps, then switch sides.
Do this: 4 sets of 10 reps each leg

Superset it with:

Pop Squat (not shown)
● Stand erect with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed forward.
● Extend your arms out to your sides or put your hands on your hips.
● Using a faster-than-usual descent, push your knees and hips down until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
● Without pausing, drive back up explosively and jump to a full standing position with feet together.
● Absorb the landing, and quickly descend into a squat again.
● Repeat alternating foot positions.
Do this: 4 sets of 20 reps each

Superset it with:

Leg Curl Butt Blaster
● Get on all fours in front of and facing away from a leg-curl machine.
● Place the heel of one foot on the pad and push up, keeping your knee slightly bent.
● Slowly return to the starting position, but don’t allow the weight to touch the stack.
● Keep your back flat and your neck in line with your spine.
● Repeat for reps, then switch sides.
Do this: 2 sets of 10 reps each side.

Complete the workout by performing 30 minutes of HITT on the Step Mill.

 

Top nine booty-boosting tips:

1. Load up on protein. Consume at aleast 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and be sure to consume protein with every meal.

2. Never go on a fat-free diet. Always be sure to include healthy omega fats in your diet. Somer good sources are: olive oil, salmon, avocado, salt-free nuts.

3. Zig zag your eating. Eat a low-calorie, high-protein diet for two weeks, then higher calories with carbs for two weeks. This will keep your body guessing and your metabolism moving.

4. Incorporate moves such as squats, leg press, and a variety of lunges, using heavy weights. Every other week switch to lighter weights, and add in things such as sprints, plyos, hills, and the Step Mill.

5. Be sure to add step ups on a bench into your routine to hit the muscle under the glutes.

6. Try kickboxing and step classes.

7. Take time to let your muscles recover between workouts. If they don’t recover fully, the muscles will not grow!

8. Consume a pre-workout mix like Evogen or Amino Last, and a post -workout mix that includes branched chain amino acids like Beverly Internationals Glutamine Select.

9. If you follow a healthy eat plan to keep your bodyfat at a good level, it will accentuate those glutes even more!

Article Written by, Michelle Johnson – Published in Muscle & Fitness Hers