Needs some Glutes please.....

[Tryitagain]

I have been going to the gym consistently for about 3 months, and about 4 x a week. My workout consists of:

day1: glutes/legs
day2: back/abs
day3: chest/shoulders
day4: arms/abs

I have by nature very petite and I mean petite sort of a bit flat asset. I would love to gain some muscle mass. Can anyone share with me a good workout for my glutes? I need to increase those muscles and it seems that whatever i have been doing hasn't been enough. Thanks in advance. :wave:

[kbfunTH]

You didn't say what you are currently doing for glutes, but you need not look any further than doing the traditional and Romanian deadlift unless of course you just don't want to do these two exercises. There are some other things you can do too, but IMO, they are far less effective.

Technique is important on these lifts and once you get comfortable, going heavy, using a higher number of sets, low reps (1-5) and frequent training will serve you best.

[Tryitagain]

Sorry forgot to say.
I am doing squats (3 sets of 12), leg curls, leg presses and another machine that i don't remember now what it's called. Gotta make a note of it tomorrow at the gym.

[tagcaver]

I've never done them (yet), but I hear that Good Mornings are killer for the ass. I am about to incorporate them into my next split.


http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/BBGoodMorning.html

HTH

[ellipticer]

Agreed... deadlifts, Romanians, good mornings, and more squats. I wouldn't bother with leg extensions personally.

[lilli]

Agreed... deadlifts, Romanians, good mornings, and more squats. I wouldn't bother with leg extensions personally.
also agree. more HEAVIER squats, and if you aren't squatting to the floor, work on getting there. If your form for the good mornings isn't perfect, it is one of the easier exercises to incure back injury, btw. but they are effective. free weights (with bar) are better for a most effective workout, too. Use those glute muscles to the whole effect. Make them hurt and you won't be disappointed.

[Tryitagain]

Thanks so much, I will try them and report back in a month or so of any progress :agree: . One more question, how often can i do these? Should I just do 3 sets of 12 each?
thanks again.

[kbfunTH]

Thanks so much, I will try them and report back in a month or so of any progress :agree: . One more question, how often can i do these? Should I just do 3 sets of 12 each?
thanks again.

To try and keep this simple.......

I would opt for the low rep, heavy weight approach. Avoid failure, supersetting, forced reps, negatives and everything else that causes too much fatigue and muscle soreness. You'll recuperate faster and be able to perform the lifts more often ("grease the groove").

I would start by picking your 10-rep max on all the lifts you plan to do and perform 5 sets of 5 reps. Add 5-10 lbs. every couple of workouts. You should have no problem doing this 3-5x per week. Back off on the volume or take a week off from weight training every 5-6 weeks. If you don't feel up to it one day, blow it off and come back the next ready to go.

You'll get it down as you go and be able to fine-tune it to fit you better.

Word of caution: When you feel your form slipping, stop the set at that point. Don't push past it. This is especially important on deadlifting as the spinal erecters (low back muscles) will fatigue first.

[tagcaver]

I've never done them (yet), but I hear that Good Mornings are killer for the ass. I am about to incorporate them into my next split.


http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/BBGoodMorning.html

HTH
I wanted to update --- Good Mornings work! My ass is so sore I can barely sit down, and that's a few days AFTER I've worked out! My inner thighs are also sore, and with the upper body workouts I've also done in the last few days, my whole body hurts! Wow, what a great feeling!

[ellipticer]

And you automatically gain status in your gym for doing such an old-school, butt-kicking exercise that almost no one else does :D

[tagcaver]

And you automatically gain status in your gym for doing such an old-school, butt-kicking exercise that almost no one else does :D
Awww, 'tis a shame that I have a home gym with no one to watch!

[Tryitagain]

Thanks guys for all the great advice. I actually have noticed people staring, I thought maybe I was doing something wrong but the soreness/pain don't :D lie!

[garhi]

that "good morning" lift looks like a fast track to back injury to me...

i will jump in here and recommend body weight squats, they make my ass downright uncomfortably large! don't have a webpage demo for these, but they're so simple...

1. squat down with back straight, like a "full squat" with weights would be, and keep your arms at your sides
2. put your arms out straight while in the 'down' position
3. come back up, pulling your arms back into to your sides

repeat ad nauseum...except you won't be able to, the first time, cos they're hard! if you like to get "overly sore" like weightlifters tend to, do several sets.

i quit weights a year ago, and only do bodyweight stuff...i swear by it, so yes i'm prejudiced, but you'll see why if you try it.

[hannainnc]

Lunges will help build your tush, deep squats, and stiff legged deadlifts.

[Bigdaddy99]

kbfunTH hit the nail on the head, you need to do deadlifts. If your truly serious about adding some leg mass, might I suggest a five day rotation (performed during seven days) which would include 2 leg days. I did this in the winter for 4 months and added a lot of mass and strength to my legs.

MONDAY HAMSTRINGS/GLUTES
TUESDAY BACK/TRIS
WEDNESDAY OFF
THURSDAY SHOULDERS/TRAPS
FRIDAY QUADS/CALVES
SATURDAY OFF
SUNDAY CHEST/BIS

And here was the specifics if your really interested:

HAMSTRINGS/GLUTES
3 set Leg Curls
5 sets Deadlifts
2 sets Hip Adductor
2 sets Hip Abductor
4 sets Standing One-Leg Press or Lunges

QUADS/CALVES
3 sets Leg Extensions
5 sets Squat
4 sets Leg Press
6 sets Calves

SHOULDERS/TRAPS
4 sets Cable Shoulder Press
4 sets Dumbell Shoulder Press
4 sets cable front shoulder raises
4 sets rear/front delt flyes
4 sets DB shrugs

BACK/TRIS
4 sets rows
4 sets lat pulldowns
4 sets close grip rows
4 sets reverse grip bench
4 sets tri-pushdowns
3 sets reverse grip pushdowns

CHEST/BIS
4 sets Flat Bench Press
4 sets Incline Bench Press
4 sets Incline/Flat DB Press
4 sets Incline/Flat Flyes
4 sets Preacher curls
4 sets incline dumbell curls
3 sets Hammar Curls/Reverse Grip

[Meg_S]

I did a lot of things for my formerly flatt butt but by far the most effective was walking lunges. LOTS AND LOTS of them.. graduating to walking lunges uphill with a backpack on. They will add lots of roundness

[WoodyAllen]

kbfunTH hit the nail on the head, you need to do deadlifts. If your truly serious about adding some leg mass, might I suggest a five day rotation (performed during seven days) which would include 2 leg days. I did this in the winter for 4 months and added a lot of mass and strength to my legs.

MONDAY HAMSTRINGS/GLUTES
TUESDAY BACK/TRIS
WEDNESDAY OFF
THURSDAY SHOULDERS/TRAPS
FRIDAY QUADS/CALVES
SATURDAY OFF
SUNDAY CHEST/BIS

And here was the specifics if your really interested:

HAMSTRINGS/GLUTES
3 set Leg Curls
5 sets Deadlifts
2 sets Hip Adductor
2 sets Hip Abductor
4 sets Standing One-Leg Press or Lunges

QUADS/CALVES
3 sets Leg Extensions
5 sets Squat
4 sets Leg Press
6 sets Calves

SHOULDERS/TRAPS
4 sets Cable Shoulder Press
4 sets Dumbell Shoulder Press
4 sets cable front shoulder raises
4 sets rear/front delt flyes
4 sets DB shrugs

BACK/TRIS
4 sets rows
4 sets lat pulldowns
4 sets close grip rows
4 sets reverse grip bench
4 sets tri-pushdowns
3 sets reverse grip pushdowns

CHEST/BIS
4 sets Flat Bench Press
4 sets Incline Bench Press
4 sets Incline/Flat DB Press
4 sets Incline/Flat Flyes
4 sets Preacher curls
4 sets incline dumbell curls
3 sets Hammar Curls/Reverse Grip


That is an insane amount of volume. I would drop about half of it, especially ultra isolation movemnts and things like hip/thigh abductors - the machines of which are almost solely manufactured for people who think they can spot reduce in those areas.

Just my opinion but for instance I would drop everything but the squats, deads, lunges and calf work from your leg routine and squat at least twice a weak. If you are squatting ass to the grass then there's absolutly no need to have that peripheral hamstring work.

I just can't imagine doing all that with a reasonably high intensity load.

Have you ever tried HST or Bill Starr's 5x5?

[watcher16]

Hello, you can also do High Intensity Training, HIT. low reps, high weight.

Stimulates the muscles to grow, takes one set a week for each muscle group!

Great effect in little time.

[WoodyAllen]

Hello, you can also do High Intensity Training, HIT. low reps, high weight.

Stimulates the muscles to grow, takes one set a week for each muscle group!

Great effect in little time.

This can work IMO for short periods of time but almost anybody will plateau after a certain amount of time doing this kind of program. Needs to be periodized.

[Bigdaddy99]

That is an insane amount of volume.

It was a lot, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Since starting Atkins I've gone from an 80/20 split of Weights/Cardio to a 40/60 split. My weight training right now is more to maintain my current muscles.

I just posted my old workout more as a FYI and not as an actual suggested program.