GYM: Glutes & Hamstrings

Glutes & Hamstrings

1. Box Squats – 14,12,10,8,6 reps

2. Hip Thrusts – 6 full reps straight into 6 half reps – 4 sets

Superset with

3. Romanian Deadlift – 6 reps – 4 sets

4. Reverse Lunges – 8 reps each leg – 4 sets

Superset with

5. Calm Shells – 12 reps each leg – 4 sets

6. Back Extensions – until failure with weight straight into until failure without weight – 3 sets

Box Squats

For this exercise you can use a box or bench. If you use a bench, position it so you are sitting with it vertical and your legs can be on the side and not with it horizontal. Place your feet in a wide stance about an inch outside your shoulders. Before squatting down you want to make sure you tuck you hips forward so you are not arching your back. Sit all the way down on the bench with each rep and push up through your heels to really active and use your glutes and hamstrings. You should be continuing to keep your hips tucked forward as you stand up to avoid using your back. Keep your chest up but your chin down, pulling your head up will bring your spine out of aline and put pressure on your lower back.

Hip Thrusts

Place your feet hip width apart and not too far away from your body, when you press up it should make about a 90 degree angle. Its very important to make sure you are not arching your back as you thrust up and also to not let it arch as you bring the weight down. I find it helps me to lift my toes a bit and really push through my heels to make sure I am isolating my glutes as much as possible.

Romanian Deadlift 

With your feet about hips width apart, grip the bar wider than your hips with both your palms facing you. Slowly lower the bar down your shins being sure to squeeze your glutes as you pull up. The most important thing here to be pushing your hips back and putting weight into your heels. Keep a slight bend in your knees but mostly straight and really feel your hips going back rather than just your chest going down to avoid pulling the bar up with your lower back. Also keep your chin tucked, don’t be looking up into the mirror.

Reverse Lunges

Place the barbell on your back on your traps above your shoulder blades. If the bar feels uncomfortable you can put a barbell pad on or use dumbbells at your sides. Stand with your feet hip width apart and slowly step on leg back until it reaches the ground. Both your knees should be in about a 90 degree angle. Push up through your front heel and bring your other leg back up into the starting position. You can alternate legs each time or you can do the reps on one leg and then switch to the other.

Calm Shells 

Position yourself on your side lying on one elbow. Use your elbow to stabilize you as you press your press your hips up and bring your knee up. Slowly lower your hips and knee back down and explode back up. Make sure you squeeze at the top each rep.

Back Extensions 

Before starting this exercise, make sure the machine is set up right for you. Adjust the pad so it is slightly below your hips and place your feet flat on the base. To feel this exercise in your glutes and hamstrings you are going to want to round your back slightly and at the bottom of the rep focus on pulling up and squeezing your glutes. The straighter you back is the more you will feel this in your lower back. Its also important to have your chin tucked down towards your chest to help round your back.