Quads & Glutes

Quads & Glutes

1. Sumo Squat – 12 reps – 4 sets
2. Heel Elevated Goblet Squat – 12 reps – 4 sets
3. Reverse Pulse Lunge – 6 reps each leg – 4 sets
4. Step Ups – 10 reps each leg – 4 sets
5. Single Leg Box Squat – 10 reps each leg – 4 sets

Sumo Squat 

Position your feet in a wide stance a few inches outside your shoulders with your toes pointed slight outward, doing this will help force your knees out. You never want your knees to be caving in at any time, you also don’t want your knees coming over your toes. Sit back into your heels as you squat down. Brace your core and keep your chest up with your chin tucked, this will help keep your spine in aline and keep your back from arching. Hold the dumbbell with both hands in-between your legs and relax your arms.

Heel Elevated Goblet Squat 

Stand the dumbbell up on its side and position your heels together on top of it. (you can also use a weight plate or wedge if that’s more comfortable) Position the other dumbbell in your palms comfortably and hold it close to your chest under your chin. Keep your chest up and your torso upright. Make sure you are pushing your knees out and not letting them cave in, I point my toes slightly out to help this. If you have never done this exercise before, don’t hold the weight until you feel comfortable.

Reverse Pulse Lunge 

Holding a dumbbell in each hand step back with one leg and bring your knee down to the ground creating a 90 degree angle with both legs. With this lunge we are adding a “pulse” so you are going to push up through the heel of your front foot coming half way up, back down into the deep lunge, then all the way back up to the starting position. Alternate legs each time. Keep your core tight and your torso straight. To engage this more in your glutes and hamstrings you can lean your torso forward a bit while in the lunge or your can engage your quads more but having your torso more upright and straight up.

Step Ups 

The key here is slow and controlled. Focusing on one leg at a time step up and try your best not to let the other leg push off the ground, keep all your weight on the leg you are stepping up with. As you come back down to the ground you want to be as slow and controlled as possible, try your best not to let your leg land hard but rather setting in down softly. Make sure you are keeping a tight core to help with balance and stability. If this is difficult at first find something shorter than a bench or try without holding the weight.

Single Leg Box Squat 

Seated on a bench, hold the end a dumbbell with both palms in front of your chest. Holding one leg out in front of you, squat up with one leg & back down. Be sure to keep your core tight and not swing your body back and forth with each rep.