Glutes Training by Andrea Dumon

Ahhh…the subject of leg training! What works vs. what doesn't, high reps/low weights vs. low reps/heavy weights, it goes on and on! Everyone wants the perfect set of legs and glutes and they want them now. But as the saying goes, “good things come to those who work hard”. Ok, so I tweaked it a little, but it is true, it takes hard work, dedication, and consistency to get the results you want.
Genetics and body type tend to play a role into how you train your lower half. The first step is to identify your body type and then what are your physical strengths and weaknesses. For example, my strengths are my calves and glutes and my weaknesses are my quads and the ham/glute tie-in. After you identify these, you can manipulate your training routine to either enhance or strengthen those places.
I will use myself as an example on how I transformed my legs from being a little to muscular and overdeveloped to a leaner, more proportionate, and athletic pair of gams!! As a result of not only decent genetics, but also years of sports and heavy training, my legs (primarily my quads) were very developed and overpowered the rest of my body. My first instinct was to create a balance and build up my upper body. I did so and that made is another article in itself! But the need to bring my legs down was still there. It took me roughly a year and in the process I shaved off fourteen pounds, some fat and some muscle, to achieve a leaner and tighter physique. I will touch on the components that got me there in the next few paragraphs.

Diet

I cannot stress enough how important this component is! You are what you eat! If you fill your body with junk (i.e.: fatty foods, simple sugars, empty calories) then you can’t expect the output or the results that your body is capable of. Eating clean and healthy is the first start on this journey. Lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats are what will produce the results you are looking to achieve. Keeping your body fueled five to six times a day with these foods will keep your metabolism revved and ready to go!

Strength Training

Model: Traci Saba

This component was a key in how I reshaped my legs. I started by dividing my workouts with quads on one day and hamstrings/glutes on another. This allowed me to lift with great intensity but lighter weights on my quads and focus the heavier weights on my hams and glutes to create a better balance between them. On quad day, I would work with giant sets and with very little rest. My workout looked something like this:

Leg Ext. 3/20 (warm up)
Smith Squat x20
Walking lunges x20
Hack Squat x20
Squat Jumps with medicine ball x20
**repeat these set 3 xs

Leg press x25
Step Ups x20 (each leg)
Sissy Squats x20
Scissor Jumps with medicine ball x20
**repeat set 3 xs

Deep Split Lunges x20
Leg Ext. x20
**repeat set 3 xs

It looks like a hard workout and it is, but the weights weren't to heavy but enough to fatigue at the 20 rep mark. The plyometric drills were put in for training the fast twitch muscle fibers and to keep the heart rate up. On ham and glute day, I lifted heavier and kept the reps a little lower. A typical ham/glute day was this:

Prone Ham Curls 2x20 (warm up)
x15, 12, 10

Single Leg Curl 3x15
Deadlifts with Smith Rack 3x20
Single Leg DB Deadlift 3x15
Butt Blaster 3x20
Leg Press (focus on hams) 3x20
Barbell Deadlift Wide Stance 3x15

The key to both days is to pay attention to form and focus on the muscle contraction so that you are utilizing as much of the muscle as possible.

Cardio

Model: Traci Saba

Now that you are lifting to shape and strengthen your muscles accordingly, next you gotta burn the fat off! The question of how much really depends on the person and how conditioned is he or she. I’d rather discuss heart rates and types of cardio. The generic formula to find your HR is 220-your age x 60% or 80% to get the range that is considered “fat burning”. But remember that as you become better conditioned you may find your HR getting higher then this and that is ok. Good old fashioned “fat burning” cardio can be done from 30-60 minutes to be effective and on any given type of cardio you prefer. Another effective way to do cardio is called HITT which is high intensity interval training. Doing your cardio with short bursts of higher intensity (ex: jogging and then doing a short sprint and then back to a slow jog). You push your HR way up and in result condition the lunges as well as allowing the HR to stay elevated long after you are done. Anywhere from 20-45 minutes is what I recommend for this type of cardio training.
I like to mix up my cardio and do a few one hour sessions and a few HITT sessions a week. What really helped shape my legs were sprints, stadium stairs, and plyometrics at the track 2x a week. I mixed in one hour sweat sessions on the stepmill and running on a slight incline on the treadmill. If I was able to get outdoors for a hike or trail run, then that was my preferred cardio.
Cardio can be very tedious and boring but once you find something that you enjoy, go with it! Whether it be a group exercise class, outdoor activity, or the elliptical trainer, just deep trying to mix it up so you keep your body guessing at all times.

Supplementation

Besides the obvious multivitamin, I like to keep the supplementation as simple and cost effective as I can. When I am in pre-contest my supplementation changes a little but to keep it simple for all purposes, this is what I take year round:

-AM Glutamine
-Multivitamin
-Calcium
-Fish Oil
-Joint Support
-Pre Workout Max Nitro (for pump-up)
-Post Workout Glutamine
-BCAA’s
-Alpha Lipoic Acid
-PM L-Argenine

This program insures my body of muscle recovery, support for joints and tissues, and replenishment of lost nutrients that are vital for a healthy and fit body.

Model: Traci Saba

Training legs can seem very tedious and tiring, but if you have a plan of attack and know what it takes to see results then you can and should be excited to see just how much you can change your lower half with a tweak here and twist there! No person is alike and what works for some may not work for others, you just have to keep manipulating your program to get the legs and glutes that you want and believe me, it is possible!!

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