Let me hop on my soapbox here and rant for a minute. Ever since I got into working out and competing I’m bombarded with meme after meme about booties. I can’t turn on the radio without hearing an entire song dedicated to love of the booty…seriously!
To be honest, I really don’t understand society’s obsession with the booty. But there is a phrase that’s circled around in the competition world that “Bikini is won from the back”.
Meaning, we have to have pretty toned backside to expect a top placing. In my quest for more knowledge on glute training I’ll read an article and when I get to the bottom I see that it was written by a man. HUH? Not that I have any issue with a man giving out glute training advise to someone that asks them. But let me play devils advocate. How do you think it would be received if I wrote an article aimed at men stating “guys, here’s how to lose the gut” or “Build better Pecks”? Just a thought there… But my absolute pet peeve is when I see or hear of talk about squatting being the only way to have a nice butt. I’m really going to shake things up in the fitness world with this next statement. Some of you may even gasp out loud when you hear this but…you DO NOT have to do squats to build a nice booty!!! WHAT???? I know, your mind is completely blown right now. But it’s true. I’ve had two children and my butt fell to the ground after having them. (mainly with my second one, she really did a number on me) I really tried to love doing squats, I always got told I wasn’t going low enough. “Ass to grass is how they’re SUPPOSE to be done.” Then I got told to have my toes pointed out, then straight ahead. Then I was told squat barefoot, or with just socks on. Then I was told go with heavier weight. I really dislike it when I’m told this is how something is suppose to be done, or you HAVE to do it this way. Ugh! F*&% that! I injured myself doing squats more than a couple of times. You see, I have very long legs. I’m not a very big person but I’m all legs. So basically my range of motion is bigger than most. Even more so than some girls that are taller than me. When I injured myself, my daughter was still young enough that I had to pick her up a lot, I couldn’t afford injuries. That’s when I decided that trainers, or anyone looking to help others with working out should seriously consider the types of workouts they give to people. Traditional squats can put you at a very high risk for injury and not everyone has the opportunity to workout with a trainer or a spotter to perform them correctly.
I’m not trying to say I’m a glute-training expert. I do get compliments on my butt. People even ask me “how do you get your butt to do that” then they make a half circle motion in the air with their hand. Glute training can be very difficult. Most women find it very hard to isolate that muscle group for maximal growth. The difficulties I’ve had with squats has forced me to find alternate exercises to work the glutes. Here’s how I do it.
-Hip thrusts (can be done with very heavy weight and less risk for injury)
-curtsy lunges (these require a good deal of coordination but VERY effective)
-good mornings (very simple exercise, can go heavy, also good at working the lower back. Back problems run in my family so strengthening my lower back was important for me)
-Leg press (wide and high feet placement or one leg and to the side, very low risk of injury)
Now, if you’ve mastered the squat and swear by it, GREAT! Good for you! I’m not saying you’re wrong to suggest it to anyone else. Just know that the moral to my whole story is that even though some other exercises may not be as glamorous or as popular as a squat, they can be just as effective, if not more.
Feel free to message me with questions. Leave comments! I love to hear from readers. Working out and competing are my passion but I love writing in this blog just as much!
Crazy, healthy and happy 😉
Leanna JB
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