Booty Building (+ All-Around Strength Training)

peaceout_aly

Would love to have a few more variations to incorporate into my leg/glute routine. I get stuck in a rut and feel like I'm no longer making progress even though my lift weight is increasing. Any tips? Here is my current routine:

Work Out - Sets x Reps x Weight

Leg press - 2 x 20 x 210
Leg press - 2 x 15 x 230
Side leg press variation - 4 x 15 x 110
Squat - 3 x 15 x 90
Squat - 1 x max (usually 15) x 110
Pliet squat - 4 x max (usually 20) x 45
Wide stance side-to-side lunge - 4 x 15 x 35
Walking lunge - 4 x 20 x 10
Hip thrust - 4 x 20 x 45

I also do variations of the squat - one leg with knee-up, butt dip, etc. Trying to incorporate more variation to further shape and grow the booty. Been with it for 4-months and can see a difference but need to make significant gains in 134 days (preferably in 51 days...)

Could my diet have something to do with this? Yes, I have it set to "Lose .5 lbs. x week" but I eat back ALL exercise calories in order to not actually lose weight. The way my mind set is, if I were to have it set to maintenance, and then attempt to not eat back exercise cals, I would constantly over eat because I'd see the green "calories left" number. I eat a high protein diet, always have protein within 30 minutes of a work out, etc. I'm going to a trainer tonight and this weekend in order to further work in core and upper body exercises (which is the area in which I'm slacking...)

jemhh

I suggest checking out Strong Curves.

Work on upping your barbell hip thrusts and glutell bridges. You should be able to add a lot of weight to your hip thrusts fairly quickly. Same for the glue bridges. You also should add something like RDLs. Strong Curves' programming will help a lot.

You can help strengthen your glutes in a deficit but you're not going to be doing any significant building. To do that, eat more. And it will take more than 134 days.

singingflutelady

I second strong curves

arditarose

Strong Curves. Also...I see you posted weights. I hope you are upping the weight consistently. You need calories and a progressive overload to make that booty grow.

Also...cable pull throughs.

arditarose

peaceout_aly wrote: »

Would love to have a few more variations to incorporate into my leg/glute routine. I get stuck in a rut and feel like I'm no longer making progress even though my lift weight is increasing. Any tips? Here is my current routine:

Work Out - Sets x Reps x Weight

Leg press - 2 x 20 x 210
Leg press - 2 x 15 x 230
Side leg press variation - 4 x 15 x 110
Squat - 3 x 15 x 90
Squat - 1 x max (usually 15) x 110
Pliet squat - 4 x max (usually 20) x 45
Wide stance side-to-side lunge - 4 x 15 x 35
Walking lunge - 4 x 20 x 10
Hip thrust - 4 x 20 x 45

I also do variations of the squat - one leg with knee-up, butt dip, etc. Trying to incorporate more variation to further shape and grow the booty. Been with it for 4-months and can see a difference but need to make significant gains in 134 days (preferably in 51 days...)

Could my diet have something to do with this? Yes, I have it set to "Lose .5 lbs. x week" but I eat back ALL exercise calories in order to not actually lose weight. The way my mind set is, if I were to have it set to maintenance, and then attempt to not eat back exercise cals, I would constantly over eat because I'd see the green "calories left" number. I eat a high protein diet, always have protein within 30 minutes of a work out, etc. I'm going to a trainer tonight and this weekend in order to further work in core and upper body exercises (which is the area in which I'm slacking...)

If you are set to lose .5 lbs per week but eat back exercise calories you're still in a deficit. Set to maintenance at least. You can still eat back some of your exercise calories.

rileyes

Heavy barbell hip thrusts. I do 5x5 at my deadlift weight or 5x5 Iso-holds at my row weight 2-3 times a week (for a couple months) and my glutes are getting harder than everything else I did in the past. I sometimes add assistance work like pull- throughs, foot elevated single-leg glute marches... But the work horse is the heavy BB hip thrust.

peaceout_aly

arditarose wrote: »

Strong Curves. Also...I see you posted weights. I hope you are upping the weight consistently. You need calories and a progressive overload to make that booty grow.

Also...cable pull throughs.

I add about 5 lbs. every session. I can max out at a much higher weight than listed for squats and leg press but just listed what I rep. Should I be doing heavier weight/lower reps? Will incorporate dead lifts in also! I do occasionally, but this is my typical routine.

peaceout_aly

rileyes wrote: »

Heavy barbell hip thrusts. I do 5x5 at my deadlift weight or 5x5 Iso-holds at my row weight 2-3 times a week (for a couple months) and my glutes are getting harder than everything else I did in the past. I sometimes add assistance work like pull- throughs, foot elevated single-leg glute marches... But the work horse is the heavy BB hip thrust.

Thank you! I did notice that hip thrusts really make me feel the burn. I will have to try with the Smith machine or heavier barbells at the other gym I go to.

lemmie177

rileyes wrote: »

Heavy barbell hip thrusts. I do 5x5 at my deadlift weight or 5x5 Iso-holds at my row weight 2-3 times a week (for a couple months) and my glutes are getting harder than everything else I did in the past. I sometimes add assistance work like pull- throughs, foot elevated single-leg glute marches... But the work horse is the heavy BB hip thrust.

^ very much this! I do heavy (3 x 4-6reps) BB hip thrust in the beginning of the week, and high rep (3 x 20reps) later in the week. I also incorporate elevated single-leg BB hip thrusts. Other favs are KB swings. After reading Strong Curves, I realized how deficient my routine was in lateral movements. Doing band abductions/lateral raises/etc has really helped w/ shape.

arditarose

lemmie177 wrote: »

rileyes wrote: »

Heavy barbell hip thrusts. I do 5x5 at my deadlift weight or 5x5 Iso-holds at my row weight 2-3 times a week (for a couple months) and my glutes are getting harder than everything else I did in the past. I sometimes add assistance work like pull- throughs, foot elevated single-leg glute marches... But the work horse is the heavy BB hip thrust.

^ very much this! I do heavy (3 x 4-6reps) BB hip thrust in the beginning of the week, and high rep (3 x 20reps) later in the week. I also incorporate elevated single-leg BB hip thrusts. Other favs are KB swings. After reading Strong Curves, I realized how deficient my routine was in lateral movements. Doing band abductions/lateral raises/etc has really helped w/ shape.

I just realized this recently as well! Trying to get more lateral moves in.

peaceout_aly

Tried to up the weight and do less reps during leg day today - increased most significantly and did 4 sets of 8 reps. Focuses a lot on hip thrusts and attempted the RDL. Not sure if my form was 100% but I feel the burn. Hoping this helps. Worried about cardio + strength training? Will this make me lose gains? Definitely have seen a lot of shape changes and muscle growth within my booty/legs but would love to see more progress. Consistency is key, I know. Would love tips for incorporating the cables? I love using the squat rack, Smith machine, free weights, etc. but for some reason cables seem to ride up my ankles and I feel like I don't use them properly. Have heard they are vital to getting a defined tush. Also have heard kick backs are important, but how do people do them on the Smith machine without rolling it back into place?

bruhaha007

I would decrease the reps and increase the amount you are lifting targeting 3-4 sets with 6-8 reps max. Also, how many days of rest are you getting in between workouts? You need sufficient time to repair. Finally, I would suggest our diet plays a significant factor in our results and proper nutrient timing is critically important to reach our goals. Hope that helps a little! I know a lot about nutrient timing so let me know if you would like more details.

CasperNaegle

^ This

arditarose

Nutrient timing is like number 20 on the list of important things here. Obviously if OP is going to compete it can give you a competitive edge.

peaceout_aly

bruhaha007 wrote: »

I would decrease the reps and increase the amount you are lifting targeting 3-4 sets with 6-8 reps max. Also, how many days of rest are you getting in between workouts? You need sufficient time to repair. Finally, I would suggest our diet plays a significant factor in our results and proper nutrient timing is critically important to reach our goals. Hope that helps a little! I know a lot about nutrient timing so let me know if you would like more details.

I actually just had this suggested to me and tried today. I did the following:

4 x 8 x 285 leg press

4 x 8 x 185 lateral leg press

4 x 8 x 90 single leg knee dip (first time doing this exercise...it was a challenge)

4 x 8 x 90 hip thrust (will increase next time)

4 x 10 x 70 pliet squat (need to increase this, but wasn't able to lift the free weight - my upper body strength is slacking)

4 x 8 x 150 squat (should increase more)

4 x 6 x 150 dead lift (I could have done more but I don't like doing this on the Smith machine and it was all that was available...kept hooking back onto the bar because of my grip)

Next leg day I'm incorporating kick backs, rope pull throughs, regular lunges (depending on how my foot is feeling) and a squat with lateral raise. Any more suggestions?

As per nutrition, I just spoke with my trainer yesterday and increased my daily protein intake to 114 grams. I usually eat a protein bar within 30-minutes of ending my work out in order to nourish my body. Aiming for 1,400 calories x day. Will keeping cardio in my routine deplete my gains? Or is 15 minutes of running acceptable? @bruhaha007

CasperNaegle

Let me clarify.. I actually read the first part and stopped. I agree timing is virtually non existent in affectedness of training and results. That said I am a huge believer in heavy lifting and going to a 3 set 4-6 rep lifting. When you get 6 reps repeatedly you add weight again.

arditarose

CasperNaegle wrote: »

Let me clarify.. I actually read the first part and stopped. I agree timing is virtually non existent in affectedness of training and results. That said I am a huge believer in heavy lifting and going to a 3 set 4-6 rep lifting. When you get 6 reps repeatedly you add weight again.

But we are wanting the glutes to grow, so working both in the strength and hypertrophy range are optimal. Also you don't just get weight gain when you go above 6 reps. You must be in a caloric surplus to do so.

singingflutelady

Your gym doesn't have Olympic bars for deadlifting? Are your squats using the Smith too?

peaceout_aly

arditarose wrote: »

CasperNaegle wrote: »

Let me clarify.. I actually read the first part and stopped. I agree timing is virtually non existent in affectedness of training and results. That said I am a huge believer in heavy lifting and going to a 3 set 4-6 rep lifting. When you get 6 reps repeatedly you add weight again.

But we are wanting the glutes to grow, so working both in the strength and hypertrophy range are optimal. Also you don't just get weight gain when you go above 6 reps. You must be in a caloric surplus to do so.

Hypertrophy = heavier weights (not your max though) and high reps? So what I was already doing? My trainer was slighting explaining this to me last night. Would you suggest varying strength and hypertrophy days or just use different methods with different exercises? Sorry for so many questions. I love learning about lifting and trying to make my work outs and efficient as possible. Caloric surplus achieved - I've upped my intake to 1,400 x day + 114 g. protein versus a 1,250/40 goal previously. That sound about right? I manually made these changes.

singingflutelady

Make sure to try and break parallel on your squats to get more glute involvement. If you can do 150x8 for squats your leg press weight can go heavier

Kimo159

I don't know how small you are but if you are trying to make gains and only eating 1400 it's pretty unlikely. You need to feed gains, you won't make gains in a deficit. But that's already been said in this thread.

Run if you want to, if you want to increase your cardio capacity and/or you enjoy it. Eat more to make up for that though.

megginanderson

peaceout_aly wrote: »

Would love to have a few more variations to incorporate into my leg/glute routine. I get stuck in a rut and feel like I'm no longer making progress even though my lift weight is increasing. Any tips? Here is my current routine:

Work Out - Sets x Reps x Weight

Leg press - 2 x 20 x 210
Leg press - 2 x 15 x 230
Side leg press variation - 4 x 15 x 110
Squat - 3 x 15 x 90
Squat - 1 x max (usually 15) x 110
Pliet squat - 4 x max (usually 20) x 45
Wide stance side-to-side lunge - 4 x 15 x 35
Walking lunge - 4 x 20 x 10
Hip thrust - 4 x 20 x 45

I also do variations of the squat - one leg with knee-up, butt dip, etc. Trying to incorporate more variation to further shape and grow the booty. Been with it for 4-months and can see a difference but need to make significant gains in 134 days (preferably in 51 days...)

Could my diet have something to do with this? Yes, I have it set to "Lose .5 lbs. x week" but I eat back ALL exercise calories in order to not actually lose weight. The way my mind set is, if I were to have it set to maintenance, and then attempt to not eat back exercise cals, I would constantly over eat because I'd see the green "calories left" number. I eat a high protein diet, always have protein within 30 minutes of a work out, etc. I'm going to a trainer tonight and this weekend in order to further work in core and upper body exercises (which is the area in which I'm slacking...)

Why are booties SO hard to grow??:(

peaceout_aly

singingflutelady wrote: »

Your gym doesn't have Olympic bars for deadlifting? Are your squats using the Smith too?

They do! All were taken today, so I went with the Smith machine. I never did before when doing dead lifts. Squats I always use the Smith machine for though. Should I not? I have a bad foot and it makes my balance wonky which makes me nervous to use the bar versus Smith since the Smith allows me to have something to lean on if my ankle starts to give out. I would be willing to try if it was going to make for better form/more efficient squats/etc.

peaceout_aly

Kimo159 wrote: »

I don't know how small you are but if you are trying to make gains and only eating 1400 it's pretty unlikely. You need to feed gains, you won't make gains in a deficit. But that's already been said in this thread.

Run if you want to, if you want to increase your cardio capacity and/or you enjoy it. Eat more to make up for that though.

I think I'm going to start focusing more so on protein/fats than calories so that I get to a surplus. I'm only 5' and 114 lbs. (up from 105 lbs. since working out). 1,250 was my "lose .5 lbs. x week" calorie goal. 1,350 was maintain, and I manually changed it to 1,400 as per my trainer. Definitely love that I can eat more if I run though

peaceout_aly

singingflutelady wrote: »

Make sure to try and break parallel on your squats to get more glute involvement. If you can do 150x8 for squats your leg press weight can go heavier

Will a heavier weight create a blockier muscle with leg presses? I know I'm capable of doing 5 reps of 365 because I've done it before just to challenge myself, but I was told that if I do that on the regular, then my legs will become blocky and not so much "muscular". True?

arditarose

peaceout_aly wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

CasperNaegle wrote: »

Let me clarify.. I actually read the first part and stopped. I agree timing is virtually non existent in affectedness of training and results. That said I am a huge believer in heavy lifting and going to a 3 set 4-6 rep lifting. When you get 6 reps repeatedly you add weight again.

But we are wanting the glutes to grow, so working both in the strength and hypertrophy range are optimal. Also you don't just get weight gain when you go above 6 reps. You must be in a caloric surplus to do so.

Hypertrophy = heavier weights (not your max though) and high reps? So what I was already doing? My trainer was slighting explaining this to me last night. Would you suggest varying strength and hypertrophy days or just use different methods with different exercises? Sorry for so many questions. I love learning about lifting and trying to make my work outs and efficient as possible. Caloric surplus achieved - I've upped my intake to 1,400 x day + 114 g. protein versus a 1,250/40 goal previously. That sound about right? I manually made these changes.

Hypertrophy would not necessarily be your heaviest weights, but higher reps yes. So I hip thrust heavy once per week, then I glute bridge lighter with higher reps or even hip thrust lighter later in the week. Things like cable pull throughs are all in the hypertrophy range. I aim for 10-15 at that range, and 3-5 in the power range. Sometimes I'm hitting 8 reps on hypertrophy day if I've just upped weight.

arditarose

Honestly you should just do Strong Curves in a surplus. Obviously research the WHY as far as what weight/reps/sets the program has you doing-but doing a structured program will give you better results.

singingflutelady

I don't know the extent of your foot issue but the Smith machine locks you into a path of motion that is somewhat unnatural. Also since it balances the bar for you it uses less muscle so it's easier to move heavier weight but you get less benefit from it. Back squats not with the Smith machine have a different techniques so you will have to start much lighter. If you can squat without the Smith I would recommend that.

T_X_L

Body weight or weighted pistol squats, guaranteed to burn dat bootie!

arditarose

amyrebeccah wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Honestly you should just do Strong Curves in a surplus. Obviously research the WHY as far as what weight/reps/sets the program has you doing-but doing a structured program will give you better results.

Quick side question about Strong Curves (which I plan to try during the summer when it's too hot to run). I plan to get the book, but just so I know now, are there modifications if you don't have cable equipment?

Poo I forget. There's gotta be though because there's a whole body weight version of the program. You might have to mix and match a bit but I wouldn't worry. Like I mentioned, I only do a few of the money lifts from it and I've seen growth of almost 2 inches already. In like 16 weeks.

peaceout_aly

singingflutelady wrote: »

I don't know the extent of your foot issue but the Smith machine locks you into a path of motion that is somewhat unnatural. Also since it balances the bar for you it uses less muscle so it's easier to move heavier weight but you get less benefit from it. Back squats not with the Smith machine have a different techniques so you will have to start much lighter. If you can squat without the Smith I would recommend that.

Tomorrow is upper body day, but I may try a regular bar squat just to see what amount of weight I can manage. Start with just the bar and work up from there I'm guessing? Really anxious to see if I can really "squat" as much as I thought I could since I was depending on the Smith. This thread sparked some research on my end and I'm realizing how detrimental it is to your body to use the Smith. It could still be used for other work outs successfully though, correct? (i.e. knee-ups on a platform, kick backs, lifts, etc.)