Training: Leg Exercises for Hot Buns!

Forget the soft white sugar high calorie easter buns. We want hard, firm tight hot glutes don't we girls! So in this article we're focusing on leg and butt exercises to get your glutes nice and firm as demonstrated by Go Figure's own Super Girls Monty and Heidi.

Heidi and Monty

I recently caught up with Monty and Heidi in Matamata for a Pow Wow to go through some exercises and techniques which they might not understand through my emailing language - everyone has their own version of names don't they?
So it was great to catch up with the girls and showed them some new things I'd like them to try.

Lisa with Super Girls in the baking

As I know they just LOVE the camera - they have no choice really with my camera fetish. I got them to be my Super Models and we went through some exercises so I can take pics and maybe show you some new exercises too. So here are a few you might want to try in your leg workouts.

So lets work them buns! Click on pics to enlarge. Or check out Leg workout on video here

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Lean Back Lunges
This is a Superslow protocol exercise and its a unique take on the traditional standing lunge. Instead of having your body straight up and down while lunging, lean your body back. Kind of like doing sissy squats in lunge position.

This automatically locks your quads as its in stretched position which will make them work harder. Go slowly down while keeping your body leaned back, pref 5-10sec down and 10sec up. After 4 reps you'll be feeling quite wobbly and pumped. You won't need weight for this if you are being true and go slowly.

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Dumbell Deadlifts
Deadlifts is a great exercise to develop your glutes, hamstrings as well as your core strength. You can get into back trouble if you don't get your deadlifting technique right. To do the deadlift correctly you must get into deep squat position first with your butt below parrallel and your legs are quite wide with feet pointed outwards.

Some athletes who aren't flexible enough to get below parrallel might get more benefit from doing dumbell deadlifts first as doing it with dumbells forces you to go parralel to pick up the weight. Start with your feet wide apart and your chest and head looking up, then slowly squeeze your butt while holding the weight with your hands to put move your body upwards.

On your downward movement, make sure you keep your head and chest up while your butt goes backwards and slowly bending your knees in a controlled movement. Start with a lightweight first to get the movement right.

Highly recommended that you get a trainer or instructor who knows how to do deadlifts to show you how its done otherwise you could hurt yourself.

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Go Sideways!
Why lunge forward. Go Sideways! Here are a couple of options to test your balance, glutes, abductors and hamstrings. In the first demonstration, Monty is holding on to a bar, her legs are wide apart and toes pointed slightly outwards. Lunge down to one side while keeping your heels down and toe pointed upwards.

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In the second demo, Heidi is doing extra long lunges sideways. This gives your hamstrings an extra stretch and its much harder to flex while moving forward.

By mixing up your lunge you'll be sure to work and tone your glutes from all angles!

This next set of exercises are demonstrated by another guinea pig, oops I mean Super Girls in Auckland, Dawn Foenander. I've been putting Dawn through her regime for the past 2 months and she's lost a couple of kgs and firming up nicely.

She hasn't got contest plans but enjoying the challenges of the Super Body Programme nonetheless. Here she is displaying some more butt kicking exercises.

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One legged lunge
This is another good exercise for the quads and glutes, although you do need to concentrate on your balance while doing it. Place 1 foot on a bench and the other foot lunged forward. Then lunge up and down while keeping your head and chest up. NB in this picture Dawn should've been more forward with her feet so that her back is straight.

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Super (wo)man on Swiss Ball
Hyperextensions are a great butt toning exercise but if you haven't got a hyperextension apparatus, you can use the swiss ball. This one is good for your core, lower back and ofcourse glutes. In step 1, place hands and feet on the floor, then lift opposite arms and legs and hold for 2 seconds and alternate. Do 10 reps each side.

And Finally!

Fig 1	Fig 2	Fig 1. Squats Sure you can do squats with both feet on the ground but why not try squats with 1 foot on a box. You can do this while placing barbell across your shoulders. By doing uneven squats you can stimulate more your gluteus minimus and hamstrings, giving your butt a different burning sensation. In Fig 2, Monty's doing toe taps, alternating tapping each foot on a box. Great cardio when combined with walking lunges.
Step 1	Step 2	Standing Forward lunge with weight This is one of Tom Wojcik's gruelling leg exercises and I just had to 'borrow' it. In step 1, the back leg is straight and front leg is bent at around 90 degrees, your body is bent forward holding weight in front of your knees with arms straight. This position alone is hard! next you do a slight movement upwards, only about 5-10cm. This small movement done 8 times gives you a killer burn in your quads and hamstrings. Thanks Tom!

Training: Leg Exercises for Hot Buns!

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