Grow Your Glutes: Easy Lower Body Workouts!

I get it: starting a workout routine is hard. We all experience 'gymtimidation' the first time we step inside a gym. Personally, I had no clue what machines to use, how to train my muscles, or even what my purpose was in being there. All I knew was that I had to do something. Months later, I still don't have it all together. Every day presents a new challenge, but more importantly, a chance to try new things. Especially lower body things!

Call me a stereotypical girl, but I absolutely love doing lower body workouts. The days I isolate these muscles are when I experience the most sweat (and sweet soreness the day after!). The results are vv nice, too ;) And now, I am going to share my favorite lower body workouts with you!

Glute Workouts

For my workout newbies, glute is the shorthand for gluteus maximus, aka your BOOTYYY. I typically mix 3-4 glutes exercises with either hamstring or quadricep exercises (meaning that I train glutes two days/week). Here are my faves:

Squats (3 sets of 15 reps): This exercise is SO simple yet SO effective. There is also many variations of the squat, including:

-Sumo Squat: aka a wide-stance squat. I like to add intensity by holding a dumbbell as I go up and down. BURNS SO GOOD!

-Barbell Squat: Pretty self-explanatory, but these are done with a barbell positioned on your shoulders. You can either do it with an actual barbell, or by using the squat cage.

-Dumbbell Squat: As you can see, some exercises are pretty clear. This exercise requires the person to hold a dumbbell in each hand as they squat.

-Landmine Squat: This squat utilizes the landmine bar, which is just a huge bar that you lift up and down as you squat.

Glutes Machine (3 sets of 10 reps, each leg): This thing is kinda awkward at first, but it has easily become one of my favorite glute machines.

The movement in this requires you to push your foot back against a bar, lifting it, while you lay face down. My tip for this machine is to squeeze your glutes at the top for maximum burn.

Cable Kickbacks (3 sets of 10 reps, each leg): In this exercise, you have a cable attached to one foot and attempt to raise it while keeping the other firmly planted on the ground.

It helps to hold on to the cable machine if you have bad balance like me, OR you can actually use the Smith Machine do something called a Single Leg Donkey Kickback!

Barbell Glutes Bridge (3 sets of 12-15 reps): Before starting this, make sure you are using a yoga mat. With this exercise you are laying on your back on the mat and bending your knees at a 90-degree angle. Now, with a barbell (or no barbell, up to you!), push through your heels and lift your hips to form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.

Essentially, you are doing a thrusting motion. But ignore the fears of looking weird, because this exercise is AMAZING!

Quadriceps Workouts

Before I share the workouts, I want you all to know where these muscles are located. The human body has four quadriceps on each leg. What I love most about working quads is that often these exercises also work your glutes. So if ya wants some noooice quads and glutes, try these out:

SQUATS! Nuff said.
Leg Extensions (3 sets of 12 reps): This machine is a good one for beginners. You basically sit on a chair with your shins resting behind a padded bar, select a resistance, and lift the bar by squeezing your quad muscles.

It's super important here to NOT KICK YOUR LEGS! Doing so may cause injury, and also takes the burn out. Instead, aim for a steady motion going up and down, and hold the lift for a few seconds to ensure optimal burn

Leg Press (3 sets of 12 reps): This exercise can look different ways, just like squats, but the basic motion is the same. You start sitting against a chair with your feet propped in front against a plate and knees bent at 90 degrees.

Then, you slowly push against the plate until your legs are no longer bent (BUT DON'T LOCK YOUR KNEES!), and return to starting position. This exercise can be done:

With feet in frog position: This means that your feet are pointed outwards. By doing so, you are actually working more of your outer glutes.
With an incline leg press machine: Where the machine is, well, inclined. But if having a giant metal plate above you sounds scary, then try..
A seated leg press machine: Where you are sitting upright.
Barbell/No Barbell Walking Lunges (15 reps each way, 30 total) : This one is common, but very effective. You simply do walking lunges with or without a barbell resting on your shoulders.

If my description above was confusing, I basically lunge 15 times one way, turn around, rest, and lunge 15 more the other way.

Hamstring Workouts

Get your Thanksgiving decorations out: IT'S HAMMY TIME! Your hamstrings are located below your butt, aka the back thighs. Gotta be honest, I was SO clueless on how to work my hams at first. It seemed like nothing ever worked. That is, until I discovered these amazing workouts:

Lying Leg Curl (3 sets of 12 reps): This. Exercise. Is. FIRRREEE. But it is SO simple! To do this, you lay face down on the leg curl machine with your calves firmly pressed underneath the leg pads.

With the appropriate weight and angle of rotation set, slowly curl your legs up, hold the position, and lower back down.

Romanian Deadlift with Barbell (3 sets of 12 reps): It's a funny name, but a great exercise. In this one, you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees relax, and bend over (basically sticking your bootaaay out) until you feel a burn in your hamstrings/back of legs.

In this exercise, it's key that you keep your shoulders back as you bend. If using a barbell, you will hold it close to your body in front of you while bending.

Bench Hamstring Curls (3 sets of 10 reps each leg): I literally just realized while writing this that I called this exercise a wrong name. lols. But ANYWAYS, this is honestly one of the best ways to burn your hammies, and best part: IT USES NO WEIGHTS!

I recommend watching the linked video to get this movement, but essentially you lay down in front of a bench with one foot on the edge of the bench. Then, you use that foot to push up until your body is straight from knees to shoulders, hold, and repeat.

Single Leg Deadlift (3 sets of 12 reps each leg): Woooowie, this burns so good guys. Trust me. Here's what you do: start in a standing position with a weight in one hand, then slowly let the weight lean your body over lifting the leg on the SAME side as the hand holding the weight.

Your body should be parallel to the floor, with one foot planted on the ground. Return to start, and repeat. Now, if you have the worst balance like me, I actually do this exercise holding onto the smith machine bar. This allows me to retain form without falling on my face and looking like a fooooool.

Well guys, that was it! I really hope this was helpful for you to start building your own fire workouts! If you ever want me to do more fitness blogs, PLEASE send me a DM!

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