BOOTY BUILDING BASICS
I’m sure you’ve seen all over social media these “killer leg days” that give the “most insane booty pump” followed by a vague explanation of which exercises so and so performed during that session. But the reality is, the best growth comes from the basics. Theres no need for crazy movement variations that have you doing a lunge and a bicep curl at the same time with a 360 spin thrown in…none of that! What you need to focus on to build muscle is the bootyful basics :)
Getting Started
The most difficult thing for 99.99% of people wanting to get into the gym is just starting. Either they don’t know how to start, they’re waiting for a “better time” to start, they “don’t have the equipment” to start, well guess what… everyone starts somewhere! Your favorite fitspo was right were you were at one point, the most important part is just making that commitment to yourself and starting the process.
Beginner Tips
If you’re too nervous to jump right in to the gym, start at home! Look up some youtube videos of common leg movements like squats, lunges, hip thrusts, RDLs, etc and practice the movements with just your bodyweight. Once you feel as though you have the proper form locked in, add a resistance band and keep running through them! This will give you time to perfect your form without the pressure of which weights to pick up or which machine to start on, keep it simple! Once you’ve gotten more comfortable with some movements go on and hop into the gym! Start with light weights and go right into what you were practicing at home. No one ever walked into the gym for the first time and and picked up 200 pounds… it takes time and everyone in the gym knows that so don’t get caught up in the numbers.
Targeting the Glutes
Most lower body exercises are compound movements that are going to engage your legs and glutes so here are some tips to really dial in on that booty when performing these movements! Push through your HEELS: on virtually all lower body movements you want to focus on pushing through your heels and NOT your toes, this will engage your glute muscles much more effectively
Toes Pointed OUT: I feel like this is said all the time, but not many people actually know why pointing your toes out is beneficial for glute exercises. External hip rotation engages more glute than leg muscles, so when you are performing a squat for example, slightly turn toes outwards about 45 degrees to achieve that activation
Activation: Before jumping into your leg day be sure to properly activate the muscles beforehand. A resistance band is a great tool to really warm up the glutes before adding weights
Check out the page below for some beginner movements to kickstart your journey!
