Well, guess what I woke up to this morning? Snow! What a wonderful treat. NOT. This is definitely not what I want to see what I look out my window in MARCH! It is time for some warm weather already. Or at least some sunshine, geez. I'm SO over winter! Okay, rant over. I feel better now. ;) On the bright side, it's going to be almost 60 degrees this weekend!
So anyways... I am now on the 3rd month of my training program, and I'm still really enjoying it. This month a few of the exercises are different and the reps have been lowered to 3 on the big lifts with more sets, but everything else is pretty much the same. Of course, I'm loving the low reps and was really sore from Monday's upper body workout, which I LOVE! :)
The only thing I feel that is missing on this program for women especially is glute isolation exercises, which I've come to learn are very important. There is also no isolated calf training, which is a necessity for me with my puny little calves!
What I've been doing currently is adding a few sets of calf raises in at the end of my lower body day and doing a few glute exercises twice a week, either as a warmup or after a workout. But I want to step it up for the next few months with my calves to really try and get these things to grow! My plan is to add in another calf exercise on my upper body day, as well as to increase the sets. So one day I'll do 5-6 sets of heavy standing calf raises and the second day will be 4-5 sets of seated calf raises for higher reps.
As for glutes, according to Bret Contreras(aka the "Glute Guy"), glutes should be trained as often as 3-6 times a week. Since starting this program I haven't done any heavy barbell hip thrusts or glute bridges and I really miss them! I am slightly obsessed with getting a bigger butt. Of course, squats, deadlifts, and lunges all work the glutes, but isolation exercises are necessary as well to really target the glutes specifically.
So I think what I'm going to start doing is adding in a glute "finisher" to the end of my lower body workout, which will consist of 2-3 glute exercises done circuit training style. I haven't really been doing finishers since I've started this program with my goal being to gain weight, but I think this will be a fun way to get in some more glute training!
Here was today's lower body strength and power workout, according to the program:
4) High Step Up- 4 x 6 w/25lb dbs
5a) L-Sit Hold- 4 x 10 sec.
5b)Standing Calf Raise- 4x10
So anyways... I am now on the 3rd month of my training program, and I'm still really enjoying it. This month a few of the exercises are different and the reps have been lowered to 3 on the big lifts with more sets, but everything else is pretty much the same. Of course, I'm loving the low reps and was really sore from Monday's upper body workout, which I LOVE! :)
The only thing I feel that is missing on this program for women especially is glute isolation exercises, which I've come to learn are very important. There is also no isolated calf training, which is a necessity for me with my puny little calves!
What I've been doing currently is adding a few sets of calf raises in at the end of my lower body day and doing a few glute exercises twice a week, either as a warmup or after a workout. But I want to step it up for the next few months with my calves to really try and get these things to grow! My plan is to add in another calf exercise on my upper body day, as well as to increase the sets. So one day I'll do 5-6 sets of heavy standing calf raises and the second day will be 4-5 sets of seated calf raises for higher reps.
As for glutes, according to Bret Contreras(aka the "Glute Guy"), glutes should be trained as often as 3-6 times a week. Since starting this program I haven't done any heavy barbell hip thrusts or glute bridges and I really miss them! I am slightly obsessed with getting a bigger butt. Of course, squats, deadlifts, and lunges all work the glutes, but isolation exercises are necessary as well to really target the glutes specifically.
So I think what I'm going to start doing is adding in a glute "finisher" to the end of my lower body workout, which will consist of 2-3 glute exercises done circuit training style. I haven't really been doing finishers since I've started this program with my goal being to gain weight, but I think this will be a fun way to get in some more glute training!
Here was today's lower body strength and power workout, according to the program:
1) Depth Jump- 5 x 3
2) Back Squat- 4 x 3 w/165lbs
3) Deadlift- 3 x 3 w/ 195lbs
4) High Step Up- 4 x 6 w/25lb dbs
5a) L-Sit Hold- 4 x 10 sec.
5b)Standing Calf Raise- 4x10
Then I added this circuit in as a "finisher":
Single leg upper elevated hip thrusts x8
Back extensions x12
Lunge jumps x12(6 each leg)
3x
Glutes should be trained 3-6 days per week?! Yikes, I'm far behind haha. The one thing I was blessed with was a nice booty. Squats and deadlifts helped but I definitely saw a difference when I started doing hip thrusts and glute bridges about a year ago. I can't imagine not doing isolated glute work now!
ReplyDeleteI wish I was blessed with a nice(big)booty!Unfortunately my genetics gave me a pancake butt(thanks, Mom!)...but through weight training I have built it up so that it's not flat, just small and muscular. I have seen a difference just doing the glute exercises I've been doing as well! I can't wait to get back to heavy hip thrusts!
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