Question about developing your glutes

[AlliKat]

Hi everybody, I just have a quick question. When I am training legs/glutes, for the past while it seems only the top part is getting trained, and the bottom part (where the hamstring meets the butt, if you know what I mean) doesnt get hit most of the times. When I flex my butt in the mirror to see how it's training instead of a round even butt it seems its more pointing on the top, and sort of a drop off to the back of my leg. Maybe this is due to improper form? IF anyone could help me it would be much appreciated, thanks. (hopefully I made sense, lol)
Basically just need to feel it in the bottom of my butt as well as the top. Maybe I'm imagining it

[John Prophet]

check this episode of the fitshow http://webcast.bodybuilding.com/fits...php?episode=40

Charles Glass is training Jenny Lynn and that exact point is mentioned a few times

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beyond that it seems like you would want to work the glutes in the "stretch" position (like with stiff legged deads) as opposed to the "contracted" position as with, say, the top portion of hyperextensions.....in other words you want to work the low glute/ham tie

to be honest it seems like "reverse hypers" would be perfect....but most gyms dont have that machine....you could try laying on a table and letting the legs hang off the back and bring them up in the reverse hyper type of motion


another perfect move would seem to simply be cable kickbacks with the leg attachment on the cable machine...well, it would be "perfect" if it could be done in a way to stretch the glute/ham tie-in.....as it is a regular standing leg kickback doesnt do any stretching of the tie-in

[AlliKat]

Thanks for the vid, hopefully that will help me a bit! one more question, If I were to do squats, is there big difference between doing squats with a barbell or can it be done just as effectively with dumbbells? thanks again ( I did do a search if this question has been asked before, couldnt find anything)

[John Prophet]

welllll..yeah they are sort of 2 different movements

in general with squats one can become pretty strong and use a lot of weight etc....so eventually you run out of dbells heavy enough, lol

plus obviously the balance etc is different

db squats ARE good though


what I used to do was regular squats in powerlifter style (feet wide, bar down on lowside of traps, sitting back into the squat)....then for my second move id do db squats with my heels elevated like 1.5-2"...with a close stance and just squatting straight down (not sitting back). So those were 2 opposite moves so I was hitting almost the whole thigh that way

obviously with db squats u r talking about having to use straps to hold the dbells etc

u cant use as much weight with dbells....like with squats I was doign working sets something like a few sets of 5 with 315-325ish....with dbells I think I got up to like 10 reps with 110lb 'bells


if you are trying to build the GLUTES with squats then you probably want to go p'lifter style....wide stance and go deep...that deep part is what hits glutes....thats why all the powerlifters have dem big bootys, lol

[AlliKat]

thanks for the info... I won't need very heavy weights with dumbells anyway, I'm 19 y/o female about 120 pounds and I'm not that strong yet just for the moment using dumbells would be more easy for me for whats available. Just wanted to see if it would have the same effect as a squat in terms of development.

[fitqueeen]

If you're squating a lot and experiencing this, it's definately a form issue. You might be doing what I call the "tuck under", where you allow your pelvis to tilt forward too much during the decending phase of the squat. If you want to hit the lower portion of the booty, you need to perform your squats with a slight curve in your lower back. In other words, you want to roll your hips back slightly and stick your booty out a little bit. Don't over-arch, and remember to brace your abdominal region as you decend so that your lower back is supported. When you squat down, sit back onto your glutes- imagine that you are sitting down in a chair. Try to throw to balance the weight between the glutes and the quads instead of over-relying on the quads. It helps some people to "push through the heels" so they target the right areas. Make sure your knees don't go past your toes. Keep your torso as upright as possible, although a slight forward lean is natural and inevitable. Always look straight ahead, never down. The other thing to do is to develop "mind-muscle control". Mentally focus on the regions you are trying to work, and your body will respond better.

[Roger999]

i find wide stance and going to parallel hits my glutes alright, sucks having biggest butt in my school

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by AlliKat

Hi everybody, I just have a quick question. When I am training legs/glutes, for the past while it seems only the top part is getting trained, and the bottom part (where the hamstring meets the butt, if you know what I mean) doesnt get hit most of the times. When I flex my butt in the mirror to see how it's training instead of a round even butt it seems its more pointing on the top, and sort of a drop off to the back of my leg. Maybe this is due to improper form? IF anyone could help me it would be much appreciated, thanks. (hopefully I made sense, lol)
Basically just need to feel it in the bottom of my butt as well as the top. Maybe I'm imagining it

Makes total sense.

Try deep lunges off of a platform (leading foot)

Deep leg presses with your heels high on the platform nail this area hard.

[Plato458]

I had the same issue - also try plie dumbell squats (like sitting down but hold a db between your hands as you go into the move). Stop just b4 the db hits the floor and hold. This will kill your glutes at the bottom as they struggle to keep you stable.

Also, on the leg press - lift your toes up or place your toes over the edge of the plate, so you can't use your quads to push. Again use a wide stance if you can without killing your joints.

Px

[AlliKat]

Thanks for the other help guys, really appreciated.. though it's not my quads, I always hit my butt the most when I squat, and Ive always had a bigger butt anyways. Just lately (before I posted that originally) I was noticing it seemed to hit mainly the top of my butt rather than the whole thing. I'm pretty sure thats a form issue and I think I'm getting better now

[pitmommy]

Originally Posted by AlliKat

Hi everybody, I just have a quick question. When I am training legs/glutes, for the past while it seems only the top part is getting trained, and the bottom part (where the hamstring meets the butt, if you know what I mean) doesnt get hit most of the times. When I flex my butt in the mirror to see how it's training instead of a round even butt it seems its more pointing on the top, and sort of a drop off to the back of my leg. Maybe this is due to improper form? IF anyone could help me it would be much appreciated, thanks. (hopefully I made sense, lol)
Basically just need to feel it in the bottom of my butt as well as the top. Maybe I'm imagining it

straight leg dead lifts, and lunges.

[terracotta]

I find what hits the glute ham tie in region the best for me is Romanian Deadlifts. SLDL's and Good Mornings will hit it similarly. You would need to use a barbell though - if you can't use the 45# olympic bar yet, you can use a standard bar (usually used for bicep curls). There are demonstrations of these here.

[TurbulentFluid]

I'll side with SLDL notion.
Dumbbel squats, at least the way I do them, hit the thigh much more than anything else, as your position is more simmilar to hack squat (since the weights are by your sides).
As for you being small and unable to use big weights on dbs, that IS the issue - in an exercise where you wanna hit your legs, with db squats your weak link are hands, which will get tired and your legs will get less workout. Same problem appears with deadlifts.
That's why, for serious weigths, most people use barbell squat - you can load up a LOT on your back and it won't fail.

[Al Shades]

Originally Posted by John Prophet

welllll..yeah they are sort of 2 different movements

in general with squats one can become pretty strong and use a lot of weight etc....so eventually you run out of dbells heavy enough, lol

A girl won't have that problem.

Just sayin'

[dragon*princess]

A few of the girls mentioned this and, I want to agree.....Wide Stance Squats!

[dvsness]

Originally Posted by Al Shades

A girl won't have that problem.

Just sayin'

It's a lot easier to BB squat 150 than hold 75 lb DBs.

Just saying'

[MONIKAPL]

Originally Posted by AlliKat

Hi everybody, I just have a quick question. When I am training legs/glutes, for the past while it seems only the top part is getting trained, and the bottom part (where the hamstring meets the butt, if you know what I mean) doesnt get hit most of the times. When I flex my butt in the mirror to see how it's training instead of a round even butt it seems its more pointing on the top, and sort of a drop off to the back of my leg. Maybe this is due to improper form? IF anyone could help me it would be much appreciated, thanks. (hopefully I made sense, lol)
Basically just need to feel it in the bottom of my butt as well as the top. Maybe I'm imagining it

I do lunges, with or without weight, one legged squats on smith machine are great in separating glutes. Pelvic tilts with weight might help too. Wide stance squats are great, try squats on bosu ball too.

Try many different excercises and give yourself few weeks to see results. This works great for my GLUTES

[norinicole]

Originally Posted by MONIKAPL

I do lunges, with or without weight, one legged squats on smith machine are great in separating glutes. Pelvic tilts with weight might help too. Wide stance squats are great, try squats on bosu ball too.

Try many different excercises and give yourself few weeks to see results. This works great for my GLUTES

Great bum Monika!! (no lesbo, lol)

OP - thank you for creating this thread! I was thinking the same thing! Now I have a new leg workout to try

[Irish Babe]

This is my problem area as well...walking lunges ( w or w/o DB's) really ( for me ) hit the glute ham tie in, i dont feel it in my entire butt but i definitely feel it there!!!