Week 170 :: What Is The Best Workout For Competition Worthy Glutes?

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* Note: How can I win? Answer all questions in the order that they are asked.

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TOPIC: What Is The Best Workout For Competition Worthy Glutes?

For the week of: 11/11 - 11/16
Monday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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All women want perfect thighs and a perfect butt, especially if they are preparing for competition. Nothing is sexier than a gluteus maximus built to perfection.

What is the best workout for competition worthy glutes? Be specific.

Would this workout target mainly women or men as well?

How long could one expect to see results?

* IMPORTANT: Please make sure your responses are original and not copied from previous topics.

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What is the best workout for competition worthy glutes? Be specific.

The glutes are an interested muscle group because they are a muscle that are nearly impossible to isolate alone.

Squats- 4x4-6 (be sure to go deep on these, thats where the most glute activation will occur

Glute Ham Raises 3x8-12 (These will also work the hamstrings to a high degree, therefore a higher rep range will be used because the glutes won't be doing all the work, working in the hypertrophy range will be ideal here)

Cable Pull Through 3x8-12 ( a very overlooked exercise typically used by powerlifters. this exercise will fry your glutes and hamstrings)


Would this workout target mainly women or men as well?

This workout will work for anyone (female or male).



How long could one expect to see results?

This is impossible to say. Results depend of factor such as previous training, training frequency, and most importantly diet. Don't expect to see optimal results unless your diet is dialed in/

The best workout by far for the glutes is heavy back squats. To specifically deal with the glutes and hamstrings as well as the normal benefits of back squats multiple bar positions can be used which create slightly different focuses of the lift. High bar back squats being placed on the traps well above the top of the deltoids, and Low bar back squats where the bar is placed about the equal level of the deltoids on the "shelf" created by the pinching together of the lats. As a standard suggestion the bar position that is more comfortable for the lifter should be used for heavier weight with lower reps/sets in the power range, while the less comfortable position should be done in between the power and hypertrophy range. The true importance though is to make sure that both of these are done with proper form and to proper depth to assure proper activation of the muscles involved. A couple of things to note on form for those unfamilar is to point your toes out and push your knees outward on the descent as this will prevent unwanted knee travel that could put your knees in a damaging position. But done correctly, back squats from different bar locations are the ultimate exercise for the glutes.

Squats know no race, creed or gender and can be performed by anybody.

Results in general will depend on the amount of food intake and the frequency/intensity of the squatting. On personal anecdote i have seen serious change to this area in both size and strength in as little as three weeks when focusing entirely on this (Smolov). But a period where a person has proper diet, rest and recovery 12 intense squat workouts should give a noticeable change to both appearance and overall strength of the lower body.

[QUOTE=PeonLover;409662181]The best workout by far for the glutes is heavy back squats. To specifically deal with the glutes and hamstrings as well as the normal benefits of back squats multiple bar positions can be used which create slightly different focuses of the lift. High bar back squats being placed on the traps well above the top of the deltoids, and Low bar back squats where the bar is placed about the equal level of the deltoids on the "shelf" created by the pinching together of the lats. As a standard suggestion the bar position that is more comfortable for the lifter should be used for heavier weight with lower reps/sets in the power range, while the less comfortable position should be done in between the power and hypertrophy range. The true importance though is to make sure that both of these are done with proper form and to proper depth to assure proper activation of the muscles involved. A couple of things to note on form for those unfamilar is to point your toes out and push your knees outward on the descent as this will prevent unwanted knee travel that could put your knees in a damaging position. But done correctly, back squats from different bar locations are the ultimate exercise for the glutes.

Squats know no race, creed or gender and can be performed by anybody.

Results in general will depend on the amount of food intake and the frequency/intensity of the squatting. On personal anecdote i have seen serious change to this area in both size and strength in as little as three weeks when focusing entirely on this (Smolov). But a period where a person has proper diet, rest and recovery 12 intense squat workouts should give a noticeable change to both appearance and overall strength of the lower body.[/QUOTE]

^^^ Excellent post, couldn't agree more about the importance of squatting, and those are some damn good power lifting #'s you got, for your body weight too! Good work!

I think Bulgarian Split Squats are an excellent one as well. I couldn't believe how long I had been missing out on this exercise when I finally found it. I think they are crucial because I find that they hit even more muscles than the average squat...however thats not to say that the squat isnt useful because regular back squats i can go heavier with so its a very useful exercise as well.

The best workout for getting striated and full competition glutes would look like this:

First exercise would be back squats, however to really activate your glutes you must do them a certain way. Feet will be positioned at shoulder width or slightly outside, it should feel like a medium width, not wide but not to close. Also your toes should point outward slightly. A full range of motion is also key to get full glute activation, at the top start by squeezing or flexing your glutes together as hard as you can (don't strain of course) then begin going down into the squat and the whole time concentrating on those glute muscles being tight and focusing on really letting them do the work. When your femur is parallel with the ground fire up slowly and once again squeeze the glutes at the top. this works well with shoes that have a flat sole or no shoes at all (if allowed). At first weight should be kept lighter and reps in the 12-10 range but after a couple of weeks and strength increases you should increase the weight and go heavy for 6-10 reps a set. Sets should stay in the 4-6 range.

The next exercise i would do is lunges (stepping a little to the outside) holding dumbbells. also these should be long steps to really stretch the glute out, theses should be done in 3 sets of 20 (10 a leg). The lunges should be supersetted with light straight leg deadlifts, doing 3 sets of 12 feet close together and squeezing all the way through the motion.

To really finish off the glutes i would finish by using a box and doing step-ups where you basically do a lunge onto a box. Holding weight so that you are only able to do 3 sets of 16 (8 a leg). super set this with 2 sets of ham/glute raises at 12 reps.

Thats it for weights but the true secret i have to offer on building the best glutes is skating. Whether it be on ice or inline skating, both will work. It will be hard to see the results of this at first or until you become a decent skater, but i promise if you did nothing more and skate 4 days a week for a half hour you would still see results. It even works well as cardio or speeding up the metabolic rate while trying to gain mass.

This workout would be performed once a week for 8 weeks then adjusted slightly to make continued improvements. Also as always diet and lifestyle (food,sleep,etc) will be the difference maker in the program.

This workout could be used for males and females.

Like i mentioned above it should be used for 8 weeks and then changed slightly then eventually adjusted to some different exercises then this one could be cycled back into.(just the same as most other programs)

All women want perfect thighs and a perfect butt, especially if they are preparing for competition. Nothing is sexier than a gluteus maximus built to perfection. (I would add that men don?t mind having a pretty firm behind as well. Bodybuilder glutes are a sight to behold!)

[img] http://www.tmuscle.com/img/photos/2009/09-178-training/008.jpg[/img]

[size=4][b] What is the best workout for competition worthy glutes? Be specific.[/b][/size]

[size=3][b]Activation[/b][/size]
When training the lower body (even through exercises that specifically target the glutes), the hamstrings and lower back frequently take a considerable amount of the load off of the glutes themselves. Before we can start training the gluteus maximus directly, we need to activate the muscle so that it contracts properly when lifting a weight. Bodyweight, simple exercises are the most effective way to teach one?s glutes to fire properly. I?ve listed a few such exercises below. These movements will heighten the benefits that your glutes receive from any lower body training, as they will be more likely to fire and assist your other muscle groups. To get the most benefit out of these exercises, perform them often (upon waking, one or two before workouts, etc) and for moderate reps (8-12) with a 5-second hold at the top. Try to pick a combination of exercises that works the glutes both through abduction (along the plane that bisects your front and back) and axial extension (along the plane that bisects you into two symmetric halves).

? [b]Glute Kickback[/b]
? [b]Butt Lift (Bridge):[/b] a good way to tell if you are activating your glutes is with this exercise - you should eventually be able to hyperextend your back at the peak if you have fully activated your glutes.
? [b]Clams[/b] (description is #4 at [url]http://stronglifts.com/how-to-optimize-posterior-chain-power-glute-activation/[/url])
? [b]Bird dogs[/b] (description is #5 at [url]http://stronglifts.com/how-to-optimize-posterior-chain-power-glute-activation/[/url])
? [b]Fire Hydrants[/b] (description is #6 at [url]http://stronglifts.com/how-to-optimize-posterior-chain-power-glute-activation/[/url])
? [b]X-Band walks:[/b] step on a band and cross your arms to grab each end of the band. Spread your hips and walk, keeping your torso tight (don?t waddle!)

[youtube]C9IcLbu8ThY[/youtube]


[size=3][b]The [i]Real[/i] Exercises[/b][/size]
Contrary to popular belief, squats and lunges are not optimal exercises for the glutes, based on the amount of contraction experienced during the movements (information on glute contraction during various exercises is based on Bret Contreras? research on the topic, found in abbreviated free format at [url]http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/advanced_glute_training[/url]). The average contraction of the glutes for squats and walking lunges are 35.6% and 27.7% of the MVC, respectively (MVC is Maximum Voluntary Contraction - the force with which the subject can contract the glute without an added load). The reason that squats and lunges make glutes so sore is because the glute-ham tie-in is contracting in a stretched position, creating microtrauma that leads to delayed onset muscle soreness that is perceived to be in the entire glute region.

With that being said, here are some good exercises that produce a higher degree of glute contraction than squats and lunges. Perform 2-3 of these exercises for moderate reps (8-12) once or twice per week.

? [b]Weighted Activation exercises:[/b] see the exercises above and add ankle weights or light dumbbells to increase the difficulty.

? [b]Glute-Ham Raise:[/b] either weighted or unweighted, this is a great glute targeter
[youtube]p0oqLDZ8JcI[/youtube]

? [b]Band abduction:[/b] these can be performed lying down, seated, or one-legged with the band attached to a pole
[youtube]oLtPz4aiMXQ[/youtube]

? [b]Barbell glute bridge[/b]
[youtube]Q-4-GwGnDMs[/youtube]

? [b]Barbell hip thrust:[/b] probably the single best exercise for glutes, period. Same as the barbell glute bridge but with your back on a bench to allow a greater range of motion
[youtube]jVlQhlKf-5Q&feature=related[/youtube]

? [b]Kneeling squat:[/b] this exercise is just what it sounds like. You kneel down with a bar on your back and sit back as far as you can before exploding upwards while squeezing your glutes.
[youtube]8-XJjai5Hq0[/youtube]

? [b]Bent-leg Reverse Hyperextensions:[/b] Unfortunately, most gyms don?t have a reverse hyper machine. That?s too bad, as these are another amazing exercise for contracting the glutes.
[youtube]LwKeZFG5_HE[/youtube]

? [b]Pull Throughs:[/b] stand in front of a low pulley with a rope attachment. Squat down, reach your hands through your legs, and grab the rope. Stand up by contracting your glutes and hamstrings forcefully and pulling the rope through your legs so that the ends of the rope reach the front of your groin area. Squat back down under control and repeat for reps.
[youtube]VuDc1IQuwZo[/youtube]

Don?t forget to stretch out your glutes with some hip flexor stretches after every workout!


[size=4][b] Would this workout target mainly women or men as well?[/b][/size]
[i]Everyone[/i] can benefit from stronger (and more shapely) glutes - athletes will see their sprint time and vertical jump improve, powerlifters will see their squat and deadlift strength soar, and the average gym-goer will see the compliments from members of the opposite sex multiply. Bodybuilders will enjoy how much a firm buttocks rounds out their physique - it?s never pleasant when a full and muscular contestant turns around and reveals a soft, undeveloped gluteus complex. To get to the point, both men and women can benefit immensely from this workout; a good butt looks good on both sexes!

[size=4][b] How long could one expect to see results?[/b][/size]
Noticeable changes in the way you perform exercises that recruit your glutes should appear within the first few weeks of activation exercises. I know that once I started doing activation exercises every morning, it took me about a week before I became more conscious of my glutes while walking and exercising. As far as aesthetic changes go, those will differ from person to person, but the 2-week mark is a good estimate for when noticeable differences should appear.

[i]All women want perfect thighs and a perfect butt, especially if they are preparing for competition. Nothing is sexier than a gluteus maximus built to perfection.[/i]

Nothing turns heads like a well-defined gluteus maximus - no ifs, ands, or but(t)s about it. While many men spend hours trying to build up their chests and arms, many women tend to focus on their lower bodies, trying to tone their legs and tighten their glutes. This is not only a sure-fire way to impress judges at a figure competition but is a guaranteed method for attracting attention anywhere else you go. And while good-looking glutes are fashionable, developing these muscles has functional advantages as well, as they provide the power necessary for running races and excelling in sports.

[i]What is the best workout for competition worthy glutes? Be specific.[/i]

If creating shredded glutes was easy, everyone would be walking around with a beautiful backside. However, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to bring out definition and striation. As with any other significant body transformation, both diet and training need to be on target to see results. And while building your best glutes requires a lot of effort, you'll need to balance this pursuit with your other goals. For this reason, I'm going to provide you with a workout for a dedicated glute day, which you can incorporate into any routine you're already using. For years, a proven method for bringing up a lagging body part has been to give it additional attention via a weekly "weak-point" day. This is the same principle the following workout operates under.

[b]A Guaranteed Route to Stage-Worthy Glutes[/b]

[color=red]Warm-Up: 5 Minutes of jogging, followed by stretching. Some great stretches for this routine are:[/color]

*Seated Floor Twist*
- Sit up straight with your legs extended in front of you. Next, bend your left knee and place that foot on the opposite side of your right leg. Turn your torso and anchor your right elbow beside your left knee and hold. Slowly release the stretch and switch sides.
[img]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sm/2006/seatedfloortwist3.jpg[/img]

*Ankle on Knee Stretch*
- Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place your left ankle on your right knee and pull both of your legs into your chest. Hold and release slowly, then switch sides.
[img]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sm/2006/ankleontheknee3.jpg[/img]

[color=red]Workout - Begin each exercise with two warm-up sets of about 12 reps in order to establish proper form and range of motion.[/color]

Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift: 4 x 5-8
- Concentrate on squeezing your glutes as you raise the weight and make sure you go slow and steady

Seated Leg Press: 3 x 6-10
- Keep this exercise early in your routine as it is failry taxing. Make sure you use the entire range of motion.

Standing Glute Kickback: 3 x 10-12
- Most gyms have a kickback machine, but yu can also use cables for this.

Side Lunge: 4 x 6-8
- Use dumbbells instead of a barbell for this exercise; this will add an extra challenge as you will need to engage your entire posterior chain to retain balance.

Glute Ham Raise: 3 x 8-10
- This is a very underappreciated exercise but is quite effective. If you haven't performed this before, make sure you do it slowly.

Hip Abduction: 3 x 6-8
- This is most well-known as the machine in the gym that nobody uses, but it can be a killer if you're not used to it. Squeeze your gluts and prepare to be sore.

[color=red]Warm Down[/color]

*Speed Squats*
- Best performed on a Smith Machine

*Light Jogging/Biking*
- Five or ten minutes should be fine

*Stretches*
- The same stretches as used pre-workout are fine.

[b]Other Workouts[/b]

While this is undeniably an effective workout, you should also be performing exercises such as deadlifts and squats during your other sessions. I did not include them here because I didn't want to interrupt your regular schedule or impair recovery. In addition, cardio will be a big factor in any attempt to tone up and lose fat - high-intensity interval training is a very effective technique. In addition, if you are trying to lose weight, a caloric deficit is a must.

[b]Extracurricular[/b]

If you are active outside of the gym, some great activities to tone up your glutes include ice and roller skating - trust me, I have about 15 years of hockey experience. In addition, simply taking the stairs instead of riding escalators or elevators will work wonders.

[i]Would this workout target mainly women or men as well?[/i]

Though men who are not looking to hit the stage any time soon don't usually rank glutes as a top priority, this workout can be used by men as well as women. This workout is an excellent framework and can be adapted to any goals simply by manipulating frequency, volume, and resistance.

[i]How long could one expect to see results?[/i]

As every fitness enthusiast knows, results depend on a variety of factors - diet, intensity, commitment. This workout is designed to be used in conjunction with your existing split so your results will also depend on the rest of your workout plan. With this in mind, don't get discouraged if you don't see dramatic results within two weeks. However, changes will be evident in less than a month, and can be enhanced with proper diet and supplementation. If you are in contest prep, a fat-burner and a diuretic will aid your goals, and an pre-workout energy enhancer can help when you are running on low calories.


REFERENCES:

1. Bodybuilding.com Glute Stretches Guide: [url]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/stretches.php?MainMuscle=Glutes[/url]

[QUOTE=soundcheck129;410931281][i]All women want perfect thighs and a perfect butt, especially if they are preparing for competition. Nothing is sexier than a gluteus maximus built to perfection.[/i]

Nothing turns heads like a well-defined gluteus maximus - no ifs, ands, or but(t)s about it. While many men spend hours trying to build up their chests and arms, many women tend to focus on their lower bodies, trying to tone their legs and tighten their glutes. This is not only a sure-fire way to impress judges at a figure competition but is a guaranteed method for attracting attention anywhere else you go. And while good-looking glutes are fashionable, developing these muscles has functional advantages as well, as they provide the power necessary for running races and excelling in sports.

[i]What is the best workout for competition worthy glutes? Be specific.[/i]

If creating shredded glutes was easy, everyone would be walking around with a beautiful backside. However, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to bring out definition and striation. As with any other significant body transformation, both diet and training need to be on target to see results. And while building your best glutes requires a lot of effort, you'll need to balance this pursuit with your other goals. For this reason, I'm going to provide you with a workout for a dedicated glute day, which you can incorporate into any routine you're already using. For years, a proven method for bringing up a lagging body part has been to give it additional attention via a weekly "weak-point" day. This is the same principle the following workout operates under.

[b]A Guaranteed Route to Stage-Worthy Glutes[/b]

[color=red]Warm-Up: 5 Minutes of jogging, followed by stretching. Some great stretches for this routine are:[/color]

*Seated Floor Twist*
- Sit up straight with your legs extended in front of you. Next, bend your left knee and place that foot on the opposite side of your right leg. Turn your torso and anchor your right elbow beside your left knee and hold. Slowly release the stretch and switch sides.
[img]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sm/2006/seatedfloortwist3.jpg[/img]

*Ankle on Knee Stretch*
- Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place your left ankle on your right knee and pull both of your legs into your chest. Hold and release slowly, then switch sides.
[img]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sm/2006/ankleontheknee3.jpg[/img]

[color=red]Workout - Begin each exercise with two warm-up sets of about 12 reps in order to establish proper form and range of motion.[/color]

Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift: 4 x 5-8
- Concentrate on squeezing your glutes as you raise the weight and make sure you go slow and steady

Seated Leg Press: 3 x 6-10
- Keep this exercise early in your routine as it is failry taxing. Make sure you use the entire range of motion.

Standing Glute Kickback: 3 x 10-12
- Most gyms have a kickback machine, but yu can also use cables for this.

Side Lunge: 4 x 6-8
- Use dumbbells instead of a barbell for this exercise; this will add an extra challenge as you will need to engage your entire posterior chain to retain balance.

Glute Ham Raise: 3 x 8-10
- This is a very underappreciated exercise but is quite effective. If you haven't performed this before, make sure you do it slowly.

Hip Abduction: 3 x 6-8
- This is most well-known as the machine in the gym that nobody uses, but it can be a killer if you're not used to it. Squeeze your gluts and prepare to be sore.

[color=red]Warm Down[/color]

*Speed Squats*
- Best performed on a Smith Machine

*Light Jogging/Biking*
- Five or ten minutes should be fine

*Stretches*
- The same stretches as used pre-workout are fine.

[b]Other Workouts[/b]

While this is undeniably an effective workout, you should also be performing exercises such as deadlifts and squats during your other sessions. I did not include them here because I didn't want to interrupt your regular schedule or impair recovery. In addition, cardio will be a big factor in any attempt to tone up and lose fat - high-intensity interval training is a very effective technique. In addition, if you are trying to lose weight, a caloric deficit is a must.

[b]Extracurricular[/b]

If you are active outside of the gym, some great activities to tone up your glutes include ice and roller skating - trust me, I have about 15 years of hockey experience. In addition, simply taking the stairs instead of riding escalators or elevators will work wonders.

[i]Would this workout target mainly women or men as well?[/i]

Though men who are not looking to hit the stage any time soon don't usually rank glutes as a top priority, this workout can be used by men as well as women. This workout is an excellent framework and can be adapted to any goals simply by manipulating frequency, volume, and resistance.

[i]How long could one expect to see results?[/i]

As every fitness enthusiast knows, results depend on a variety of factors - diet, intensity, commitment. This workout is designed to be used in conjunction with your existing split so your results will also depend on the rest of your workout plan. With this in mind, don't get discouraged if you don't see dramatic results within two weeks. However, changes will be evident in less than a month, and can be enhanced with proper diet and supplementation. If you are in contest prep, a fat-burner and a diuretic will aid your goals, and an pre-workout energy enhancer can help when you are running on low calories.


REFERENCES:

1. Bodybuilding.com Glute Stretches Guide: [url]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/stretches.php?MainMuscle=Glutes[/url][/QUOTE]



1: Jogging is a pathetic warmup -- all you warm up is the lower body, and quite frankly you do such through a miniscule and repetitive ROM (overuse injuries) with significant ground impact (not ideal for joint integrity)

2: static stretching pre workout significantly diminishes muscular performance by dulling the CNS, thereby significantly diminishing returns on any given movement or exercise performend afterward while also increasing the potential of an acute or chronic injury.

Are you on ********?