I must admit I hate headlines like this, as there is so much more to getting in shape than just 5 exercises. But if I was to assume you have your Nutrition under control, you have no injuries or health concerns and need an exercise program to get you in shape that does not take an enormous amount of time to do but gives you a big bang for your buck, then this is it. This is targeted specifically to the female population and has a real focus on toning the butt area! The biggest mistake most girls make in trying to get toned and in great physical shape is using too much cardio and when they do use weights, they do too many reps with light hand weights. The fear of "getting big like a guy" is still in many girls minds. Trust me you cannot get big even if you wanted to. You lack the most important hormone needed to do this which is testosterone. In my 11 years as a trainer ALL of the girls who lifted big weights got smaller not larger. Their muscles tightened up and they developed the athletic sporting appearance in their body. The exercises we are about to share with you are some of the best ones we have used over the years and continue to use today.
How To Use This Workout
It is essential to WARM UP for 10 minutes with a light jog or cardio exercise prior to the workout and using some STRETCHES at the end of the session to cool down the muscles. This reduces the risk of injury and ensures you get the most out of your workout.
ALWAYS aim for perfect technique. If your plan is to do 15 reps but you are fatigued by rep 10 then stop the exercise. Trying to push through and using poor form will create more harm than good. Quality beats quantity every time!
I advise to use 3 sets of 10-15 reps for each exercise to start with and as you get the hang of it change this to 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. As you get stronger and more skilled you can add load to make the exercises harder, decrease the REST time, increase the SETS and REPS or you can change the TEMPO. Tempo is a variable often missed in many training programs but extremely effective for creating the athletic shape you are after. So experiment with slow and fast training to see what effect it has. This is all included in the Free report.
Do this workout 3 times per week with at least a day between workouts. If you think you are good enough to do more I suggest adding an Interval workout and do this 1-2 times per week in addition to your strength workout ensuring you always have at least 2 rest days. Click here to get some ideas on Interval Training. Do not discount the value of walking and continually moving. Aim for 10-15,000 steps per day to help increase your metabolic rate. All the little things add up over time and make the program so much easier and more effective.
Last but not least Have Some Fun!
1: Single Leg Deadlift
This exercise I would rate as the King of all glute exercises. (Your Butt!). A very challenging exercise that will give you a huge bang for your buck. The swissball is better to use than a bench so that it encourages your stabilizers to work equally as hard as the movers! Make sure you achieve great range with your legs and keep the natural arch in your lower back. A great exercise for any one who plays sports and is a key exercise for preventing many of the lower leg injuries such as knee pain or plantar fasciitis.
Instructions:
1. Standing with one foot on a swiss ball, a comfortable distance apart with body weight or holding dumbbells beside you.
2. Draw your belly button inwards bend forward from the hips; go as far as you comfortably can keep a natural arch in your low back.
3. Return to the top.
Sets / Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps with slow tempo
2: Swissball Dumbbell Pullover
If you want to get that elusive toned arms and triceps then this is the exercise for you. Again a Swissball is more effective than a bench as even though this is mainly an arm and upper body exercise, by using the ball you encourage your butt muscles to work hard to provide the balance and stability on the ball and also the correct position for your arms. It is a sneaky way to get more work into your legs! This is also a great exercise for opening up your rib cage and developing better posture. After the first time you do this your arms will be sore for a few days!
Instructions:
1. Lying face up on a Swiss Ball holding a dumbbell above your chest with both palms against the inside of the dumbbell.
2. Raise the dumbbell in an arc over and behind your head.
3. Pull the dumbbell over your head to return to the start position and repeat.
Sets / Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps with slow tempo.
3: Renegade Row
This is quite a complex exercise and requires a great degree of coordination, core stability and upper body strength! A great exercise for getting strength throughout the entire body and creating abs and arms to die for! This is also one of the great athletic exercises and is often used by many sporting athletes in a conditioning program.
Instructions
1. In a push up position holding the handles of two kettlebells.
2. Drawing your belly button inwards row one kettlebell to the side of your chest.
3. Lower under control and perform a row on the opposite side.
4. Repeat alternating sides.
Sets / Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps with slow tempo.
4: Monster Walk with DB Bicep Curls
Another great Butt exercise! This is a unique exercise we use in our rehab program to effectively train the glutes with people who struggle to get them to fire. This exercise is guaranteed to get even the laziest butt muscles to work to their capacity. You will need to add a small resistance band to your legs to get the most out of this exercise. The bicep curls adds more weight to your legs and the added bonus is it will destroy your arms at the same time!
Instructions:
1. Standing bent forwards at the hips to 45º with an appropriate thickness resistance band looped around your ankles. Place your hands on your hips with your thumbs monitoring the contraction of your gluteals.
2. Drawing your belly button inwards step side wards with one leg pushing against the resistance band.
3. Step back to parallel with the other leg then step side wards again against the band.
4. Repeat this pattern walking side wards then reverse direction.
Sets / Reps: 2-3 sets of 20 reps with slow tempo.
5: Lunge With DB Shoulder Press
This last exercise uses the lunge movement which is a great way to again increase gluteal strength and stretch tight hip flexors. A very athletic exercise used by many elite athletes and is an exercise that is known for leaving you breathless and exhausted after only a few sets! Enjoy.
Instructions:
1. Standing in a partial lunge position holding two dumbbells at shoulder height.
2. Drawing your belly button inwards press the dumbbells overhead whilst maintaining the partial lunge position.
3. Lower the dumbbells and repeat.
4. Perform on the opposite side.
Sets / Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps with slow tempo.
Want More Workout Ideas?
And if you want even more circuit workouts, strength programs and even cardio and sporting workouts, make sure you get a copy of the Little Black Book of Training Secrets where I share 101 amazing programs just like the ones shown in this article. Click here to see more about what is inside this special report and download your digital copy instantly.
For more ideas and information on specific topics I may not have covered in detail be sure to check out our INDEX PAGE on the website that has over 300 of our best articles. These are all sorted into categories for quick reference so you can find what you are after more easily. You can also subscribe to our FREE fortnightly newsletter by clicking here.
If you do need specific help with your exercise program please feel free to reach out to me for help and we can set you up with your individualised program.
