Booty Strength Training with Weights

A lot of the workouts I show here are body-weight exercises, but I do a lot of lifting, especially on leg day. So I thought I'd share some of that. Here is a great sequence you can try to work those glute muscles. To get larger muscles in your booty and legs, you need to challenge your body with weights. In this video, I am using 70lb weights (in the deadlifts and squats) and 10lb ankle weights (in the standing leg lifts).

Do 10 reps of each exercise and repeat 4 times! Watch the form before you start as I've slowed down the videos so you can see.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

April Booty Challenge!

This month, we will be focused on our derrieres, aka the booty and the legs. A well shaped booty is always highly revered, regardless of size. And I'm going to give you some quick routines to help you get there :) Look out for the videos and photos on my Instagram page and on here too. Let's get that bum this month.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Engaging your Muscles in the Squat

Squatting is probably one of the best bum exercises out there. But a lot of folks do it wrong. And this puts pressure on your knees rather than your glutes. Want a great bum and thighs? Want to incorporate the squat in your routine but think you may be doing it wrong? Here is a simple tip to help engage your bum muscles.

Weighted Squats

I constantly get the question "How can I bulk up my legs" a lot. In fact, we women struggle a lot with fat in our thighs, and most of the time, we are looking for ways to lose that fat and build strong leg and booty muscles instead.

You are probably asking "Is that not what the regular squat is for?", and you'd be right. We do squats to get our lower bodies toner, but as this lady I follow on Instagram (Mankofit) reminds me, it is always important to constantly challenge yourself.

Start with the basic squats because those help you get your form right. But as you progress, start to incorporate weights to add extra resistance beyond your body weight. This could be holding dumbbells similar to the deadlift, using kettlebells, or using a barbell on your neck.

The benefit of doing weighted squats, especially with the barbell, is that you not only shape your lower body, but you also build a strong back and core as they learn to support the weight. A strong back and core are important for those abs we love so much :)

Try some weights in your squats today, and if you're feeling adventurous, try weights in all your exercises today. Feel the difference, allow yourself to feel a little uncomfortable in the effort.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Day 17 of the March Booty Challenge!

 

Hello fellow squatters! Okay, that sounded all kinds of weird. But how has the Booty challenge been going? We are at day 17 now, which is 170 squats today. We've gone more than halfway through the month! I'm pretty proud of all those who have been doing the challenge. 

Day 9 of the March Booty Challenge!

How have you been doing? I know it's getting tougher, but stay strong. Beautiful booties come with a lot of work, and so expect to work hard this month. My bum is feeling the pain too :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Day 5 of the March Booty Challenge!

Today is March 5th, which means it is day 5 of the March Booty Challenge. I'm pretty excited with how many people are doing this on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you haven't joined the challenge, it is not too late. If you have been doing it every day so far, I hope you're enjoying working towards that booty :)

During the first few days of the challenge, you should be able to do this with weights. As the reps become more and more, it will be very difficult to maintain the weight you were previously using, and so I know your weights will go down and slowly become nonexistent. And that is okay.

Every person is different, and so I want to make sure you are pushing yourself as far as You can go, even if that means using no weights at all. You'd still be working your bum as long as you squeeze in the movement, and you go down as low as you can sitting way back into your bum without pushing your knees forward.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Eights & Weights Video: Extended Donkey Kick

If you're on the east coast of the US, you've probably heard of the storm (Hurricane Sandy) that is heading our way. If you've been mandated to evacuate, please find a safe place to stay. If you're staying home, make sure you have food, water, and alternate lighting. Maybe you can also fill some of your time with some physical activity indoors? Here is one you can do :)

We talked about the Donkey Kick a while ago, but you can work even more muscles by extending your donkey kick. Naturally, this exercise works on the bum, the thighs, and legs, but you can use it to work your core, your arms, and your shoulders as well by starting in a downward-facing dog position, rather than remaining on your knees.

Instructions:

• Start in the downward-facing dog position
• Lift your right leg and extend as high as you can so there is a straight line from your right heel to your right fingers. 
• Lower the leg and then bend it and bring it towards your waist using your core to push your knee forward
• Straighten the leg and extend all the way back up
• Do as many as you can on one side and then repeat on the other side

You should feel this in your arms, your core, your legs, and especially your bum.

Here is a video I made to help you visualize:

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Mademan.com