Hey, Jason here, I’m the Owner of Anyman Fitness. Let me tell you something: I am jacked up to give you our guide on making Booty Gains: The Glute Re-Shaper Cheat Sheet . I am not only going to give you pointers and tips to growing a delicious peach that you can be proud of, I’m going to give you exact exercises, sets, and rep ranges you can start to use today. Because let’s be honest - nobody likes a smartass. But everyone loves a nice ass. Men and women alike. :) Before we get to actual exercises and movements for you to perform in the gym, there are a few, key items we need to understand. I call these items the “Booty Hacks”. And I want to be sure you understand how important these Booty Hacks are. Without understanding them, using them, and executing them, you aren’t likely to see much Glute Re-Shaping.

BUT(T), if you adhere to these principles to Glute Gains, you’re guaranteed to have a more lifted, toned, and tightened pair of glutes to fill out your jeans properly. Are you ready? Good - let’s get started.

Booty Hack #1:   You Must Use Progressive Overload 

 This is quite literally the #1 mistake most people make when trying to grow the glutes. Most people don’t use Progressive Overload when working the Glutes. So, what is Progressive Overload, you ask? Quite simply, Progressive Overload is doing “just a bit more” each time you train your glutes. Sometimes, that means using 2-5 more pounds than you did the last time. Sometimes, that means doing 2-3 more reps than you did last time.

Sometimes, that means doing one extra set than you did last time. But Glutes are a muscle, first and foremost. And the way to get muscles to get toned, defined, and thicker, you need to provide an adequate stimulus for growth. Think of it this way: If you haven’t been on a bicycle in years, and you go on a 4 mile bike ride, your legs will be really sore. But if you start going on a 4 mile bike ride every day, within a week, you won’t feel sore anymore. Your legs will adapt to that stimulus - and they will stop building muscle until you “overload” them with a longer or more difficult bike ride. When you use Progressive Overload, you force your glutes to respond - by getting bigger, firmer, and more shapely. All the “stair-stepper kickbacks” in the world won’t make your glutes any nicer without adding weight, sets, or reps to your routine.

Time to ditch the bodyweight movements and get those glutes strong. :)

Booty Hack #2: You Must Activate Your Glutes 

 If not using Progressive Overload is Mistake #1, then not activating the Glutes is Mistake #2 that nearly everyone makes. When you perform the exercises I am going to demonstrate for you, you must actually lift the weight with your glutes! That sounds so simple, but it’s something a lot of people mess up. How do you “lift with your glutes”? A few pointers. First, when you “push” up, be sure 100% of your weight is on the heel of your foot. Resist putting the weight on your toes - weight on your toes activates your quads, not your glutes.

When you are in the bottom of the squats, the lunges, or the deadlifts I will show you, you should clench your Glutes hard, and feel them flex and push the weight back up. A helpful tip to start to practice “glute activation” is to start to become aware of your glutes as you walk. Instead of shuffling down the street on your toes, land your feet on your heels, and feel the flex in each glute as you walk. You should feel the muscles from your heel, to your hamstring, all the way up to your glutes firing. That’s the kind of activation we need in order to grow your backside.

Booty Hack #3:  You Must Eat Adequate Protein 

If you want your muscles to grow, your nutrition must be in check. The absolute biggest piece of the nutrition puzzle is making sure your protein intake is high enough to support muscular growth. How much protein is adequate?

I would suggest somewhere between 80 - 120 grams of protein per day. (Closer to 120 if you’re a taller/larger girl, and closer to 80 if you are petite.) Your carbohydrate and fat intake is important as well, but nowhere near as important as your protein intake. You also want to emphasize whole foods. Lean protein sources, fresh fruits and vegetables, and (yes) even carbohydrates. Don’t fear carbohydrates - if you are training hard and want to grow your Booty, carbs truly are a Girl’s Best Friend. Now that we have the Booty Hacks out of the way, it’s time to start talking about specific exercises. So, grab your gym bag. Put on a pair of booty shorts. It’s time to get serious. It’s time to start growing those Glutes!

The 5 Best Glute Exercises To Re-Shape Your Glutes

Exercise #1: Barbell Romanian Deadlifts

This movement is done with a barbell (the long bar at the gym). This is a “hip hinge” movement. You start with your hands shoulder width apart standing upright with the bar at your waist like this:

Then, you slowly lower the bar down your thighs and shins until you hit the lowest point, which should be just below mid-shin level:

During this entire descent, all of the weight should be on your heels. An easy way to test your weight distribution is to try to wiggle your toes. If you can wiggle them, you’re good. Also, notice where my hips/glutes are.

When you lower the weight, don’t just lower it with your back like this:

You actually lower the weights with your glutes and hamstrings. Your first movement is with your butt. Stick your butt out and bend at the knees and try to “throw” your butt back as far as it can go while keeping your back properly aligned.

Look at the difference between the correct and incorrect position at the bottom of the lift:

Once you reach the bottom of the lift, you clench your glutes hard and you “hump” forward, locking out at the top. Again, all of the lifting is done with your hips and glutes. Sorry for being a bit crass, but it’s the best way to describe it. If you don’t feel like you’re doing something naughty, you’re doing this lift wrong. :) This lift is best done in the 6-12 rep range for 3-4 sets.

Exercise #2: Walking Lunges With Dumbbells

Walking lunges are an excellent way to build the glutes quickly. The biggest tip to remember with walking lunges is to not let your weight get out in front of you on your toes (a common theme with these Glute Exercises). Being sure 100% of your weight is on your heel as you step is crucial. This will ensure your knee doesn’t shoot past your toes, and it will save you wear and tear over time. Oh, and it will build your glutes much more effectively. :)

Here’s the difference between doing walking lunges correctly and incorrectly:

Notice in the incorrect picture, my left knee is way past my toes and my left heel is off the ground. This means all of the weight is on my quads, and not on my glutes like we want. To fix this problem, shorten up your stride, and when you land, land on your heel and feel the weight in your heel and glutes all the way down to the bottom. No cheating - be sure your other knee nearly hits the ground, and push up firmly through your heel and glutes in order to return to the top position.

This movement will take a bit of balance, so you may want to begin these using bodyweight only. Once you master those, start using dumbbells to increase the weight. This exercise is best done in the 10-12 steps per leg range (for 20-24 total steps) for 3-4 sets.

Exercise #3: Bench Step-Ups With Dumbbells

This is hands down one of my favorite (and most hated) glute building exercise in my bag of tricks. I love it because of the results. But I hate it because it makes me suck air like nobody’s business! Ultimately, that’s a good thing, though, right? :) To properly perform this exercise, find a weight bench or a step. Grab a pair of dumbbells you feel comfortable with adding to your bodyweight for the exercise. If you’re new to these, you may want to start with bodyweight and build up your strength and stamina first.

When you step onto the bench, be sure your entire foot is on the bench and the weight is lifted through your heel and glute. No weight on the toes whatsoever. Here is a picture of how this is properly done:

Notice my entire foot is on the bench, and I lift my bodyweight and the dumbbells with the weight going through my heels and glutes. This exercise is best done for 10-12 steps per leg (for 20-24 steps total) for 3-4 sets.

Exercise #4: Dumbbell Goblet Squats

This exercise is done with a single dumbbell held at your chest, just below your neck line. You “sit back” with your hips, and lower them all the way until they are parallel with your knees. Be sure your weight is on your heels and not on your toes, and feel the stretch in your glute muscles. Here is a picture of how it’s done:

Again, notice I can wiggle my toes if I wish. All of my weight is on my heels.

This exercise is best done with 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps per session.

Exercise #5: Single Leg, Bodyweight Hip Thrusts

This is the only exercise in our Glute Re-Shaper Cheat Sheet that uses bodyweight only. Find a bench to put your back against. Touch your back against the bench right across the full of your back. Then, lift one leg into the air, putting all of your weight on the heel that is still on the ground. At this point, push your bodyweight up into the air through your heel until your body is parallel to the floor.

Here’s a picture of how it’s done:

Notice my arms are out at my sides in order to keep 100% of the weight on my shoulders. This exercise is best done in the 15-20 rep range for 3-4 sets per session. ============================================ So, how should you create your workouts? Obviously, you’re going to want to train more than just your glutes, right?

Take these 5 exercises and choose 1 or 2 of them for each of your training sessions. You want to be sure you train your glutes a minimum of 3 times per week. The glutes can handle a decent amount of training volume, as they are a large muscle group. Don’t be afraid to train them as frequently as 5 times per week if you wish. Just remember - activate your glutes, keep your weight on your heels, eat adequate protein, and use Progressive Overload - add weight to your exercises at each session. I hope you found our Glute Re-Shaper Cheat Sheet valuable. Best of luck to you as you make your very own Glutes Of Greatness! Best, Jason Helmes Anyman Fitness, LLC