Booty Blast

By Naperville Magazine
Appears in the March 2020 issue.

By Art Roman

Illustrations by Ievgenii Volyk

The largest and strongest muscle groups in your body, the glutes and hamstrings, work together to extend, rotate, and abduct the hip. They also stabilize the pelvis when walking, running, and climbing. So a well-trained rear isn’t just nice to look at—a strong backside can improve posture; alleviate lower back, hip, and knee pain; increase athletic performance; reduce bone density loss; and eliminate the abdominal pooch.

GOAL

There are two ways you can do this program, adding weight to increase intensity.

For Time

Set your interval timer app for 40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest, and do as many reps as you can within the 40-second time with good form.

For Reps

Do 3 rounds, going through 15 reps of each exercise with good form. If it’s a unilateral movement (one side at a time, like lunges or leg lifts, do 15 reps per side) and rest for 20 to 30 seconds between exercises.

EQUIPMENT

Kettlebell, exercise mat, exercise band

	ROMANIAN DEAD LIFT Hold a weight between your legs (or if you have 2 dumbbells hold them at the sides), arms extended to the floor, feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Without letting your knees move forward or rounding your back, hinge at the hips, pushing butt back to lower hands and upper body toward the floor. Pause, then drive through glutes to return to start position.
	SUMO SQUAT Start with your feet roughly twice as wide as your hips, with toes pointed out 45 degrees. While holding dumbbell between legs, keep weight on heels and drop butt toward floor with knees in line with the toes. Pause on the bottom, then drive back up through hips.
	LATERAL LUNGE Stand tall with feet hip-width apart. Lift one leg and step to side, pushing hips back while keeping feet straight and knee pointing straight ahead. Straighten other leg, with foot planted on the floor. Push off from the floor with heel of bent leg to lift yourself up. Repeat on other side.
	SQUAT TO REVERSE LUNGE With a dumbbell held close to your chest and your feet hip-width apart, with a slight turn out of the toes, sit back into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Making sure knees stay in line with the toes, push down through your heels and return to standing. Lunge left leg behind you, dropping to kneel, then back up. Repeat on other side.
	HIP BRIDGE With heels resting on the floor, and back flat to the ground, push up through your glutes and squeeze. To make it a little more intense, try single leg bridges for more bum burn. Pause for half a second at the top (keeping your ribs down and core engaged) before returning to start position.
	BANDED LEG LIFTS Start on all fours, with hands under shoulders and knees under hips, and a band connecting both ankles. Straighten one leg, with foot flexed, then drive leg as high as possible while squeezing glutes. Hold for 3 seconds, then lower back down. Repeat on other side.