This program is the first phase of all three of my booty programs. It is designed for beginner to intermediate style training. You can do body weight movements to start if the workouts are too challenging at first and thereafter work up to adding weight/resistance to the exercises. For instance, ankle weights may be added to the leg lifts or lunges as well as dumbbells.
This program is designed for beginners looking to lose weight, tone up the glutes and the backside. In order to help speed along this process, I highly recommend in addition to the 3 weight training days, doing 2-3 HIIT sessions on your “rest days.” For instance, you may choose to day Booty Day 1 on Monday, and a HIIT session Tuesday, Booty Day 2 Wednesday etc.) Why are there only 3 days of workouts? Your body needs rest, you can NOT hit the same muscle group more than this as it will have a negative effect on the desired results. You have to trust the process.
In order to get the most out of your workouts, please read and follow these directions carefully. Building muscle is a science, and if done right, has very effective results. In order to build muscle, including the glutes, you must breakdown the current muscle tissue and repair it with more muscle tissue. Knowing this concept helps your training/rest days. Muscles cannot be destroyed (or trained) every day of the week otherwise there is no room for repair. Likewise, there has to be a day (rest day) for the repair to take place and building to occur. Therefore, it is highly advised to work the glutes (or any muscle group) no more than 3 days a week, with at least one rest day in between. The sorer you are, the more the muscle was torn, which can lead to more repair/building. The soreness cannot be so great that it prohibits you from working out again in two days, however, so there must be a balance between soreness and healing. (Don’t go too light, don’t go too heavy.) In order to generate soreness, the reps should be slow, controlled and squeezed for as long as possible and/or adding increased weight. I tend to go slowest on my last three reps and hold the very last rep as long as I can. The last three reps should be a struggle, otherwise you are strong enough to handle the weight, and need more resistance for muscle breakdown. Try adding a little challenge each week (such as adding weight/resistance). You will be surprised how fast you can overcome your previous strength.Always try to warm up with a light weight to get the muscles warmed up, blood flowing to joints, and to set up with proper form.
I suggest that you take pics on Sunday morning of each week. Please take them in the same or similar outfit as your initial photo and in good lighting. Take pics before eating/drinking in the morning and after you urinate. I strongly suggest you use an app like Pic Stitch to put two photos side by side so you can compare your results week to week. It’s easy to go blind to your own progress but photos really help show you if you are making any progress – I still do this every week because it’s very difficult to notice a change otherwise. Please use good lighting, full body, same pose and similar clothing (underwear or tight shorts and sports bra). I will gauge progress mostly on pics, not weight.
There is a separate option on my website to purchase either basic or custom meal plans. Diet is crucial to success(and highly recommended for best results), but not everyone can or wants to follow this strictly. To give the best general hints I can, follow a high protein intake, and moderate carb intake as well as lower fat intake is best here. Whole foods always suggested (no preservatives or fast food). Lean proteins suggested: chicken, fish, extra lean bison/beef, egg whites, and turkey. Drink a gallon of water daily. Carb suggestions: low calorie and whole foods such as: brown rice, Ezekiel bread, couscous, quinoa (no more than ½ cup at meals), sweet potatoes, apples and bananas. For healthy fats: nut butters, nuts, coconut oil, avocado, and olive oil.
Please do not lift weights that you feel are too heavy or those that compromise your form. I suggest trying out all movements and exercises with little to no weight to ensure you have proper form prior to starting a full set. If you need help never hesitate to ask a professional for a little guidance.
Each week try to increase the weight with each set even if it’s only 2.5 to 5 lbs. As I’m sure you know, building muscle is a science. The tissue has to be broken down in order to rebuild and gain mass. Therefore you should feel sore the last 2-3 reps of each set. Do not sacrifice form for additional weight. If you need help with form, I suggest using the fitness buddy app to see proper lift or exercise form. Perform all 3 or 4 sets in close succession (with little rest in between 30s-1m) in order to get the best results.
HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training. It has proven to burn more calories in a shorter period of time than standard low intensity cardio as well as burns calories for up to 24 hours after performed if done right. It increases the metabolism by increasing oxygen expenditure while heart rate is elevated for repeated intervals. Heart rate should be up to at least 150’s-170’s during the exercise ☺
HIIT OPTION ONE
Stationary Bike –
2 min warm up light spin
30 sec sprint at level 18-20. Then decrease level back down to 6 as an “active rest” for 90 seconds. REPEAT THIS CYCLE FOR 10 TIMES. (30 second sprint, 90 second active rest, repeat) – 20 minutes.
2 min cool down if needed (around 24 min total)
HIIT OPTION TWO
Treadmill – put it at 3% incline if you can tolerate it (Increase the incline by 1-2% each week)
Jog/Sprint Toggle on treadmill – so select speed workout (jog speed can be around 2.0-4.0mph)
(Sprint speed should be between 7.0-8.5mph) Check to see if your heart rate gets into the 160’s or higher zone and you are getting the proper effects of the intensity training.
May warm up for 2 min at jog speed, then SPRINT for 1 min. Jog for 1 min, sprint for 1 min for 10 cycles (sprint/jog cycle takes 20 minutes, then may cool down for another 2) – total 24 minute workout.
HIIT OPTION THREE
5 min warm up on stairmaster Level 5-7
Then starting at the 5 minute mark, increase level to 15-17 for 30 seconds on, 90 second break (back down to level 5-7).
Repeat this trend until you hit the 21 minute mark. May cool down at level 5-7. You should build up quite a sweat. This is a 26 minute workout if you warm up for 5 minutes and cool down for 5 minutes.
HIIT – for the most effective metabolism booster and best fat loss, I recommend doing HIIT first thing in the morning before you eat breakfast; this is called fasted cardio (it burns fat from glycogen stores first instead of trying to burn the food you ate). If you must eat first, that is fine too. ). If you must eat first, that is fine too. If you are unable to do HIIT in morning, it can be done any time of the day. Everyone responds a little different but I am giving you tips to help. You can also break up the cardio into one gym session and weight training into another or both may be done one after another. It is okay whatever works best for your own personal schedule and wellbeing. Cardio is monotonous for most people so if you must break it up into shorter sessions that equal the total time prescribed that is fine. The longer you are able to sustain at a time the better, but everyone has different endurance so work on it each week.
If for any reason you experience any medical symptoms such as sudden onset of shortness of breath, chest pain, numbness or tingling in any part of your body or any other symptom requiring immediate medical assistance, please contact a medical practitioner or call 911 as that is outside my scope of practice.
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