Happy Hump Day!

The pics are of my "torture chamber" at home. I've had the machine for over 15 years; one of my best investments ever. I think it needs a HTFU sticker!

Shelley asked about glute exercises. There's a link in my sidebar that is an awesome directory of all things muscular and strength and stretching exercises, but here it is as well.

So for starters, click on it and then look under Gluteus, and pick your poison: maximus (the biggest part of the booty and generates the most power for things like kicking as in kick-boxing, not kicking as in flutter kick--flutter kick relies more on ankle flexibility and hip flexor strength), medius and minimus (abduction/internal rotation), to see what exercises are recommended there. I do most of them, but I don't do the "good mornings," which are shown in the Hip Extension area. I have low pulleys on my weight machine, and I do abduction (working leg away from machine; kick to outside), adduction (working leg next to machine; kick across and in front of other leg) and also kick backs (face the machine; kick working leg behind you straight-legged).

I think everyone knows squats work your glutes, too, and I do them with dumbbells. I feel that using dumbbells you work your glutes more than if you use the bar.

The last exercise that I do for glutes is with ankle weights (3-5 lbs. each ankle). Lay on your stomach. Keeping your pelvis flat and stabilized, lift one leg up slowly--you only need to go to about 45 degrees--and lower. Repeat 15 times and do 2 sets for each leg twice a week.

So the butt-specific portion of my strength routine is:

1. Cable abduction
2. Cable adduction
3. Cable kick backs
4. Lying leg raises
5. Dumbbell squats

I also do unweighted wall squats using a stability ball (squeezing Spiderman between my legs) and then Dirty 30's (you can read how to do Dirty 30's by clicking on the abs/core routine link in my sidebar), and I am doing those more for hip flexor strength and knee stabilization, but bonus is glutes get a workout, too.

FYI, sitting on your ass is not at all good for your glutes. In fact, it's sitting a lot that causes a lot of hip and back issues. Even though there's no proof that strength training reduces injury or contributes to successful swimming, biking, and running, I do it to have strength for everyday activities like lifting stuff, shoveling snow, etc., and hey, having a decent backside can't hurt!