Butt-Boosting Workout
Build up your glutes and your motivation with this partner workout.
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What’s better than a chat with a friend over coffee? A coffee date after a kick-butt workout, of course!
This routine is not only designed to carve attention-grabbing glutes, but also to increase the strength and definition of the muscles surrounding your maximus —from your quads and hamstrings, to your inner thighs and even your calves.
Tackle this workout twice per week. Let your partner complete the first exercise, then switch and complete your set while she rests and coaches you.
Barbell Squat
Target Muscles: glutes, quads, hamstrings
Set Up: Cue your partner to stand with her feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Help her position a barbell across the back of her shoulders.
Action: As your partner squats, watch that she’s sitting back into the movement until her thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Encourage her to hold the squat position for two seconds before returning to a standing position. Aim for three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Proper Form: Watch that your partner’s knees stay aligned over her ankles and that her lower back remains neutral, not arched.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Target Muscles: glutes, quads, hamstrings
Set Up: Instruct your partner to stand a few feet in front of a bench and face away from it. Get her to place her left foot on top of the bench behind her, sole facing up, and hand her a set of dumbbells [A].
Action: Get your partner to bend her front knee to about 90 degrees, dropping her rear knee towards the floor in the process. Cue her pause at the bottom [B], then extend her leg and complete the set before switching sides. Once your partner has worked both legs, you’re up! Do two sets of 12 reps on each leg.
Proper Form: If either of you find it difficult to stay balanced during this exercise, grip a dumbbell in just one hand and hold on to your partner’s shoulder with the other.
Hamstring Curl
Target Muscles: hamstrings, gastrocnemius
Set Up: Get your partner to lie face down on a bench with her legs straight. Stand at her feet, gently holding on to her heels.
Action: As she bends her legs, bringing her heels towards her butt, use your hands to gently resist the motion. Tell her to hold against your resistance for one count at the top, then slowly lower back to the start. Each of you should aim for three sets of 15 reps.
Proper Form: Watch that your partner keeps her feet and knees together as she curls her legs upward.
Plie Squat
Target Muscles: glutes, quads, leg adductors
Set Up: Hand your partner one heavy dumbbell and instruct her to stand with her feet wider than shoulder-width apart and her toes turned out at 45-degree angles.
Action: Tell your partner to bend her knees, lowering her glutes towards the floor while keeping her arms extended downward. When her thighs are parallel to the floor, cue her to slowly return to the start. She should perform three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Proper Form: Ensure that your partner keeps her chest lifted and open throughout the exercise to avoid bending forward at the waist in a “bowing” motion.
One-Legged Calf Raise
Target Muscles: gastrocnemius
Set Up: Stand facing your partner and give her one heavy dumbbell to hold in her left hand. Get her to place her right hand on your shoulder as she lifts her left foot off the floor.
Action: Instruct your partner to slowly raise her right heel from the floor. Cue her to hold that position for three seconds before lowering her heel back to the start. Have her complete one set per leg, switching the weight to her right hand as she works her left leg, before trading places with you. Both you and your partner should aim for two sets of 15 reps per leg.
Proper Form: Make sure your partner isn’t resting too much of her body weight on you, which will reduce the resistance and decrease the effectiveness of this exercise.