Hi, everybody!
I’m trainer Amy Jo with ATHLEANXX for Women and today we’re doing a discussion.
Can you build your glutes without weights?
Is it possible?
We are in this debate.
Can you build your glutes without weights?
Is it possible?
My honest opinion – I will give my honest opinion today – I do.
I do think you can build your glutes without weights.
Let’s take some examples.
So, you have exerciser number one.
She’s a beginner, she’s never weight trained much at all.
Or someone else who has an injury or take myself, for example, who hasn’t lifted weights
in a while recovering from a third baby.
Yes, all those individuals can build glutes not using weights because we don’t have
that foundation.
We don’t have the foundation of the glutes with enough force yet that has built those
glutes over time.
So, beginners, individuals who are recovering from an injury, individuals who are coming
back from or recovering from having a baby; yes.
You can increase your glute size and glute strength without using weights.
Then we move onto exerciser number two.
She’s been lifting for a while, maybe she’s not a hardcore athlete, but she has done lunges
and other squats and exercises.
If she puts together the right strategy and the right exercises, yes.
At the beginning she could add glute strength, which adds glute muscle mass.
So therefore, she’s now doing exercises such as hip thrusts, which I’ll show you
in a second, or fire hydrants that she hasn’t been doing.
But she’s been going a lot of other leg exercises.
She hasn’t been doing a lot of the exercises that directly force the glute to grow.
Therefore, that exerciser number two, yes, can add glute mass by not using weights.
Then you have our third, and final, exerciser who has been doing hip thrusts.
She has been doing all the other exercises that focus on the glute, that optimize your
training strategy to grow the glutes.
Therefore, she’s not going to get enough pressure.
She’s not going to get enough force.
Enough weight, so to speak, by not doing exercises that don’t have weight on them.
So, my body, another body, we have exact pounds.
So, when we’re doing those exercises, that’s the force that you’re lifting every time.
That’s the force that you’re lifting when you’re doing hip thrusts, or what you’re
fighting when you’re doing fire hydrants.
But if you’re used to that and you’ve already been doing weight, the only way to
get stronger is to then lift heavier weight.
In that individual’s case, the third exerciser, she wouldn’t.
She would be regressing by not continuing to use weight.
So, it really comes down to: what exerciser are you?
Who are you and what have your strategies been to add muscle mass to your glutes?
So, once you identify that, then you can come up with your plan that would help grow your
glutes.
I do think the more you’re training them, the better.
Obviously, if you want tighter, rounder buttocks two to three times a week is optimal.
I don’t think that one time per week is enough because it’s such a big muscle group
that you can be training them, they can recover, and then you can go again.
Especially if you’re not doing high volume.
Especially if you’re training for strength.
Remember, the stronger you get is the equivalent to adding more muscle mass.
So, every time you’re doing those exercises you want to be getting stronger.
But going back to the bodyweight exercises, I’m going to show you what that beginner
exerciser can do and the exerciser number two, which will properly help increase the
size of your glutes.
So, I’m going to show you a few with the band.
We’re not adding too much weight here.
This is just resistance from the band.
So, we’re going to do abductors.
If you want to hang onto something.
Even off to the side.
A bench.
You’re going to abduct out to the side.
And raising, using the glute muscle.
So anytime you’re moving the hip joint away from the body, or even toward the body, that’s
going to activate your glutes.
Lifting there.
If you haven’t been doing these, once again, not using weight, you’re going to increase
the size of your glutes.
Then you’ll switch and do your other side.
Leading with the heel and squeezing your outer glute.
Gluteus maximus up at the top.
I would recommend 15 on each side, and then you’re switching again.
Then there’s the one I was just talking about, the fire hydrants.
You’re on all fours here, you’re opening up the knee, and coming back down.
This is using a band.
You can also do them without.
So, if you are that beginner, this is where you would start.
Knee, here.
Lifting the knee toward the ceiling.
And yes, you’ll feel the glutes burn and you’ll probably be sore because you haven’t
been performing any of those exercises.
That’s enough force to help increase the size of the glute in that beginner and also
exerciser number two.
The exerciser number three, the one who’s already been doing a lot of that, it’s not
enough force for her.
She needs to continue to add weight to help grow her glutes.
The other one is non-weight bearing.
You’re on your back, one leg is up, and you’re doing hip raises here.
Squeeze in the glute at the top.
Once again, 15 each leg and then you’re going to want to switch.
15 on this leg.
So, you add even those three exercises in, three rounds, 15 reps each, and there you
go.
Exerciser one and exerciser two will automatically have glute growth.
So, remember to increase strength.
That’s what we want to focus on when you’re trying to increase your glutes.
Those are three great bodyweight exercises to implement into your program.
I hope you guys enjoyed this video.
Comment below, like us, and check out ATHLEANXX for Women.
Lots of great other programs and nutrition programs to help give you the physique that
you’re after.
Thanks for joining me.