Here we are on Week 6 of Wednesday BootyBuilding. This will be the last Wednesday BootyBuilding in the 6 week series, but lucky for you it’s not the end! I will be taking a pause while I am busy putting together some more exciting things! Stay tuned for more on that but now let’s get down to business.

So throughout these 6 weeks there’s been a variety of full workouts for at home or on the go, with bands, machines and body weight, but for this week I wanted to wrap things up and finish with some more classic exercises.

Exercise 1

Alternating Lateral Lunges. It’s nice to use this one as a warm up because of its fluidity and openness in the hips. Starting in a nice wide stance with feet passed shoulder width and feet externally rotated, aka second position at about 45 degrees for my dancers . You can do this with or without the added weight, but the sand bag is nice for a warm up weight. Hinge at the hips going down into your squat position and now maintaining the height of your squat, extend one leg to transfer your weight on to the other. Continue going to the other side by extending with the other leg. Aim is to stay on one horizontal line, keeping chest up and core active. Do 3 sets of 20 (Right then Left count as 2)

Exercise 2

Barbell Split Squat… this is a nice variation for split squats by placing the barbell under the body. This way there is less pressure on the spine and core, but still requires equal bodywork, which I am all about when working with misbalances in the body. Go into your split squat stance over the bar and bend knees with chest up to pick up the bar. Go back down into your squat, front knee not going passed your toes and push into the ground to extend again. Active core and no twisting in the pelvis otherwise you will realize your going to be off your balance. Do 3 sets of 12 each leg starting the first set with only the barbell, and then if comfortable add weight after each set.

Exercise 3

Barbell Split Squat again but now that our lower body is all engaged and active, the barbell goes up. Best to go into this with the barbell prepped on a rack for those who are new to working with a barbell. Same form as the last but now with more attention to the upper body. Keeping your shoulders down and chest up, core is active and lifting out of the pelvis. Do 3 sets of 12 each leg.

Exercise 4

Lunge Kick Backs with Weight Plate. What a burner this one was! Starting in a front lunge position, holding the weight plate to your chest, transfer your weight forward as you kick your back leg up. Keep your pelvis upright as you kick up, tendency is to tilt forward and then your missing part of the glute activation and not protecting your lower back. Do 3 sets of 10 on each leg.

Exercise 5

Barbell Squats with a pulse. Get into position again by having the barbell on a rack, placing it over your shoulder line, not on top of your shoulders. In a nice wide position, feet pointed slightly outwards go down into your squat and pulse up for the activation but before extending, go back down and then extend fully with both legs. Its sort of a half squat into a full squat but that pulse is a deal breaker creating extra tension on those glutes. Do 3 sets of 10.

Exercise 6

Barbell Squats with Smith Machine. The last exercise was a good warm up to this one by using your body to balance the bar but once you’ve got that down, using the smith machine for squats can allow for a bit more depth in your bend and I find it easier to get that sense of sending the hips back as well. Do the same as the last exercise with half squat into full squat. 3 sets of 10 adding weight after each set.

Exercise 7

Kneeling Squat. Isolating those glutes even more now by going into a kneeling position on the Smith Machine. I do this one with feet together, I find it helps me find that glute to hammie connection in the thrust. Set up the rack so with the bar over your shoulders and hinge at the hips while you send your booty back just before you reach the bottom, thrust back up. There shouldn’t be a resting spot, just like in a plié it’s a continuous motion, do not sit in the postion. Do 3 sets of 12 adding weight after each set.

Exercise 8

Cable Kick Backs… Such a great classic booty burner. I stand on a demi pointe with my standing leg to allow for lengthening that working leg as it kicks through and back. Keep your pelvis up right and do not think about height of the leg! Your going to lose half the pump in your booty and your back is not going to be happy either. Think about pushing down and out with that kicking heel even if there’s no ground against it. Do 3 sets of 12 each leg, increasing weight after each set.

Exercise 9

Cable Donkey Kicks. A similar form to the last but now with a larger range of motion. Again this is not about the height of your kick it’s about the push through the kick and keeping that core active as you do. Standing leg is also bent to allow for a bit more stability. Bring that kicking leg up and push with your heel to kick through and back and extend your leg. I also hold on to the railing for balance but also to sit back into my weight a bit for extra glute activity! Do 3 sets of 12 each leg, increasing weight after each set.

Exercise 10

Final Burn Out… You can do this with or without a band but if you have one, USE IT! This is the final burn so its gonna go back to back with 10 squats and straight into 10 pulses, pushing the knees slightly open and close. I hold on to something for that extra sit back, which really burns out the glutes faster and the quads don’t just take over. Set a timer for 1 minute and try and do as many back to back sets of squats into pulses… and let it burn baby burn!

For the full workout video click HERE and don’t forget to check out Weeks 1-5, also available on my Youtube Channel. Can’t wait to get back to you guys with the exciting plans I am working on. Stay tuned and until then…

Love your body, love the journey.

S. x