PrintBy Raphael Calzadilla, B.A., CPT, ACE
Fitness Pro
As a personal trainer, I hate to see anyone feeling awful about their body. But at the same time, that’s what it sometimes takes for people to make changes.
Looking in the mirror and being honest, becoming annoyed with how tight your clothes fit, going to the doctor and hearing about your very real health issues. Many times, a wake-up call is exactly what we need.
You have to get tough with yourself and if the word “tough” makes you cringe, then you’re getting hit with a dose of reality — and that’s the best place to be. Maybe not the most enjoyable place, but this is what it takes to begin the process of transformation. Time for a little more harsh reality.
As much as you hate to admit it, you’re always aware of the size of your legs and butt. You receive a daily reminder every time you squeeze into a pair of jeans, a dress, a suit or even just a glance sideways into a mirror.
The solution most people use for flabby legs and a big butt is to buy larger size clothes with the goal of covering up. This is not my idea of a solution.
Mother Nature has blessed women with a variety of shapes and sizes. Some women have high butts, and then there are bubble butts, flat butts, round butts, low butts, square butts and on and on we go. Even legs come in all sorts of different proportions. However, a great pair of legs and a tighter butt, no matter what the shape or size, is very much related to a lean and healthy body. Strive for a lean and healthy body and you’ll achieve your perfect legs and butt.
Your legs and glutes won’t get tighter and smaller unless your overall body fat is reduced. Let’s be honest here — you can perform all the leg and butt movements on the planet for hours a day, but it won’t make one bit of difference unless you lose body fat. Spot reduction is simply not possible.
This doesn’t mean we can’t place a focus on the legs and butt, it just means we have to use a smart approach.
You’ll need to perform cardiovascular exercise 3-5 days per week for at least 30 minutes and strength train 2-3 days per week using total body workouts that are brisk and challenging. Along with the above approach, I’ve had great success developing specialty routines for problem areas.
I’m pleased to provide one of my classic specialized leg and butt routines.
Perform your standard workouts each week, but add my leg and butt workout on two non-consecutive days per week. If you’re following the formula, you’ll begin to see and feel changes within 3-4 weeks!
Whenever you focus on a specific muscle, you always want to make sure that you perform the most efficient exercises possible. In addition, you want to do the most amount of work in the least amount of time. I’ve accounted for both of these points in the workout.
My method stimulates tremendous amounts of muscle fibers and stimulates the body to make changes by burning a load of calories. There are only four exercises in the routine, but you never stop moving.
1. Dumbbell Lunges
Starting Position:
• Stand straight with your feet together.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down at your sides
Movement:
• Step forward with the right leg and lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor.
• Contracting the quadriceps muscles, push off your right foot slowly returning to the starting position.
• Alternate the motion with the left leg to complete the set
Key Points:
• Inhale while stepping forward.
• Exhale while returning to the starting position.
• The step should be big enough that your left leg is nearly straight. Do not let your knee touch the floor.
• Make sure your head is up and your back is straight.
• Your chest should be lifted and your front leg should form a 90 degree angle at the bottom of the movement.
• Your right knee should not pass your right foot. You should be able to see your toes at all times.
• If you have one leg that is more dominant than the other, start out with the less dominant leg first.
• Discontinue this exercise if you feel any discomfort in your knees
Perform 15 repetitions on each leg (alternating legs). Then, immediately go to the next exercise.
2. Dumbbell Close Stance Squat
Starting Position:
• Stand tall with your feet closer than shoulder width apart with a slight bend in the knees. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest one on each shoulder
Movement:
• Lower your body by bending from your hips and knees stopping when your thighs are parallel to the floor. Contracting the quadriceps muscles, slowly return to the starting position stopping just short of your knees being fully extended
Key Points:
• Exhale while returning to the starting position. Inhale as you lower down.
• Do not let your knees ride over your toes (you should be able to see your feet at all times). It helps to find a marker on the wall to keep your eye on as you lift and lower, otherwise your head may tend to fall forward and your body will follow.
• Think about sitting back in a chair as you are lowering down.
• Push off with your heels as you return to the starting position. For variation and comfort, some may prefer to hold one dumbbell between their legs. The one dumbbell should equal the same amount as the two dumbbells combined
Perform 20 repetitions and immediately go to the next exercise.
3. Lying Gluteus Lift
Starting Position:
• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
• Place your arms at your sides for support
Movement:
• Contracting the glutes, project your hips up toward the ceiling as you lift your glutes off the floor.
• Slowly return to the starting position stopping just short of your buttocks touching the floor
Key Points:
• Exhale while lifting your glutes.
• Inhale while returning to the starting position
Perform 20 very tight contractions and go directly to the treadmill exercise which follows.
4. Treadmill Incline Power Walk
Starting Position:
• Stand tall with your legs straddling the belt.
• Choose the manual program.
• Step carefully on the belt.
Movement:
• Perform a 5 minute warm-up and then adjust the incline setting to 12.0. Increase your speed to 3.2mph – 3.8mph based on your fitness level.
• Incline Power walk for 6 minutes and then cool down for 1 minute.
Beginners should perform all exercises 1 time (1 cycle), intermediates 2 cycles and advanced exercisers 3 total cycles. Wait 60 seconds after each cycle before starting again. For the advanced group, please be prepared for a very challenging workout.
After two weeks, beginners may attempt the intermediate workout and intermediates may attempt the advanced workout.
Perform this routine for six consecutive weeks, follow your eDiets customized nutrition program or Meal Delivery program and continue your standard workout (weights and cardio) and be prepared to reap some great changes. Don’t forget to stretch for 5-10 minutes after every exercise session.
Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
A drug-free competitive bodybuilder and 2005 winner of the prestigious WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation) Pro Card, Raphael Calzadilla is a veteran of the health-and-fitness industry. He specializes in a holistic approach to body transformation, nutrition programs and personal training. He earned his B.A. in communications from Southern Connecticut State University and is certified as a personal trainer with ACE.
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