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Olympic fever may be fading but we’re still keen to stay off the couch and get the kind of athletic body we spend the summer wishing for.
Y! Lifestyle met Aussie women’s volleyball star Louise Bawden and team coach Steve Anderson to find out how to achieve that coveted beach bod.
And according to Louise, it starts with strong glutes!
“Your bottom is a highly functional part of your body and it’s even more important for me because I have a minor injury to my hip so it’s important that my glutes are strong so I do daily exercises to train them.”
To help us out, Louise has created a bums and thighs workout to boost your gym sessions. We headed to LA Fitness to meet her and get taken through our paces.
Perform two sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise and leave 30 seconds rest between sets.
Ball squats
• Stand with your back against the wall and your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing straight forwards
• Place the ball between your lower back and the wall
• Start to bend the knees and lower yourself down into squat position, the ball will roll down the wall with you
• Keep your back parallel to the wall and stop once your thighs are parallel to the floor
• Your knees should not move forwards past your toes. If they do, stand further from the wall
• Push yourself back up to the starting position
• Perform shallow squats to make the exercise easier
• Add dumbbells in each hand to make it harder
• Perform for 60 seconds
Glute kicks
• Position yourself on all fours, wrists below shoulders, knees below hips
• Keep your back straight, mid-section tight and eyes facing forward
• Take the weight off your left knee by leaning to your right slightly. Keeping your body fixed and rotating at the hip, extend your knee back as high as possible while keeping your leg bent
• Pause and squeeze the glute muscle at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your leg
• To add intensity place a dumbbell in the crease of the leg behind the knee on the working leg
Lunges
• Step forwards with one foot in a long stride
• Make sure your feet are in line and pointing straight forwards
• Keep your back upright as you slowly bend and lower the back knee towards the floor, raising the heel off the floor
• At the same time bend the front knee, making sure it doesn’t go past your toes
• Try not to let the back of the knee touch the floor before returning to the starting position
• Use a dumbbell in each hand or a barbell over the shoulders for increased intensity
• Perform for 60 seconds
Glute lifts
• Position yourself on your hands and knees
• Lift one hand and the opposite leg off the floor until they are level with the back
• Hold for five seconds and slowly lower back to the floor
• Keep the back still throughout
Walking lunge
• Step forwards with one foot in a long stride
• Make sure your feet are in line and pointing straight forwards
• Keep your back upright as you slowly bend and lower the back knee towards the floor, raising the heel off the floor
• At the same time bend the front knee, making sure it doesn’t go past your toes
• Try not to let the back knee touch the floor before returning to the starting position
• After completing one lunge as above, swing the back leg forwards so that it becomes the front leg and repeat
• Use a dumbbell in each hand to increase intensity
