Five Minute Butt Busting Workout

Summer is here, and if you've not had your summer break, you'll no doubt be in the final stages of you beach body prep. So this week I've put together a super fast, butt busting workout based on our High Intensity Interval Training workout, T3 blast. This workout is ideally done 2-3 times per week for 3-4 weeks in order to get the best results.

You can also check out the video below or on YouTube here where I take Becca through her paces. You can also download the programme card from here.

The aim of this workout is to:

1. Target the glutes
2. Use explosive contractions to increase energy expenditure i.e. burn more calories
3. Raise the heart rate into the Anaerobic Training Zone to increase Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) i.e. burn more calories for up to two days after the workout.

Mobilisation

• Do 5 -10 minutes of your favourite warm-up exercises, possibly starting on the treadmill, gradually increasing the speed from a walk to a light jog.
• Then mobilise the hip joint and stretch the quads, hamstrings and glutes.

The Workout

Do each of the following exercises one after the other for 20 seconds with 10 seconds rest between each. Then repeat. The first time you do them, have your right leg forward on the Jumping Pistol Squats, Single Leg Box Squats and Rocket Jumps on the Step. The second time you do them, have your left leg forward.

Jumping Pistol Squat:

1. Stand with your back to a bench/step/chair a take one step away from it.
2. Place the top of your foot on the bench behind you with each foot in-line with each shoulder e.g. right foot in front of the right shoulder and left foot in front of the left shoulder.
3. Do a lunge, taking your knee towards the floor.
4. Explosively contract the gluts and quads and jump so the front foot comes off the floor.

Modification

• If you can't jump, or as the set progresses and you get tired, do an explosive upward contraction to engage the larger, fast twitch muscle fibres. These will use more energy than slow twitch and help increase your metabolism post exercise.

Image courtesy of TRAINFITNESS

Single Leg Box Squat:

1. 1. Sit on the bench/step/chair with one foot on the floor.
2. Hold the knee of the other leg as close to your chest as you can.
3. Stand up while holding the leg.
4. Sit back down while holding the leg.
5. Repeat.

Modification

• If you struggle to stand, don't worry about holding the leg, but try and keep your foot off the floor.
• Increase the height of the bench/step/chair so the range is less. However, try to increase the range (drop the height of the bench/step/chair) over the 3-4 weeks so that you are always challenging yourself.

Image courtesy of TRAINFITNESS

Rocket Jump:

1. Kneel beside the step and place the other foot on top of the step.
2. Do an explosive jump up.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Modification

• Don't use a step if the range is too big, but try to build up to using a step over the 3-4 weeks. The step increases the range and will allow you to work your glutes through the full range.
• If you can't jump or get tired through the set, you can just do an explosive upward movement without the jump. Keep it moving as fast as you can though to ensure higher caloric expenditure.

Image courtesy of TRAINFITNESS

Cancan Bridge:

1. Lie on your back with your heels close to your butt.
2. Lift your hips and one foot slightly off the floor.
3. Explosively push your hips up and swap leg, like doing the cancan.
4. Repeat as fast as you can for the entire set.

Modification

• As you get tired, you may not be able to "jump" from one foot to the other. In this case, simple keep the up/down movement in the hips and alternate legs.

Image courtesy of TRAINFITNESS

Alt Step Lunge:

1. Standing on top of the step.
2. Tap one foot to the side, off the step and at the same time touch the step with the hand i.e. tap right foot on floor, tap right hand on step.
3. Jump to the other side tapping the other foot on the floor and other hand on the step.

Modification

If you don't have a step or bench, then this is just as effective on the floor. The key is to touch the floor with your hand so that you get a full range of movement through the hips and targeting deep into the gluteal (your butt).

Image courtesy of TRAINFITNESS

Active Recovery

1. You will be no doubt, out of breath, but don't just lie on the floor, keep the body moving and keep the blood flowing. You don't want blood pooling in the muscles.
2. Walk around the room or hop back on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes.
3. Stretch your calves, quads, hamstrings, gluts and hip flexors.
4. Do some upper body stretches as well.