How To Get A Flat Butt
Unless you've been living under a rock for the last decade, you will have noticed that butts are a thing. And I don't just mean butts, I mean BUTTS. There's a lot of things I won't thank the Kardashians for (cycling shorts as a fashion statement being one), but encouraging people to embrace their curves is one of them. But what if you don't want to go down the implants route and you don't have the genes? Can you create a firm and toned butt from nothing? And how long will it realistically take?
My goal
While I think the Kardashian-Jenner clan are fire in their own way, the booty I have always most aspired to is Jennifer Lopez in the music video for 'I'm Glad'. I mean, just look at it...
This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
It's natural, toned and attainable (kinda).
I have always been very Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones about my bum; I like it, just the way it is. But, looking at it in the mirror a few weeks ago I realised that, surprise surprise, my 30-year-old bum does not look 21 any more. It's a little flatter than it used to be, a little saggier and just not packing the same peach-shaped punch it used to. In fact, while I've always been lucky enough to find exercise keeps my arms and stomach toned, no amount of cardio, yoga or pilates has ever reduced even a tiny bit of the wobble in my thighs and bum.
So, I enlisted the help of Lucie Cowan, a personal trainer at Third Space in London, to help me sculpt a more toned bum.
Third Space
Lucie is an expert in building lean muscle and seemed like the perfect person to hand my butt over to for six weeks. Lucie, my life arse is in your hands...
My body
I realise just how much the Kardashian look has impacted our beauty ideals when Lucie looks positively beaming to discover my goal isn't to just grow a bubble butt to rival Kim's.
Building a firm, toned bum is all about strength, explains Lucie. Squats and lunges might be some of the best moves out there to build muscle in your glutes, but if you want to be doing them properly, in a way that will really shape and change your butt, you need to be adding weight to these moves.
If I want to be able to lift, I need to build strength in my core and upper body too
This is where Lucie explains this isn't just a butt challenge, it's an all body challenge. If I want to be able to lift, and maximise my glute transformation, I need to build strength in my core and upper body too.
To assess where I'm at, Lucie scans me on their InBody machine (as part of Third Space's bespoke OUT/SET induction) under the strict instruction that I'm not allowed to obsess over any of the numbers. The good news is that my BMI is 'normal' but, as expected, my muscle mass is 'under' and, because my body has to be made up of something to hold it upright, my fat is 'over'. In short, my weekly pilates and yoga classes (and when-I-can-be-bothered runs) have done sweet FA to build a sufficient amount of muscle or really burn any fat. The result - minimal tone.
Cosmopolitan UK
My diet
Next up, my diet. Lucie and I agree that any huge shifts in the way I eat aren't a good idea. I eat a pretty healthy, balanced diet and we want the changes to be something I can maintain long-term. But one thing that does need drastically changing is my protein intake.
I've always thought protein was just a thing huge beefcake guys ingested when doing crazy intense bodybuilding, rather than something anyone exercising needs. But, Lucie explains, you need to consume protein to build muscle. If you start strength training without enough protein, you won't be able to build the muscle you need. Lucie first advises aiming for 25g of protein per meal, but that in an ideal world I'd be nearing 2g per kg of body weight per day - so in the region of 110-120g for me.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
BREAKFAST: I stuck with porridge (with fresh fruit) and by switching my skimmed milk to semi, this took my breakfast up to around 11g. Plus another 5.8g if I treated myself to a flat white on the way into work... any excuse. Eggs are a great alternative if that's your vibe (6g per large egg), as is greek yoghurt (I loved Liberté - 7.7g protein per 100g pot).
LUNCH: My go-to for last-minute work lunches was Pure. They have a great range of protein-packed options from Mexican Chicken salads and Miso Salmon deli pots, to Mango & Macadamia Powerballs, Chia Granola Squares and the most delicious protein shake. But chains like Pret, Eat, Leon and Itsu all have high-protein options. Third Space also have a great range of protein-packed shakes, snacks and meals within their gyms, via Natural Fitness Food.
Third Space
DINNER: My staples for any meal were meat and fish of any kind - tinned tuna, fish fillets and chicken breast were my go-to. Eat with things like lentils and pulses, green veg, bean sprouts (hello stir-fry), wild rice, avocado and potato for maximum protein intake. My takeaway treat of choice was chicken tikka with Hariyali Dal (curried spinach and lentils).
SNACKS: KIND Peanut Butter and Dark chocolate bars (7.1g), Eat Natural Protein Packed bars (11g) and Graze Cocoa and Vanilla protein squares (5g) were my favourite and great if you're not a fan of that chewy nougat protein texture. If you are, Grenade Carb Killa and Barebells offer 20g a bar. Other snack faves included Babybel (4.6g) and cheese in general, hummus (around 8g per 100g/half-tub) or cottage cheese (around 11g per 100g/third of a tub) on Ryvita (0.9g per Ryvita) and nuts (6g per handful of 23 or so of almonds, or for two tablespoons of peanut butter).
My toned bum plan
Lucie's plan of action was to get me training with her for three one-hour sessions per week, plus any classes I had the energy to do. The main aim being that our PT sessions would work on building muscle and the odd spin class, like Lucie's infamous Hardcore Cycle and Poweride, would burn fat.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
The idea of 'tone' Lucie explains, is really just a combination of these two things - strength training and protein intake to build muscle, and cardio to burn fat. Sadly there is no magic move that will do both, certainly not in a short space of time. Plus, you need to be careful not to over-do the cardio, as you'll just be burning the muscle you've been trying to build. In my programme, Lucie assured me one cardio class a week was more than enough.
WEEK ONE
I'm not going to lie, I was terrified walking into my first PT session at Third Space City. One-on-one exercise has always made me panic a bit, as there's nowhere to hide and I don't have a CLUE how to use a single machine or weight in the gym. But I realise after about 5 minutes that for this exact reason, one-on-one training with a PT is EVERYTHING for a challenge like this.
We start with some warm-up moves that will start us off every session - deadbugs, hip thrusts and kettlebell swings. Lucie walks me through every move, explaining what muscles should be working, checking my core is engaged, my glutes are tensed and that I'm keeping everything in line.
Cosmopolitan UK
After the warm-up we start with goblet squats, which I quickly discover are very easy to do wrong. "As we fatigue, the result is often an upright squat engaging our lower back instead of our core. This is often coupled with knees dipping inwards when we really need to be pushing knees and feet outwards - this engages our side glute (gluteus Medius)."
Next up are some banded walks, which burn like hell in my lateral glutes (the side of your butt). I can already feel I'm using muscles that haven't been used in months/ years/ possibly ever, and it feels massively satisfying.
We then move on to some Bulgarian split squats, which are somewhere between a squat and a lunge. This is followed by a TRX row, to work my upper body. Finally, we end on some Swiss ball leg curls working my hamstrings, Swiss ball roll outs and frog pumps.
I feel buzzing after our first session. These are moves I've seen people doing in the gym and on Instagram all of the time and I'm finally learning how to do them properly.
Without a PT, I don't know how I'd have made it out of bed two days in a row to work out before work. But I can't exactly leave Lucie sat around waiting for me, so I reluctantly peel myself away from my duvet, load up on porridge and head to the gym.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Session two starts with my soon-to-be upper-body nemesis, the landmine press (see above). It's essentially a giant metal bar that, half-kneeling, I lift from my shoulder up until my arm is straight. Killer.
This set was teamed with a kettlebell pullover. Next up, my soon-to-be lower-body nemesis, a single leg hip thrust off a bench, followed by a TRX rollout on my knees. Next back to upper-body using the cable machines. First a half kneel cable pulldown, followed by a cable chop. Day 2's finisher is booty-building favourite the GHR machine.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Friday is the challenge I've been most looking forward to and dreading at the same time - a deadlift. Lucie gets me using a Hex bar, aka a trap bar. It's a little different to using a barbell in that it's easier on your back and lets you pull the weight up more in line with your centre of gravity, rather than having the weight in front of you. It takes me a good 10 minutes just to do one lift using the right technique.
Next up is a floor press, then a single leg reverse dead lift before heading back to the cables for a cable pull through, a move a lot like a kettlebell swing, and a face pull. Lastly, a reverse lunge, followed by a reverse crunch.
My brain was equally shattered, trying to remember the correct form for every move
Every move needs work, which isn't surprising considering I've never done them before. I'd forget to tense my core, my knees would fall inwards during a squat, my back would arch during the banded walks, I was hyper-extending (leaning back) during my deadlift and snatching the bar too fast leaving me with an achy back, I'd forget to tense my glutes and keep my shoulders up, back and down...
After week one my body was aching, but my brain was equally shattered, trying to remember the correct form for every move. Without a PT to guide me through these first few sessions I'm in no doubt I'd have woefully underworked the muscles I was supposed to or, worse, injured myself.
WEEK TWO
We keep the programme the same this week, upping the weights for the moves I'm starting to get the hang of, but keeping them the same on things like the deadlift. As Lucie explains, the main goal right now is getting me doing all of the moves properly, rather than shoving a load of weight on too soon.
Half way through the week, on my rest day, I mix things up by attending my first class - City's Legs, Glutes and Abs. Despite it being an awesome class if you want to build a booty, despite it being run by Lucie and despite it only having about 10 people in it vs my usual local gym's 20 or so, I instantly realise how much difference having a good PT makes.
Cosmopolitan UK
I'm lucky that Lucie is my trainer - so she made a point of suggesting my weights for each move, coming round and checking my form and throwing little tweaks my way. But I don't know how on earth I'd have kept up with the speed or kept good form, without the knowledge I'd built up in week one. No matter how awesome your class instructor, in a group class it's unlikely they'll be able to tailor the moves and weights to you and keep an eye on the small-but-important errors you're making.
Take the basic kettlebell swings. I upped my weights multiple times over the six weeks and only when my form at each weight was perfect. I might have too much bend in my knees, not hinge from the hip enough, forget to keep my shoulders back and down, let my core get lazy, lose the power in my glute tense, I could go on... I know PTs can be unaffordable for most of us, but even if you book one in to learn the moves and then a session every now and again to make sure your form is still good, it's worth it. Otherwise you may find yourself falling into bad habits that aren't working the muscles you want.
WEEK THREE
I try and get some of my week three sessions done on my own and the fact I'm now able to walk into what was previously the scariest place in the gym and know what equipment I need, how to set it up and how to use it, is a huge confidence boost. The moment I ask a pumped-up dude if he's using the landmine and whether he can move some of his stuff feels pretty good. While I hear Lucie's voice in my head telling me to keep my shoulders back and tense my glutes, I miss the added confidence of having her there and knowing I'm dong everything right.
WEEK FOUR
I feel fully in my stride by this point. While I can't see massive changes, I am starting to feel them. I can feel that muscles in my butt exist, which I honestly have never felt before. They aren't aching as such, they're just... there. I also feel less wobble around my lower body. When I tense my arms and core, I am starting to see visible muscle. Most of all, I'm just feeling generally stronger, fitter and like I've got more energy.
I'm loving how rewarding strength training is. I personally feel the pay-off and growth is so much more visible than through cardio or classes like yoga. I know I'm improving because my weights are going up and my form is getting better. It's that simple.
Cosmopolitan UK
Lucie says the last 1-2 reps of every exercise should feel pretty much impossible. As soon as you aren't feeling that way, up your weights. Even if you have to lower your reps a little from say 10-12 to 8, do it and build up your ability. Equally if by your last set you're so fatigued you can feel your form is going, lower the reps - 8 great reps alone is better than 8 great reps followed by four where your back is arching, your core isn't on and your heart isn't in it.
WEEK FIVE
In the penultimate week, I've finally nailed my basics enough that Lucie mixes up the programme. Yep, it's taken me a month just to learn the moves properly and up the weights enough to progress everything.
On day one, my goblet squats become hellish variation that involve two kettlebells. My split squats now involve an extra heavy weight. My Swiss ball leg curls are now leg curls done with my feet hooked into a low-hanging TRX and my hamstrings BURN. And my Swiss ball roll outs are now done using an ab wheel.
Day two, my landmine presses are now standing rather than half-kneeling. I'm now doing box jumps which look easy but are exhausting. And bye bye GHR, because my new finisher is an absolute killer - hip thrusts with a 40kg bar across my hips.
Finally, on day three, my weights go up on every single move. Satisfying but shattering.
WEEK SIX
It's the final week and as I had over for my first session I'm feeling a bit deflated. I've had a heavy weekend and I'm so glad I've got Lucie to motivate me, even after all this time.
In my final week I'm up to 16kg on my kettlebell swings, lifting 2x 14kg dumbells for my RDLs and 12kgs in my chest press, and lifting 50kg (2 x 15kg plus the bar) in my deadlifts. Whether I can see results in my butt is one thing, but I've definitely seen them in the weights I am lifting and the muscle I'm building.
THE RESULTS
Lucie mentioned early on that it was unlikely I'd see real visible change in just six weeks and she was partly right.
To look at, my butt doesn't look drastically different. Like, friends wouldn't treat my ass like a new haircut and say "Woah! Something's different! Give us a spin! It suits you!" But when I see the side-by-side, I can definitely see changes. The twice-weekly body brushing and daily commitment to moisturise or Bio-Oil my thighs and butt has definitely smoothed my skin and softened stretch marks. Plus, when you look at the comparison, there's a clear lift and rounding in my glutes.
Before
Cosmopolitan UK
After
Cosmopolitan UK
And here's a side-by-side (yes I may have fake tanned):
Cosmopolitan UK
But aside from any of this, I am no longer scared to walk into a weights room and work out. I feel stronger and fitter than I've ever felt doing cardio and yoga. I'm also way more realistic about what is achievable; I understand that if I commit to hitting the weights each week I can tone my thighs and butt, but I'm equally never going to end up with a Kardashian booty - certainly not without drastically upping my routine and overhauling my diet, which I know isn't realistic for me.
So after all this, my goal is less about getting a bigger butt. Instead, I'm more bothered about getting the weights I'm lifting bigger (and my form better). Because big booty or not, the buzz lifting weights has given me is much more of a confidence boost than a bubble-butt.
* Click here to find out more about membership at Third Space City and follow Lucie on Instagram
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
How To Get A Flat Butt
Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/fitness-workouts/a8969279/quick-bigger-butt-workout-exrecises-transformation/
Posted by: avileswifing.blogspot.com
0 Response to "How To Get A Flat Butt"
Post a Comment