Big ol’ booty

So when I work with Rachel, my lovely personal trainer, we do a lower body and an upper body session a week. This is so we can really work on each area fully during the hour. Today, being Tuesday, was the turn of the legs and bum. I love this day. I really quite like my thighs and bum and want them big and strong. Today we did some leg extensions, leg presses, hamstring curls and, my favourite, squats at the end of the session. I said she was mean making me do this last as its by far the hardest!

I really do enjoy squats because of the after effects. I love that feeling of aching thighs and glutes. Call me masochistic. The most important thing about squats is technique and I’ve learned that recently. Start small and work at it. You need to really stick your bum out at the back and drive up through the heels to acheive glute activation. Get as low as possible. Don’t worry about the weight or the reps at first just make sure you are doing it as safely and effectively as possible. Because of my hip/IT band problems I often find I push up more through my right hip which is terrible and not a lead to be followed!!

Other glute exercises include glute kick backs, leg press, glute bridges and virtually anything that includes extension at the hip. This is best achieved using weight to really activate those muscles but can be done at home doing body weight squats and glute bridges with a kettlebell or no weight, more reps.

Recently, I’ve also found resistance bands are really useful for activating the glutes. I’ve been using them in conjunction with weights (kettlebell squats and bridges) or alone (kick backs) and found my glutes ache much more afterwards. They can be bought cheaply off Amazon and are easy to get used to. There are plenty of other exercises that you can do if you just google ‘resistance band exercises.’

🧳 UNPACKED

Leg Day = Best Day: This was The Gym Era when I genuinely loved leg day. Upper body one day, lower body another – really work each area fully. Tuesday meant legs and bum, and I loved it. Wanted my thighs and bum big and strong.

The Workout: Leg extensions, leg presses, hamstring curls, and squats at the end (Rachel was mean making me do the hardest one last!). The after-effects were brilliant – aching thighs and glutes. Call me masochistic.

Squat Technique – What I Learned: Start small, focus on form first. Stick your bum out at the back, drive up through your heels for glute activation, get as low as possible. Don’t worry about weight or reps initially – just do it safely and effectively.

My hip/IT band problems meant I often pushed up more through my right hip, which is terrible form – don’t follow that lead!

Glute Exercises That Work:

• Squats (obviously)
• Glute kick backs
• Leg press
• Glute bridges (kettlebell on hips, pillow underneath to prevent “pelvic shattering”!)
• Basically anything with hip extension

The Resistance Band Revelation: Recently discovered resistance bands are brilliant for glute activation. Use them with weights (kettlebell squats and bridges) or alone (kick backs). Glutes ache way more afterwards. Bought them cheaply off eBay – easy to use, loads of exercises if you Google it.

Home vs Gym: Can do this at home with bodyweight squats and glute bridges (with or without kettlebell), just needs more reps. Weights really activate those muscles though.

Building a Better Booty:

• 📦 Pack here: Heavy resistance band set for glutes
• 📦 Pack here: Fabric loop bands (won’t roll up)
• 📦 Pack here: Kettlebell for glute bridges
• 📦 Pack here: Exercise mat for floor work
• 📦 Pack here: Foam roller for hip/IT band recovery

Worth Knowing: Technique matters more than weight, especially for squats. If you have hip/IT band issues like I did, be extra careful about even distribution when pushing up. Resistance bands are genuinely game-changing for glute work and cost pennies on Amazon. The ache afterwards tells you they’re working.