Fitness girls have always wanted a great butt and abs— it’s the rest of the world who is late to catch up. Mapping out your plan for achieving better than celeb-status glutes is easy when you have IFBB Bikini pro Juliana Daniell helping you out. Juliana’s Butt-Sculpting Workout is the perfect tool for getting results.
Juiliana’s Glute Workout
“The key to building glutes is to perform exercises that will maximally load the gluteus maximus, particularly during the eccentric phase,” says Jose Antonio, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise science at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “The best two exercises are the back squat and the lunge. In addition, adding plyometric training will further activate parts of the glutes that’ll shape it better than an onion.”
Use this workout once per week for four weeks to see improvements. For an even greater advantage, change the order of exercises weekly or add in a few of your favorite moves for variety. For this workout, you’ll need some kettlebells as well as your usual leg-training gym equipment.
Where Does Juliana Get Her Glutes?
Juliana credits her award-winning glutes to doing a lot of lunges, step-ups, leg presses and squats. “Swimming, gymnastics and genetics I’m sure play a part in my rear, but today it’s because of the exercises I do!” claims Juliana. Juliana suggests working all of your glute muscles. “We have three muscles back there and people don’t always remember to hit all of them. Mix up your exercises to ensure you get all three specifically!”
Exercise Descriptions
Single-leg Deadlifts
Set: Using a 15-pound kettlebell, stand with one foot off the ground.
Go: Slowly lower the kettlebell toward the ground, bending at the waist. Allow the foot off the ground to float behind you.
Straight-leg Standing Cable Extensions/Band Extensions
Set: While standing on a block or bent over on a bench, place the cable strap around your ankle.
Go: Curl your ankle up toward your glutes and squeeze.
Wide-leg Deadlifts
Set: Standing on a block or step using a wide stance, hold a kettlebell between your legs.
Go: Slowly lower the kettlebell toward the ground. Keep your back straight and chest out throughout the movement.
Abduction Machine
Set: Sit in the abduction machine (moving your legs outward). Lean forward slightly and stay there for this exercise.
Go: Push your legs outward. You should feel a squeeze in the outer thigh and glutes.
Walking Lunges With or Without Kickbacks
Set: Option— hold one or two kettlebells in your hands.
Go: Lunge forward in a wide step. Your rear knee should lower to just above the ground. Make sure your forward knee never goes over your foot and your back is straight and core tight throughout the exercise. When you stand up, kick one leg back behind you (if doing with kickbacks) and then lunge forward with that same leg. Keep repeating on both legs. Juliana says the kickback really makes you focus on your glute; do it slow and precise and you will feel it!
Step-ups on Blocks
Set: Stand in front of a block, step or bench, holding one or two kettlebells in your hands.
Go: Step up onto the block in a controlled manner. Keep your core tight throughout the movement. Step down and repeat using the other leg.
Skater Drill
Set: Be sure to find an open area and wear good shoes.
Go: Jump side to side from one leg to the other, while keeping the leg behind you off the ground at all times. The angle of your back and where you place your hand makes a huge difference in the intensity of the exercise. For a more intense workout, keep your back low, core extremely tight (this is huge and a definite must no matter which way you do these), and hand barely touching the ground each time you switch legs. For an easier version or if your back starts to get tight, raise your chest and don’t put your hand as close to the ground. You can also let that back leg touch the floor, but I don’t think any of you are that bad off that you need to do that! Push yourself and feel this burn. It feels great and will stay with you for a few days. Juliana does these on an interval: 30 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 5 minutes. See how many rounds you can do. “Mine varies weekly!” Juliana says.
Juliana’s Diet for a Day
Wake up and do morning cardio on an empty stomach.
Meal 1 – 4 or 5 egg whites with oatmeal or cream of rice
Meal 2 – Fish or chicken with some kind of green veggie like broccoli
Meal 3 – Fish or chicken with sweet potato or rice
Meal 4 – Fish or chicken with some kind of veggie, like green beans
Meal 5 – Egg whites, and if I’m really hungry I’ll throw in a little bit of carbs in this meal as well. It all depends on how I feel.
Right before bed I sometimes eat some cottage cheese or a little almond butter; it helps get me through the night. I never let myself feel like I’m starving or not getting enough food. I’ll add in and take things out constantly and I always take my vitamins! And I try to drink a gallon of water every day.
Photos by: Per Bernal
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