LEG DAY WARM UP
Before any strength based workout, it is SO important to warm up your muscles. This can be through strategic stretching, walking on a treadmill or light movement with a mini band. Giving your body time to build heat before “heavy” lifting not only prepares the muscles to be more successful but can help activate target muscle groups.
Clam Shell & Leg Raises with a Mini Band
This specific movements are great for warming up & activating stubborn glute muscles. IF you struggle to get that booty to work, make sure to grab a mini band and incorporate glute band work before each leg day (or 2 times a week if you typically do full body workouts).
LOW IMPACT BOOTY EXERCISES
What does it mean to be a low impact workout? The term tends to be used loosely, but in this case I am speaking specifically to the workout being little to no impact on the knees.
Many typical “leg day” exercises can provoke knee pain, which is confusing for someone who just wants to find simple effective workouts but feels pain while working out. I am here to share that there are workouts that can be effective, PAIN FREE and not only build the leg muscles but also strengthen the knees to reduce future pain. NOTE: If you feel joint pain during a workout (and / or if anyone says it’s normal or ok), stop & run far far away.
1. Romanian Deadlift
This movement targets the hamstrings and glutes, with minimal flexion of the knee. If you struggle to feel the stretch in the back of your legs (hamstrings), stand about a foot away from a wall and as you bend at the hip, try to press your butt backwards to tap it against the wall.
If your lower back begins to hurt as you bend at the hip or as you go heavier in weight, your core may not be engaged aka your back is having to do all the work. Try bracing your core through the entire movement and NOT hyper-extending through your back at the top of the movement.
2. Glute Bridge
Glute bridges target the glutes & core, with low impact on the knees. Yes there is more flexion through the movement, but this should not hurt.
If you don’t feel this in the booty, make sure to activate the glutes with a mini band first. Be patient, this will build over time, NOT just from doing it one time.
If your lower back bothers you, adjust your form to focus on engaging through the core, squeezing the glutes NOT trying to lift your hips as high as you can.
3. Kneeling Squat
This is a GREAT squat variation for anyone with knee pain. Make sure you have a comfortable mat to kneel on, or fold the mat a few times to create a soft surface.
4. Frog Pump
This movement targets the gluteus medius, or the side booty. Consider the same form cues as the glute bridge but be aware that your hips will not lift as high in this movement.
If you feel like you’re pressing through your ankles or this hurts your feet, make sure to press the bottoms together VS pressing down on the ankles.
Feel free to adjust the height / width of your knees to see what angle allows the best “burn” through that side booty.
Elevated Single Leg Glute Bridge ((BONUS EXERCISE))
If you’re feeling adventurous, give this single leg glute bridge variation a try. By elevating your foot, the range of motion is increased. You can either use a box, bench, bosu ball or dumbbell to place your foot on; make sure your heel is firmly planted so you can drive through that heel. NOTE: Using a dumbbell like I did in this video will increase the focus on balance.
BUILDING A LOW IMPACT BOOTY CIRCUIT
If I were your trainer, I plan this workout 1 of 2 ways…
Do each exercise in a circuit:
3 rounds X 12 reps OR 4 rounds X 8 reps
Focus on using a weight that feels decently challenging to you ( I used a 40lb dumbbell)
Pair each lower body exercise with an upper body exercise to create a full body workout:
3 rounds X 12 reps OR 4 rounds X 8 reps
Focus on using a weight that feels decently challenging to you ( I used a 40lb dumbbell) for the lower body exercises
Keep upper body exercises lighter in weight so your entire body is not too sore for the next workout.
