Erin Oprea, Nashville-based trainer toCarrie UnderwoodandKelsea Ballerini, among other celebs, loves a great glute workout.
Its a very intense circuit,Stephanie Mansour, Chicago-based certified personal trainer, tells SELF.
Its impossible to do these moves without activating those smaller muscles, explains Mansour.
SrdjanPav/Getty Images
Your gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body.
Two of the moves in particulartables slides and side kickswill work your hip mobility, says Mansour.
These moves involve getting on all fours and externally rotating your hip.
Grab a mat or find a comfortable spot on the carpet.
This move is great for your hamstrings, says Oprea.
They also work your glutes, lower back, and corewhich you should keep engaged throughout.
Even though your arms are touching the ground, they should not be engaged.
This is all lower-body and core work.
Your grounded leg may shake as you lift your hips, and thats OK.
This move is all about the extra glute squeeze at the top, says Mansour.
These double-leg bridges are priming your muscles for the next move, she adds.
you’re free to do this by engaging your inner thighs.
Be sure to keep your hips elevated throughout the movement, says Oprea.
These pulsing movements should stay small and controlled, adds Mansour.
Be sure to relax your upper body as you perform the pulses.
Your head, neck, and shoulders [should] not help you on this, says Oprea.
Instead, focus on pulling your quads off the floor and keeping them lifted while you perform the pulses.
You should feel the work in both your gluts and hamstrings.
The higher you lift your legs off the ground, the more difficult this will be.
If you are a beginner, start with smaller lifts than Oprea demos, recommends Mansour.
The key here is to keep your knee lifted the entire time, says Oprea.
As you do the movements, keep your toe pointed and your glutes squeezed.
Dont just fling your leg back and forth, she adds.
The movements should be slow and steady.
This will also work your hip mobility, says Mansour.
As you straighten your leg back and up, it may feel like a stretch.
take a stab at keep your hips as centered as possible throughout, says Mansour.
Lastly, this single-leg move relies on your arms and shoulders for stability.
As with the table slides, your knee should be elevated the entire time.
Dont let it drop, says Oprea.
This will be challenging and will fatigue the outer hip muscles, says Mansour.
This cardio component isactive recoveryfor your glutes before the next round, says Oprea.
Repeat the circuit two more times, for a total of three.
