If you’ve been looking to spice up your leg workout you’re in luck. Today I have a challenging hamstring and butt exercise that is somewhat unconventional. Very few people take advantage of this exceptional exercise and I hope that this post will change that.

When you think about training your hamstrings, the most common exercises that come to mind are Stiff Leg Deadlifts and Leg Curls. I’ve been hooked on the T-Bar Stiff Leg Deadlift for the past few months ever since my buddy Tom Venuto introduced them to me. I get an amazing stretch and contraction with that hamstring exercise. I’ll be sure to record a video of the T-Bar Stiff Leg Deadlift soon. The regular Deadlift also makes for one heck of a glute and hamstring exercise.

When I asked the members of Tom’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle if they had any alternative exercises that really blast the hammies and glutes I was surprised to hear Tom suggest Glute-Ham Raises. I was even more surprised when Tom mentioned that Glute-Ham Raises are not only difficult, but you can expect 3x the muscle soreness afterward.

Not every gym has a Glute-Ham Raise machine, but the sad thing is that my gym does have one and I’ve neglected it for the past 8 years… and from what I’ve witnessed, everyone else in my gym is neglecting it as well.

So, thanks to the nudge from Tom along with our mutual friend Marc David, I incorporated Glute-Ham Raises into the Metabolic Masterpiece Greek God(dess) Gauntlet workout program… and all that I can say is Wow!!!

If you are not familiar with Glute-Ham Raises, they are often performed on a hyper-extension bench. The bench that we have at our gym has a nice little knee rest that makes it ideal for performing this exercise. I’ll be recording a video later this week to demonstrate the Glute-Ham Raise, but in the meantime, here’s a great video by Marc David, author of NoBull Bodybuilding…

I have to admit that I am quite envious of the specialized equipment that Marc has access to for Glute-Ham Raises. It sure makes for a nice smooth and fluid motion.

Glute-Ham Raises are a very challenging exercise and as Tom mentioned to me, you’ll be sore for days. I had to spot my workout partner to help him get past the sticking point. He weighs a bit more than me, so it would be like I was holding a weight plate at my chest, which would probably kill me at this point as I’m just beginning to get comfortable with the exercise.

I could really feel my hammies contracting like crazy as well as getting a great stretch on the way down. It’s a different kind of feeling than doing leg curls and makes for outstanding variety.

I encourage you to give this exercise a try and be sure to let me know how it feels.

Sculpt a Masterpiece,

Scott Tousignant

About The Author

Scott Tousignant, BHK, is a Certified Fitness Consultant with a passion for transforming fitness enthusiasts into physique artists. His most recent program, Metabolic Masterpiece guides you through the process of sculpting your body into a work of art, by applying what Scott has coined, “The A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Formula.

With his synergistic, boredom busting body sculpting workouts you will melt stubborn fat and gain muscle while skyrocketing your metabolism!

If you live a busy lifestyle, workout at home, and are looking to add some variety to your leg workouts, this video will spice things up for you….

Here’s the routine:

Prisoner Squat – 10 reps
3/4 Squat – 10 reps
1 Leg Squat with a Stability Ball Against a Wall – 10 reps each leg
Jump Squats – 10 reps
Horizontal Squat – 10 reps
Squat Hold – 30 seconds

Repeat 1-2 more times

Not only is this a great leg workout… it’s also incredibly cardiovascular in nature. I guarantee that your heart will be pumping and your breathing will be labored.

This workout comes from our Fat Loss Quickie 10-Minute Metabolism Booster program, which includes 60 workouts/HIIT routines that can be performed with very little equipment, very little space, and last only 10 minutes.

From 2007 to early 2010 the 10-Minute Metabolism Booster program was the workout that kept Angie and I in great shape, producing a lean and athletic look. This was a period in our life where we were beyond busy. With two young children and two family businesses, we had very little time to workout. What worked great for us was performing a 10-minute HIIT session first thing in the morning and a 10-minute workout later in the day. This gave us two metabolic spikes throughout the day and made it easier for us to comply to the program.

One of the differences between our quick workouts and many other short burst workout programs out there, is that we apply a body part split routine. We found that focusing on just one or two body parts per day, five days per week, allowed us to work each muscle to the best of their ability and impact many more muscle fibers than full body quick workouts.

The body part split routine created a sculpted look by providing more attention to detail. Even though we had to shorten our workouts, the physique artist within me was still shining bright.

If you live a busy lifestyle and have difficulty “Fitting In” a workout, the 10-Minute Metabolism Boosting program is a great solution for you. The workouts are fun, challenging, and can fit into anyone’s hectic schedule.

The variety of workouts within the 10-Minute Metabolism Booster program will bring excitement to your training, while keeping your motivation high. That’s been one of the biggest benefits that we’ve heard from our satisfied customers during the past 3 years. They’re never bored and they look forward to their next quick workout with great enthusiasm.

If lack of time has been one of your excuses for putting off the body that you deserve… the 10-Minute Metabolism Booster program throws that excuse out the window.

No more excuses. No more putting your goals off until tomorrow. The time to make your health, fitness, and physique a top priority is NOW!

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott Tousignant

About The Authors

Scott and Angie Tousignant have been helping busy men and women, just like you, transform their body and life for over a decade. This dynamic duo prides themselves on providing a balanced and practical approach that will motivate and inspire you to become the best YOU that you can be.

Scott and Angie have dedicated themselves to sharing their exact workouts, what they eat, and how they stay motivated to continue transforming their body’s and life.

Their line up of body transforming programs includes, Metabolic Masterpiece, Sizzlin’ Circuits, Core Plus More, Girl Empowered, 10-Minute Metabolism Booster, and More Love Less Fat.

We’re excited to share in you successful body transformation!

Do you have a flat butt? Would you like discover some powerful tips and exercises to help you build a more fuller, rounder, and sexier butt? You’ll find it all in today’s article, which includes links to photo and video demonstrations.

Powerful Tips, Tricks and Techniques For Building Larger, Firmer, Rounder Glutes

By Nick Nilsson

Do your thighs get more work than your glutes when you’re doing glute exercises? This information is going to change the way you train your glutes forever!

It’s a common problem that many people run into when they’re trying to build and work the glutes: the thighs take over the exercises and the glutes get left out in the cold!

One of the major reasons this happens is that some of the most effective glute-building exercises are also among the most effective thigh-building exercises, e.g. squats, lunges, leg press, etc.

And, quite often, a person who has smaller glutes and whose goal is to build their glutes already has muscle attachments and leverage issues that favor thigh development over glute development. This can set them back right from the start.

If this sounds like you, read on, because the information you get today is going to change the way you approach your glute training forever!

Let me put it this way…if your glutes already have a hard time getting involved in exercises, performing more exercises won’t solve the problem! You’ve got to properly target your training to make sure the glutes get worked more than the thighs or you simply WILL NOT be able to maximize your glute development.

Today, you’re going to learn a number of training techniques that can help build those large, round firm glutes you’ve been looking for! They will help you to overcome any physical and anatomical limitations your glutes may have.

[Please note: there will be a link to photo demonstrations of several of these exercises, positions and techniques below.]

Techniques:

1. Consciously squeeze your glutes HARD while doing your exercises

Are you sitting in a chair? Clench your glutes as hard as you can. Feel the squeeze? This is what you need to strive for while doing glute exercises.

When you do a lunge, squeeze the glute hard while you’re pushing up. This will help to activate the glute muscle. It’s all about getting your mind into the muscle and forcing it to contract rather than just going through the motions of an exercise. By concentrating on squeezing the glutes hard during your sets (of whatever exercise you’re doing), you’ll be activating the muscle fibers of the glutes and increasing the amount of work they do.

If you don’t believe this technique can work, try this: go for a walk up and down some hills squeezing your glutes hard as you push yourself forward with each step you take. The following day, sitting down will take on a whole new challenge!

2. Push with your heels

The transmission of force and tension from your foot through your leg and glute can be altered by where you put the tension on your foot. If you push with the balls of your feet (the forefoot area), more tension will be placed on the frontal thigh (the quadriceps). If you focus on pushing more with your heels, more tension will go through the back of the thighs and to your glutes.

By pushing with your heels, you can take FULL advantage of this force/tension relationship. For example, when you’re doing lunges, try to raise the toes of your front foot off the ground. This removes tension from the front and focuses more on the heel. This will, in turn, send more tension to the glutes, making them work harder.

There are several practical techniques you can use to really force the heel push. For example, on lunges, do them with your heel on the edge of a stair or Step platform. Place ONLY your heel on the surface and do the lunge from there (be careful of your balance on this, however, as your base of support is decreased with this technique).

If you’re doing the leg press, you can focus on the glutes by placing your heels on the top edge of the foot plate (the rest of your feet surface will be off the top and not pushing on anything). When doing squats, simply raise your toes up in your shoes to achieve a similar effect.

To view these techniques in action, please click this link: Butt Exercise Demonstration >>>>

3. Visualize “sitting back” when you’re doing your glute exercises

This idea is similar to the concept of pushing with your heels above. When you “sit back,” more tension will be sent through the back of the thighs and the glutes. If you lean forward (the opposite of the “sitting back”), you will tend to throw more tension on the quadriceps (the front of the thighs).

We can use both the squat and the lunge as examples of this. When doing the lunge, don’t let your torso angle forward while you’re performing the movement. This will throw more tension on the quads. Visualize yourself “sitting back” into the movement. Your body won’t let you lean back far enough to fall over but this “lean-back” will put more tension on the glutes immediately. This is something you can try at home right now and feel the difference right away.

If, when you’re doing squats, you don’t normally feel the glutes working very strongly, you could very well be leaning too far forward as you squat. This throws more tension onto the quads and lower back. This problem is often caused by a lack of flexibility in the calves. To fix this, stretch the calves for at least 5 minutes before doing any squat exercise. You will soon find you’re able to sit back more and maintain a better body position (more upright torso). This will turn the squat into a great glute-builder for you!

IMPORTANT! If you do Smith Machine squats, specifically with the feet placed a little forward of the bar while you sit backwards into the bar as you do the movement, beware! This variation of the squat places a TREMENDOUS shearing force on your knees.

Unfortunately, the knee joint simply wasn’t designed to push backwards against resistance in this fashion and long-term use of this squat variation can lead to knee injury (basically, every time you do this exercise, you’re grinding the connective tissue down a little more – not a good situation). Don’t worry, though! Squats themselves, when done properly, are an excellent exercise!

To view these techniques in action, please click this link: Butt Exercise Demos >>>>

4. Pre-Exhaust Training

Pre-Exhaust Training is one of the single most effective techniques for FORCING reluctant muscles to respond to training. The idea behind this technique is simple: first, use an exercise that works ONLY the target muscle. Then, immediately follow that with an exercise that works the target muscle AND several other muscles in addition. You essentially exhaust the target muscle first (with an isolation exercise that works only that single muscle) then use an exercise that utilizes other muscles (a compound exercise) to help push that already pre-exhausted target muscle harder.

The two isolation (single-muscle) exercises that I recommend for the glutes are low pulley glute extensions and glute push-ups. Low pulley glute extensions are done by attaching an ankle harness to your leg, standing facing the pulley machine and extending your leg straight back behind you. Glute push-ups are done by laying flat on your back with your knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. From this position, push your hips up towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes hard. This exercise can also be done one leg at a time (just cross the non-working leg over the other).

Do as many reps of this exercise as it takes to reach muscular fatigue (it could be 8, 15 or even more, depending on the resistance and your strength). The real muscle-building work gets done on the second exercise.

To view these two exercises in action, please click this link: Butt Exercises

When you’ve completed your set, immediately (and I mean IMMEDIATELY – no rest periods here) move into the compound exercise for the glutes. Compound exercises for the glutes include squats, lunges, leg press, and (my personal favorite glute-builder) the one-legged bench step squat.

Use a fairly heavy resistance for the compound exercise…as I mentioned above, this is where the muscle-building work gets done. Use a resistance that will allow you get about 8 to 12 reps per set. This is the most effective rep range for muscle building.

One-Legged Bench Step Squats (demo video available for this one)

In my experience, the best pre-exhaust approach is to focus on one leg at a time rather than doing both. It may take a little longer but the glutes get worked more thoroughly and your results will most likely be better. For example, do One-Legged Glute Push-Ups with your left leg then immediately do Bench Step One-Legged Squats on your left leg. Take a rest then do a set for your right leg.

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Conclusion:

Regularly using the four training techniques I’ve described above can have a HUGE impact on your glute-building progress. It’s all about properly targeting your training to FORCE the glutes to take the lead in the exercise. With these tips, you will build larger, firmer, rounder glutes. Guaranteed!

Interested in a complete glute-building training manual to take ALL the guesswork out of building those larger, rounder, firmer glutes? You need “Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!”

In it you’ll find exercises, training programs, workouts, nutrition and supplement information, stretches, and much more…all targeted towards one single goal: building a bigger butt FAST!

Click this link right now to learn more! How To Build A Better Butt

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Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 20 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books including “Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!“, “Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass”, “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss,” “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” and “The Best Abdominal Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of”, all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

I hope that you enjoyed today’s article and that you found the tips and exercise demonstrations very useful. I know a lot of women and men who have been unhappy with their flat butt, and these exercises have been a BIG help to them.

Angie has incorporated the Gluteus To The Maximus butt workouts into her training for the past few years and it’s produced FANTASTIC results. I think that Angie’s butt is one of her best features.

Building a rounder, firmer, and sexier butt is a great way to create natural curves to your physique. Apply the exercises, techniques, and tips from today’s article and begin transforming your flat butt into a rounder butt today!

Sculpt a Masterpiece,

Scott Tousignant

I was introduced to a new and unique butt exercise by my friend Richard Schuller of Decades Younger. During his recent visit I pulled out my video camera and asked him to demonstrate this great exercise to build a firm butt…

Don’t be afraid to give it a try… and when you do, be sure to come back here and let us know how it felt.

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott Tousignant

PS Richard is our house guest for this week. Being 70 years young, he specializes in fitness for men and women over 60. If there are any questions that you have for Richard or any exercises that you would like to see him demonstrate, simply submit them in the comment box below.

If you want to firm your butt and tighten your thighs you are going to love this quick 10-minute workout, courtesy of my very good friend Scott Colby…

As much as I love going to the gym, it’s always great to see super-effective workouts that can be done just about anywhere, with no equipment necessary.

In addition to working your butt and thighs, you’ll also feel this workout in your abs and there is no doubt that your heart will be pumping.

If you’re not familiar with my buddy Scott I highly recommend that begin following his work. He’s always putting out quick workout videos for you to enjoy and he’s just an all around caring and passionate guy. We’re a lot alike in more ways than just sharing the same first name and hair cut I know that there are times when our readers get the two of us mixed up. He’ll get emails telling him that they love his wife Angie (which is actually my wife), and I receive emails about how much this particular reader enjoyed my workout in the Colorado mountains (which is where Scott lives)

I guess what I’m trying to say is that if my blog subscribers are continually getting Scott and I mixed up, he must be a pretty great guy eh???

If you enjoy the work that Angie and I do and you love our sincerity and ‘Realness’, you’ll love Scott Colby’s work to, as it totally compliments everything that we do.

…Scott even has his cats randomly hop into the video when he’s working out too

I’ve been receiving several emails from some of Scott’s “Ageless Abs” members, which is a currently a closed door fat loss program for men and women over 40. They have been raving about the program and the result that they’ve been experiencing. I think that’s really cool that people are so excited about the results that they are getting with a particular program, that they feel compelled to email other fitness experts and share these results.

Scott also has several fat loss audio programs that he has produced and an outstanding abs program called “My First Six Pack“. And just this past Summer he ran a really cool Rocky Mountain Adventure Bootcamp, which I’m kicking myself in the butt for not attending. Some really great breakthroughs occurred during that 3 day bootcamp.

I’ll be sharing more great workouts from Scott soon, but for now, enjoy this awesome butt and thigh workout and be sure to let us know how you feel after completing it.

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott and Angie Tousignant

The deadlift is one of the greatest exercises that you should perform no matter what your goal is. When performed properly, the deadlift targets your butt, abs, and hamstrings. But what makes this exercise so awesome is that every muscle in your body gets activated throughout the movement.

As per Paula’s request, my buddy Richard Schuller of Decades Younger, and I hit the gym to record a video, which demonstrates how to perform a proper deadlift…

Here are some of Richard’s key tips on how to perform a proper deadlift:

To get the most out of a deadlift, you need to have nearly every muscle in your body involved in the lift. That is why it is very important to have your whole body “tight” when you pull. This will maximize your power output, and lessen the chances for injury.

Your body is much like a hydraulic system. If there is any part that is relaxed, that is where all the force will go, and you will get sub-optimal results. In lifting for power you are recruiting as many muscles as you can. This is the complete opposite of isolation.

When you get into the set position, your shins should be touching the bar, and your body should feel like a giant spring that has been compressed. To get the most effective pull, begin by putting 50-100 pounds of tension on the bar…then pull it. The effect is that you don’t pull the entire weight from a dead stop. Try this a few times with a heavy pull, and you will see that it feels much lighter when you “load” the bar with tension before pulling.

Keep the bar close against your body as you pull up. If the bar drifts away from your body you will quickly lose leverage, and the weight will seem much much heavier. To protect your shins from being scraped by the bar during practice, you can get some cheap soccer shin guards.

You should feel the pull in your glutes, hamstrings, and your abs. If you feel the pull primarily in your lower back, your tail end is too high in the air, and you have probably relaxed some muscles. You will know you have the right form when you feel the pull in the gultes, hamstrings and abs.

Common mistakes are:

1) Rounding the upper back during the pull;
2) Putting the butt up too high
3) Relaxing just before the pull begins
4) Allowing the arms and shoulders to relax
5) Pulling primarily with the lower back

The deadlift is not like other gym lifts where you can practice it often. You should do it a maximum of twice per week. Lifters who train with very heavy weights generally only deadlift once per week. Keep your repetitions in the range of 5 to 8. Three sets should be sufficient for getting maximum fitness benefit from this lift. It will take a lot more out of you than you realize. However, it is one of the very best training lifts ever devised. You will develop a very strong, flexible backside, and very powerful abs by deadlifting. As I noted earlier, it will use every muscle in your body. Best of luck!

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Thanks Richard for those great tips on gaining the maximum benefit from the deadlift, while reducing the risk of injury.

If you enjoyed this post and demonstration, you’ll also enjoy the post How to Perform a Safe and Effective Bench Press.

Richard and I also recorded a great exercise that works your glutes. I’ll be sharing that with you soon.

Thanks for the question Paula. I appreciate it. We’re here to help you achieve the maximum benefit from your efforts.

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott Tousignant

Hi everyone…I’m really excited to share with all of you a totally amazing program that I am currently following. Nick Nilsson offers a great program called Gluteus to the Maximus for those of you who want to firm up that butt, and/or thigh area…I’d say most women can relate to this issue!!

His program offers different workouts depending upon whether you work out from home or go to a gym setting. I will be following his 20 min. Advanced Home Workouts. I have put myself through his program in the past and achieved amazing results…as a matter of fact, after seeing our new, tight physiques Scott and I decided to do a photo shoot. This was the most fit I had ever been.

I tend to deposit fat in my thigh area and I have not found any other program that seems to help me tighten this area to make me look my best, as Nick’s Gluteus to the Maximus program is capable of. So what is included in the program?

Nick has beginner, intermediate, and advanced programs. You can choose a 10 or 20 min. ‘home’ or ‘gym setting’ depending on where you prefer to do your workouts. Therefore, if you are just starting out you will have the comfort of knowing what to do once you complete the beginner series. A lot of people will begin working out but their results will eventually taper off if they do not challenge themselves as their body adapts. With this program, you will be challenged along the way and will definitely notice the changes!

I work out 3 days/week on my legs and incorporate my other body parts into the program. On my days off I will do either 30 min. of cardio or HIIT training.

I love the Gluteus to the Maximus program because I find it very easy to follow. I am able to ‘see’ someone demonstrating the exercise. There is no confusion. I simply printed out the program that was best suited for me and put it into a binder so that it is easily accessible. This way I can make notes if I need to.

I will be periodically reporting my progress on this blog and look forward to hearing your achievements too!

Here is a great leg and butt workout where we incorporated some of our favorite exercises from Nick’s program:

Have a great day,

Angie Tousignant
ISSA-C.P.T.

One of my favorite pieces of home workout equipment that we use to add variety to our workouts is the Valslide. In the video below I demonstrate a fun way that I put a twist on the Inchworm exercise using the Valslide. This is a great exercise to flatten your stomach…

The Valslide is also great for shaping, lifting, and sculpting a sexy backend. In the following video, Valerie Waters, the creator of the Valslide, demonstrates a variety of great butt exercises that you can perform to transform your butt…

What I really like about the exercises that Valerie performed in the video above is that they also target your core. You’re oblique muscles and transverse abdominals will really feel many of these exercises. It’s pretty much a total body workout when you incorporate the movements that Valerie demonstrated here.

We absolutely love the Valslide. It’s great for variety and it’s great for travel too. We don’t leave home without packing the Valslide.

The Valslide has also been great for our joints as well because there is no impact with the movements. Reverse lunges, mountain climbers, and a variety of other exercises can be performed in a smooth fluid motion, eliminating the impact that is experienced without the use of the Valslide.

Obviously, this remarkable piece of home equipment receives our two thumbs up

My friend Valerie Waters is a trainer to the stars and the Valslide has played a role is shaping the butts of celebrities, including the very fit and sexy Jennifer Garner of the movie Elektra and Rachel Nichols of the action movie G.I. Joe. Check them out in this short video clip…

And if you want to watch an outstanding video of Valerie and Rachel Nichols I highly recommend that you check out this Action Hero Babe interview. I really enjoyed this video and I guarantee you will too. It really gives some insight into what these female action hero stars are faced with when preparing for a very important role.

Action heroes have played a motivational role in transforming my physique over the years. I always feel like working out and eating well after watching a great action packed movie.

Now you can train like an Action Hero Babe with Valerie’s Action Hero Babe Training System! How cool is that!

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott Tousignant

PS When you scoop up your set of Valslides be sure to try these exercises and let us know how they feel.