Ladies let’s talk about splits or training routines, especially with regard to areas we are very concerned about looking good, such as our butts, or glutes. First of all, when you lift weights, the goal is to damage the muscle fibers so that they rebuild in a different shape that is stronger. Accordingly, your muscles develop or grow when you rest them, not when you work them out. I see ladies in the gym working only their glutes day after day after day. This is not a good way to grow and develop your muscles. I see men do this same thing when they work their chest and biceps. Some research I’ve found says that your muscles can get away with 48 hours of rest, some research says 6-7 days.
Back to developing my weight training split / weight training schedule. Everyone has different reasons for becoming more fit. I want to look good and be strong. I noticed that the front of my legs looked a lot better, but that the back of my legs looked jiggly still. I also became aware due to the comments of an, er, hater, that my ass had been shrunk. Indeed, at that point in my weight loss journey, I’d lost probably 17 lbs but around 4 inches from my butt. I was worried, so I started doing a second leg day with mostly glut and hamstring exercises.
Posterior Legs Workout Plan for Women, beginner:
3 sets of 10 repetitions each:
Box Step Ups with Dumbbells
Leg Press Machine, single leg, turned sideways, pressing from the heel
Glut Machine / Kick Back Machine
Goblet Squats – weighted with a single dumbbell
Leg Lunges or Pulse Lunges with Perfect Form, Deep Bend, Knee to Ground
Do 1 other leg exercise of your choice so that you perform a total of 6 exercises, total, minimum.
Posterior Legs Workout Plan for Women, Intermediate:
Same as above, plus:
*Add dumbbells to the lunges as you are able, as long as you can maintain correct form
*Add a hip circle elastic band to your legs when you do the leg press machine. You will probably have to go down in weight and use 2 legs.
Prone Hamstring Curl Machine (try to flex your foot and flatten or round your back by tilting your pelvis forward to activate hams)
Glut Raise – either on leg curl machine, on the ground with a barbell, or against a bench with a barbell
Advanced Leg Workout Plan for Posterior Legs:
Same as above, plus:
Kettle Bell Swings incorporated almost into a goblet squat and hip thrust
Dead Lift on Smith Machine on a step with or without a riser. Good warm up compound movement.
Bulgarian Split Squat on Smith Machine – Barbell on Shoulders Lunge on Step with or without a riser. Allows for deeper weighted lunge or Alternating back lunge on Smith Machine with a high knee
Back hyperextension on Smith Machine with a Bench and a plate
Dumbbell RDL with dumbbells at sides of legs
Good Morning with Barbell on Traps
Single Leg Glut Bridge / Glut Raise on Ground instead of other Glut Raise
Nordic Curl on mat – ground level fall
My Newest Leg Day Routine: What about Vastus Lateralis?
Focus on Ham/ Glu, Quads, Calves and Now: Adductors or Inner Thighs
Wider Stance / Sumo Stance on exercises you are already doing – do not let knees come bend in- you’ll tear a ligament. Keep knees open wide.
Side leg lunges / aka Lateral Lunge
Squat Jumps onto box or on ground with BBs with wider stance
Deficit Sumo DL with single BB on riser so you can go lower
Hip band on ankles side walk
In and Out squat jumps into Sumo Squat Hold
Scissor Kicks on Floor
Wide Stance Sumo Goblet Squat
Jump Squat with DBs
Single Leg Romanian DL with 1 leg kicked back straight and DBs.