Created in partnership with Sweaty Betty.
All that time you spend sitting at your desk (and then on the couch recovering from those long hours at your desk) takes a toll on your glute muscles. They get weaker and essentially “turn off.”
And that’s not just bad news for your beach “peach” photos.
The glutes are actually three important muscles—minimus, medius and maximus—that work together to keep your hips and legs moving properly. “Strengthening your glutes can help increase athletic performance, decrease risk for injuries, and make performing functional movements like standing and sitting much easier on your body,” explains Miami-based superstar personal trainer and model Taylor Walker, a Nutritious Life Certified ambassador (and soon-to-be-mama!).
Walker recommends getting in short bursts of glute-work— like clamshells and bridges—daily, so you’re ready to attack more intense booty strengthening workouts like the one she created, below. Pro tip: Rocking Sweaty Betty’s Bum-Sculpting Leggings will make it even easier to show off those glute gains.
Taylor Walker’s 17-Minute Bum-Sculpting HIIT Workout
How To:
—Allocate one minute per movement: 45 Seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest
—Perform the MAXIMUM number of reps for every 45-second period of movement
—Take 1 minute of rest after each round
—Complete 2 rounds for a 17-minute workout; Feel free to add additional rounds
1. Squat to Heel Raise
Option A:
Take a deep squat sitting with weight back in your heels, hips back, and knees over your toes. Push your hips back with your core engaged. From your squat, stand up, lift your heels, and squeeze you glutes and core.
Option B:
Take a deep squat sitting with weight back in your heels. Push your hips back with your core engaged. From your squat, jump up, squeeze your glutes and core, and land softly back into a deep squat making sure your knees are directly over your toes.
2. Squat Pulses
Take the same deep squat as before with your core engaged, weight in your heels, hips back, and knees over toes. Get as low as you can and now pulse the hips up and down keeping your weight as far back as you can. Focus on building “fire” in your glutes.
3. Standing Knee Driver, Right Side
Step forward with your right leg forward and bend the knee slightly with your weight more in the heel of your foot. Tap your left toe to the back before driving the left knee forward and up. Work the arms in opposition for stability. This move will challenge your balance, so make sure to keep your core strong!
4. Standing Knee Driver, Left Side
Step forward with your left leg forward, bend the knee slightly with your weight more in the heel of your foot. Tap your right toe to the back before driving the right knee forward and up. Work the arms in opposition for stability. This move will challenge your balance, so make sure to keep your core strong!
5. Hip Extension, Right Side
Start on all fours with your core engaged, chin away from the chest, and eyes gazing at the floor. Push the shoulders away from your ears and make sure both hips are facing the ground. Drop the working knee down and lift it up to hip height making sure not to arch the back.
6. Hip Abduction, Right Side
Start sitting on your side, knee over knee. Lift all the way up using your side body. Squeeze your glutes and keep your working leg parallel to the floor. If going all the way down to the floor every time is too much on your upper body, simply stay up with your arm fully extended.
7. Hip Extension, Left Side
Start on all fours with your core engaged, chin away from the chest, and eyes gazing at the floor. Push the shoulders away from your ears and make sure both hips are facing the ground. Drop the working knee down and lift it up to hip height making sure not to arch the back.
8. Hip Abduction, Left Side
Start sitting on your side, knee over knee. Lift all the way up using your side body. Squeeze your glutes and keep your working leg parallel to the floor. If going all the way down to the floor every time is too much on your upper body, simply stay up with your arm fully extended.
(All Photos: Tayler Walker, wearing Sweaty Betty’s Bum-Sculpting Leggings)
