Time for this week’s Move of the Week!
Did you guys notice the new format on my site for all these “Move of the Week” posts? If you go to my “Fitness” tab at the top, you will get a drop down. Within that first drop down there is a new page called “Instructionals.” I then categorized a further sub-menu off the “Instructionals” page where I have a list of different pages. Each of these pages is based on the part of body you are looking to target, to making searching and navigating a little easier and more individualized. I can’t wait until I build up a whole library of moves! Anyways, check it out and let me know what you think. I welcome your opinion on how I can make this as user-friendly as possible.
Up for this week’s Move of the Week post…
Kneeling Glute Presses
Step 1
Kneel with your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your hands. Keep your back neutral, as you don’t want to curve or arch it.
Step 2
Engage your abs, then lift one knee slightly off the floor and bend 90 degrees. Press your leg out behind you up towards the ceiling, maintaining a 90 degree bend in your knee until your knee is even with your hip.
Make sure that foot stays flexed and is parallel to the ceiling. Again, you don’t want to completely arch your back as you press your foot toward the ceiling.
Squeeze your butts!
Step 3
Lower your knee back down.
Repeat this for a fitness level appropriate number of reps and sets. Try starting with 3 sets of 8 and gaging where you are. You can always decrease or increase as necessary.
If you are more advanced you can try adding a dumbbell behind the knee of the working leg. You will definitely feel it more once you have some extra weight there!
Other ways to switch up this move include crossing the working knee over the opposite calf so you are working at an angle. This just targets different muscle fibers in the glutes. You could try alternating between the regular glute press or the crossover glute press, or you could do them as part of different sets on different workout days. Either way!
If you take my classes you know that I absolutely love to complete this move after we’ve gone through the established sets/reps by holding the leg up in the 90 degree angle position, squeezing the glute, and doing quick, tiny, little presses (pulses) up toward the ceiling. Once done with those, I say “Squeeze and press a little higher,” then “a little higher!”, then “one last time – SQUEEZE!” and then I let my class members relax. It’s quite the butt burner and everyone moans and groans but I think secretly loves it.
And then they all release their legs down so fast, I make some lame joke about how we’re so lucky we get to work the other leg so we’re even, and everyone laughs like this:
Orrrrr there’s crickets.
Either way.
Go give these a try! Any questions, as always please feel free to contact me.
Ready, set, what’s your favorite butt exercise?!
Fitness & Feta 