Fit Tips #12: Improve Your Arse...

Something tells me she might be a sprinter perhaps?

If there is one part of the body that can make or break a physique, it is a
well developed gluteus maximus.  A lot of my female clientele looks to make drastic improvements in this area.  My male clients do not understand the importance of powerful glutes until they start to notice the lavish looks their girlfriend/wife starts to give them or when their performance in athletics is dramatically improved.  How do we develop this awesome backside?  What is the magic move you ask?  The answer lies in hard sprints!  Sprinting is top 5 movement as far as fitness, athleticism, and physique goes.  If building muscle while burning fat sounds appealing to you, keep reading!  If you are not sprinting as part of your training and hopping on that lame treadmill/elliptical again PLEASE make the change.  Use this protocol for 4 weeks to improve your backside and overall body composition:

Sprint Workouts:

Sprint Workout A:  Hill Sprints x 6-10 reps:  There a great hill around my area at Upper Moreland High School.  The "U" hill I call it.  The "U" has no friends and has repeatedly made me scream for years.  It is about 350-400 meters long.  I have done intervals from 25-400 meters.  For you, find an incline hill, and alternate the distance each week.  Weeks 1 and 3 perform 8-12 short hill sprints (25-50m) and Weeks 2-4 perform 5-8 long hill sprints (100-200m).  If you are feeling sprinty (not a word), attempt to sprint (relative) the whole hill.  Have 911 on speed dial though.

Sprint Workout B:  50 meter sprint x 6-10 reps:  Simple scheme, find a track, get warmed up, and run very fast for 50 meters.  The rest is the walk back to the start line.

Sprint Workout C:  Flying 30 meter sprint x 8 reps and 100 meter sprint x 4 reps:  You will run these on the turn leading into the straightaway.  Accelerate into the turn, and you should be full speed by the time you reach the 100 meter start line.  Rest is the walk back.  Follow with 4 more 100 meter sprints with a 1 minute rest in between sprints.

Sprints can make mountains move... (physique and well being wise)

You can perform this sprint workout 1x per week, along with 1 RHC session, and your regular leg day or perform this sprint workout 2x per week with your regular leg day minus the RHC.  I would advise that you do not perform the sprint session the day before a strength training leg workout as it will adversely affect your performance in the gym. Ideal protocols are below:

Bodypart Split Scheme (1 Sprint Workout, 1 RHC Workout)

Mon:  Chest/Back
Tues:  Legs
Wed:  Real, Honest, Cardio
Thurs: Shoulders/Arms
Fri:  Off
Saturday: Sprint Workout A or B
Sun:  Off

Bodypart Split Scheme II (2 Sprint Workouts)

Mon:  Chest/Back
Tues:  Legs
Wed:  Hill Sprints (short or long depending on week)
Thurs: Shoulders/Arms
Fri:  Off
Sat:  Sprint Workout A or B
Sun:  Off


OR:

Upper/Lower Split (1 Sprint Workout, 1 RHC workout)

Mon:  Upper Body
Tues:  Lower Body
Wed:  Real, Honest Cardio
Thurs: Off
Fri:  Upper Body
Sat:  Sprint Workout A or B
Sun:  Off


Upper/Lower Split (2 Sprint Workouts)

Mon:  Upper Body
Tues:  Lower Body
Wed:  Real, Honest Cardio
Thurs: Off
Fri:  Upper Body
Sat:  Sprint Workout A or B
Sun:  Off

Sprint hard and consistently and your body will reward you with a leaner and more athletic physique.  All you need is a good pair of lightweight running shoes and a stopwatch.  The track is waiting for you.