This lower body hip and butt workout routine uses active techniques to open all the stuff on the front side of the hip and strengthen all the stuff in the back.
We wanted to put together something comprehensive for everyone during these crazy times to improve their movement, learn, and have a little fun along the way.
Sitting or more accurately inactivity can lead to loss of range of motion. We lose the ability to move into certain positions.
Make sure you work on long exhales when getting into the stretches. Stay long in the spine while letting your exhales bring your ribcage down and in feeling your lower abs turn on.
Spending 2 minutes in the stretch then 2-3 rounds of PAILs/RAILs would be the goal but you can build there slowly by just spending 30 seconds and a few PAILs contractions. Not sure what PAILs/RAILs are? Here’s our FAQ.
This lower body workout routine can and should be done in a progressive manner starting safely within your current capacities. Progressive means also mean more than once. We suggest 1-2 times a week for 4 weeks.
The best adaptions never happen overnight.
1) Firstly, Open up the hip flexors and gain control over glutes.
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2) Lengthen the quads and find the hamstrings.
3) Own hip extension actively while strengthening end-range hip flexion on the return.
4) Challenge your core and glutes by going directly against gravity for hip extension. Ankle weights can be used if control is there. 5-10 Reps as slow as you can go. Hold “kickback” or hip extension position for 10 seconds every time you get there as another progression. If you want a hamstring focus put a lacrosse ball behind the knee maintain it by squeezing the hamstring throughout the entire rep.
5) In order to lock in the changes of the quad stretch we also want to train the hamstring in its shortest range. These will be fun if you have never done them haha. Let me know in the comments. 5 reps of 10 second holds. This can be done standing, side-lying, or in a lunge. Use a towel around the foot if reaching your foot makes your spine all over the place.
Hamstring Strengthening Exercise
6. Now we lock in the full range of motion. If you are feeling spicy do both. If you do not have sliders do the glute bridge. Sliders will be 6 reps of 10 seconds. As a progression, you can keep hips high and come back or as a regression drop to the ground and assist back for the next rep. For the glute bridge pick 5/6 spots to do 10-30 seconds at.
Hamstring Sliders or Isometric Glute Bridge
7. Lastly, lock it all in with strength through the entire chain. It is time to connect the foot! We have two strength exercises to finish this lower body workout. You can do them both or only one. Options are endless meaning 1 sets of 10 reps each is a good start and eventually getting 3 sets of each with weight would be awesome. Progress slowly as you return to this lower body workout.
8) To finish we breathe. Lay flat on your back or in the most comfortable position you can. Set a timer for 8 minutes. Every breath is in through the nose. Emphasize feeling up your ribs side to side or east and west. Ensure air is also filling up your upper back like a turtle shell on inhales. Follow the template.
1-2 minutes in for 6 out for 6
3-4 minutes in 5 out for 8
5-6 minutes in for 2 out for 8
7-8 Perform two breath holds completely empty. Take 3 full breaths in between the two holds.
You should feel pretty damn good right about then. Well done.
If you know someone who would benefit from this lower body workout feel free to share it with them. The healthier we all are the better we will fight anything together.
Lower body workouts like these will be part of our new Elite Video Membership that we are working on now and will be available soon.
We also offer individual programmings.
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