| Detail July 1, 2004
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Christy Wolfe uses an
effective weight-training program to shape her body exactly the way she wants.
(photo July 2003 by Doug Schneider) |
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Real Reps, Real Routines: Christy
Wolfe's Great Glute Workout
The number-one body part women want to improve is their
butt -- even someone with an award-winning physique like Western Ontario Figure Champion
Christy Wolfe. Christy has been competing for three years and has worked hard toning and
shaping her nether region.
"After I leaned down for my first competitions I
noticed from my physique pictures that my butt had disappeared," says Christy.
"I had literally worked it off!"
Christy decided to refocus her attention and developed a
weekly routine that brought her tremendous results. It's a routine that demands hard work
and persistence because the butt contains one of the body's largest and strongest muscles
-- the gluteus maximus -- along with the gluteus medius and minimus. In gym-speak, simply the
glutes.
"Originally I was working my legs once a week, and now
I work my legs twice a week with at least a day's rest in-between. To put it simply, the
first leg workout is with heavy weight and low reps and a focus on doing the exercises
until exhaustion. On the second day I use medium weights with higher reps and I do the
exercises until the muscles burn."
Christy's weekly workout
Smith-machine squats
Day 1: 4 sets, 8-12 reps, heavy weight
Day 2: 4 sets, 15-20 reps, moderate weight
Christy’s hint: "With squats I focus on going
down to just below 90 degrees and focusing on pushing up with my heels. As I rise I focus
on squeezing my butt. I also start with the lowest reps and heaviest weight and then
decrease the weight while increasing reps for the next three sets."
Leg press
Day 1: 4 sets, 8-12 reps, heavy weight
Day 2: 4 sets, 15-20 reps, moderate weight
Christy’s hint: "I contract my butt as I
straighten my legs and keep my hips and ankles in a straight line. Like squats, I start
with the lowest reps and heaviest weight and then decrease the weight while increasing
reps for the next three sets."
Cable kickbacks (using pulley system, ankle hooked in
cable, pulling to the rear)
Day 1: 4 sets, 15-20 reps, moderate weight
Day 2: 4 sets, 15-20 reps, moderate weight
Christy’s hint: "I never use heavy weights with
kickbacks because I need to keep my focus on form. I use the same weights for both
days."
Deadlifts
Day 1: 4 sets, 12-15 reps, moderate weight
Day 2: 4 sets, 12-15 reps, moderate weight
Christy’s hint: "I focus on keeping legs
straight, chest up and open, and head up, and I do each rep very slowly."
Christy's final secret to great glutes
Christy does six to seven cardio sessions each week, and
during each one she takes five to ten minutes to work her butt specifically. Christy says,
"If I'm on the treadmill, at the end of the workout I'll reduce the speed to a very
slow walking pace and do walking lunges. The lunge is a great exercise for every leg
muscle. I concentrate on pushing up with my heels and keeping the knee over the foot. Or
I'll use the 'gauntlet machine' and alternate walking up every step with every second step
in one-minute intervals. I do this very slowly and keep it controlled."
Christy also wants to remind people that these aren't the
only exercises she uses for her legs; these are just the ones that affect her glutes. On
leg-training day she still does exercises to work her calves, hamstrings, and quads
for complete lower-body development.
"It's been a lot of work but definitely worth it. It
took one month before I really noticed a difference," says Christy. The results show!
...Alison Aulph
alison@seriousaboutfitness.com |
