Let's focus on your Glutes ;-)

Not only are glutes apparently 'on trend' right now, they also make for a strong, healthy and pain free body!

Women especially are very much at risk of having under developed glutes because we wear high heels.  Although high heels do a lot to make us feel sexy, they actually bring our weight forward to the balls of our feet, causing us to make every movement a knee dominant one, rather than a hip dominate one (**knee dominant movements predominantly use Quads and Hip Dominant movements predominantly use gluten and hamstrings).  Combine this with lots of sitting in chairs and you have yourself a very under-active and potentially weak Gluteus Maximus or worse, a saggy bum.

So, here are my 5 top tips to grow beautiful and strong glutes!

1. Low reps AND High Reps - The gluteal muscles are predominantly slow type fibres, meaning they do respond to high rep training. However they are made up of about 32% fast twitch fibres, which means that you need to include some low rep, heavy weight exercises to the routine if you really want to see them grow.
   
   Start with heavy weight compound movements first, such as Dead lifts and Barbell glutes bridges, then finish your workout with some more isolated movements such as Reverse Hypers on a swiss ball to get blood into the muscle and increase the 'pump'.
    
2. Do the Barbell Glute Bridge (variation pictured above). It was made famous by Bret Contreas (the glute guy).
   
   It's definitely one to get into your program and one that has certainly made a difference in the development of my derriere.  Contreas says; “When the knees stay bent, the hamstrings are placed in “active insufficiency,” which means that they’re shortened and cannot contract with maximal force.  Since the hamstrings can’t produce sufficient force, more work is placed upon the gluten to get the job done.  This is why bent legged hip extension exercises such as bridge patterns work so well in hammering the glutes.”
    
3. Eat Well, and enough.  Starving yourself or even eating low nutrient quality foods is not going to help you put some junk in that trunk.  When I say junk, I'm talking about the good type - not the dimply type.  Cellulite, although caused by a number of factors including hormones, is also caused by toxicity build up.  Getting alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and processed foods out of your diet can make a HUGE difference.  We want peaches back there, not oranges.
    
4. uscle Growth takes time and consistency.  The odd kick back is not going to get you anywhere.  If you want growth of the muscle you also need to consider the progressive overload principle of training.
   
   Progressive overload is simply the principle of doing 'more' over time.  However, that 'more' can have so many different variables, from more weight, to more reps, to just more complex movement patterns.  If you're not changing the program and increasing the difficulty in some way (with perfect form of course) you won't really see a change.  This is where a really good, programming Personal Trainer will be able to help you out.
    
5. Activate the Glutes before you begin a leg workout.  You simply have to wake them up.  Especially if you spend all day sitting on your butt, you can't just expect it to turn on when you hear gym music.
   
   The gluteals need to be activated with specific, isolated movements.  Clams with resistant bands, band walks, body weight glute bridges are all great recipes for a highly alert buttocks!

So let's focus on your gluten this week.  Let us know how you get on :-)

Happy Training.

Shona Vertue x

#respectyourtemple

Comfort zones and growth

Before you read this, just take a second to evaluate where you are on a scale of 1-10 with regards to getting out of your comfort zone?  Don't take too long, but evaluate where you are.  Got your score?  Great, lets crack on then!

So everyone’s heard of the Comfort Zone.  It’s that place where we don’t feel pushed or stressed by an activity or situation.  We handle it with ease and it’s where some people assume they do their best work.

So what does your comfort zone really look and FEEL like?  After you’ve read this paragraph, close your eyes and see if you can GO to your comfort zone.  Pay attention to the colours that predominate, the sounds that you might hear, the smells that might be present.  What does the place look like?  What do you see?  Is there anyone or anything else there.  What’s the temperature?  Indulge yourself and really take a moment to enjoy what this feels like.  OK, so off you go, close your eyes.  Stay there for as long as you like.  Then come back to me :-)

So how do you feel right now?  I bet you feel quite centred and relaxed and that's because being in your comfort zone is a good thing.  I’m not going to tell you it’s not.  The thing is, life is all about balance.  We NEED comfort in our lives, but we also need to feel stretched and pushed.  That’s right, it’s not just a "nice to have" or an option, we actually NEED to feel challenged.  It’s what creates growth and is part of feeling fulfilled and happy.

Tony Robins (widely considered to be one of the best coaches on the planet) refers to this as the human paradox.  We have a NEED for CERTAINTY and a NEED for UNCERTAINTY.

Reflect on this for a moment and let it resonate with you.  If this is a revelation for you - enjoy the insight and get ready to understand how we can actually enjoy this process, because whilst your comfort zone is great, it’s when we get outside of this area that the magic happens.

The key to getting outside involves a number of things based on your current situation.  The mere thought of getting out of your comfort zone can feel quite exciting to one person and yet fill another with dread and fear.  This is based on how you define these actions internally in the theatre of your mind, and how you anchor them to past experiences.

Moving outside is a bit like stretching your muscles.  If you aren’t used to it you should start gently and gradually.  As time goes on you will start to feel the benefits and can go a little further.  Over time you will suddenly realise that you are so far removed from where you were that it’s miraculous!

This applies to your personal situation as well as your career.  How many people do you know (perhaps even yourself) who have been made redundant only to find that they land a better job?  How many time in your life have you eventually been forced to take action on something only to find that things were better after you did?  You see your comfort zone can be a death rattle for progress if you're not careful.  We recommend you regularly take time to evaluate where you are and make plans to stretch yourself and grow.  Just small steps can expand your zone sufficiently to achieve growth.

The Strength Temple Mindfulness Pilar deals extensively with techniques to move you to a wider comfort zone in a staged way.  If you’d like to hear more let us send you cool stuff here.  We’ll let you know when our online program is ready to rock your world and take you to a whole new destination within your expanded comfort zone.

In the mean time, let’s revisit how you feel about the thought of pushing yourself and getting out of your comfort zone; are you motivated?  On that scale of 1-10 where are you now?

We always say at The Strength Temple that you should never leave an empowering thought or insight without taking action to progress what you’ve learned.  Why don’t you make some plans right now to do that little thing that expands your comfort zone.

With love from The Strength Temple.

#respectyourtemple