The glutes are the muscles of your buttocks. The gluteus maximus is the largest butt muscle and it is what determines the shape of your rear. Tone your glutes on your Total Gym machine at home with exercises such as hamstring curls and squats. Be sure to actively squeeze your rear while doing any butt exercises so other muscles do not compensate for lazy glutes.
Total Gym Hamstring Curl
A classic exercise for the glutes and hamstrings is the hamstring curl. This exercise can easily be done on a Total Gym. Simply lie on your back with your head at the bottom end of the glideboard. Hook the tops of your feet under the wing accessory on the sides of the upright. Hold the ends of the board near your buttocks with your arms straight at your sides. Start with your legs straight. Then, bend your knees and slide the board toward your feet. Slide your body back to the starting position by straightening your legs. Keep your back and head flat on the board throughout the exercise.
Total Gym Squat
A squat is another popular exercise for the glutes and legs that may be modified to be performed on a Total Gym. Instead of standing up and squatting toward the floor, the Total Gym squat is done lying on the glideboard and sliding toward the floor. The standing up away from the floor portion of the exercise works your glutes. To perform the Total Gym squat, place your feet on the squat platform or foot rests on the bottom of the machine, depending on your Total Gym model, and space your feet shoulder-width apart. Lay back on the glideboard and place your hands on your hips. Squeeze your abs and relax your neck and shoulders. Do not let your shoulders creep up toward your ears. The legs start out straight. Then, bend your knees and slide the board down until your knees make right angles. Next, press through your heels and slide the board back up until you are standing.
Single-Leg Side Squat
The single-leg side squat exercise works each glute separately. Your quad and calf muscles work too. To perform this exercise, lie sideways on the glideboard with your left hip touching the board and your feet on the squat platform. Straighten your legs. Place your left elbow on the top of the board to prop your head up. Lift your left leg off the platform by bending your knee and lifting it in front of your stomach. Next, bend your right knee and slide the board toward the floor until your right quad is perpendicular to your upper body. Press your right leg straight again and squeeze your right glutes. Roll over and repeat on the other side to work your left glute.
Member Comments