Love Your BOOTY Workout

Hi friends! Happy Valentine’s Day! Are you doing anything fun to celebrate? If you’re looking for last-minute dinner or dessert ideas, here are some of my faves: celebration ideas, fitness gifts, and a Valentine’s workout + playlist. This paleo almond butter lava cake is toooooo diiieeeee forrrrr, too.

I’ve been enjoying the holiday with the girls – we spent the morning at the Children’s Museum – and the Pilot surprised me with some roses from one of our favorite flower shops. (If you’re in San Diego, it’s Fantasia Floral in OB!)

 

Today, I have an all-new workout for you: a lower body workout focusing on booty! I was trying to think of a fun workout theme for Valentine’s Day and decided to create on for a muscle group that gets a lot of hype: the peach emoji.

Here’s an intense and sweaty booty workout with some of my all-time favorite exercises. It combines HIIT intervals with strength training moves to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time, and build some beautiful lean muscle.

Here’s what the workout looks like:

Form cues and tips:

Walking lunge with leg raise – For your lunge setup, make sure your feet are hip distance apart, and think about sinking down instead of forward as you lunge. Watch the front knee to make sure it doesn’t extend past your toes. When you lift up to come to standing and switch legs, lift the back leg up behind you (squeeze your booty!) before bringing it forward.

Donkey kick with band – Keep the band two inches above your knees and come onto all fours, with hands stacked under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Gaze down towards the floor so your neck stays long. Keep your knee bent, and contract your glutes to lift one leg off the floor, pressing your heel towards the ceiling. With control, lower down and exhale to lift back up. Keep both hips pointing down towards the floor. 

Step-up – Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand about a foot behind a sturdy bench. Step one foot flat onto the bench (so your entire foot is planted on there) and exhale to bring your opposite foot onto the bench next to it. Tap that foot back down to the floor an exhale to come back up. Complete 45 seconds on one side before switching to the other side. For additional challenge: hold a heavier pair of dumbbells, and come into a knee raise at the top, so you’re balancing on one leg. Modify: do weighted squats instead.

Hip raise with band – Start on your back with legs bent and feet flat on the floor (or on a bench for an extra challenge), and the loop two inches above your knees. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips, keeping your upper back pressing into the floor. Lower down towards the floor (don’t touch it!) and exhale to rise back up. After 

Ball slam side to side – Hold a medicine ball overhead, standing with your feet hip width apart. Rotate to the left and slam it on the ground. Catch it on the bounce, lift it back overhead and rotate to slam it on the right. Make sure that you land LOW with this exercise. The goal is to create as much height dynamic as you can, and exhale on the slam, tightening your core. For even more excitement, rise up on your toes as you bring the ball overhead.

Single leg weight tap and reach – Place a dumbbell on the floor about 3 feet in front of you. Lift one leg off the ground, and take a deep bend in the other leg so you can hinge forward and grab the weight with your opposite hand. Rise up and bring the lifted knee in towards your chest as you press the weight overhead. Place the weight back down the same way you came up. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the opposite side. 

Sit squat – Stand in front of a chair or a bench, with the chair or bench about 2-3 feet behind you. Make sure your feet are underneath your shoulders (hip width or slightly wider is good) and toes slightly turned out. Focus on sitting back, while keeping your chest lifted and a tight core. Inhale to lower to touch your booty to the chair, exhale to rise. For an extra challenge, do this on one leg with the opposite leg extended in front of you (like in the photo above).

Double pulse squat jump – Sink into a squat position (booty LOW and back), pulse twice, then power through your heels, spring up, reaching your arms towards the ceiling. Land with a soft knee. Keep your abs engaged and chest lifted. 

Please let me know if you give it a try!

What’s your favorite Valentine’s dessert or meal? Fave booty exercise?

xo

Gina

Wearing: Fabletics tank and leggings with Lorna Jane wrap

Nike shoes (on sale!)

Photos: Lindsay Colson

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