BUTTS & GUTS | WEEK 31 | 07/25/2021
Butts and Guts is posted once a week, on Sundays. These workouts are for anyone who wants more work on the posterior and midline and can be added in whatever day makes most sense for you!
We typically suggest that when you add this workout in to the regular program - or even to one of the other accessory workouts - to treat it as a finisher as opposed to doing it before. You can find suggestions for which workouts the Butts and Guts workouts will fit in with best in the write ups for Program A, B, and C each week!
WARM UP
LOWER BODY DUMBBELL WARM UP
WORKOUT
5 Rounds (Rest 30 seconds between movements)
5 x 4 Back & Forth Goblet Lunges* (20 Lunges Total)
12 DB/KB Waiter Squat, Right
12 DB/KB Waiter Squat, Left
30 Sec Elbow Plank 1-2 Steps
*4 Back & Forth Goblet Lunges = 2 Forward Lunges + 2 Backward Lunges
Suggested Weight
Men: 40-55# DB/KB
Women: 25-35# DB/KB
Score: Weight Used
COACHES NOTES
Each round should take an average of 4 minutes. The back and forth lunges are pretty much just two walking lunges forward and then two walking lunges backward. You'll do the 5 times for a total of 20 lunges. The Waiter Squat is a single-side weighted squat. Be sure to watch the video and/or read the written description for the Elbow Plank 1-2 Steps so you know how to do those!
BACK & FORTH GOBLET LUNGE
Hold a DB or KB at your chest. Keep your chest up, belly tight and shoulders back. Step forward with one leg. Make sure you take a long enough step forward with the front leg so that your heel can be down on the front foot when the back knee GENTLY touches the ground. Once the knee touches, bring the back foot forward and stand all the way up. Then step forward again, this time with the opposite leg. Same thing - step the back leg forward to come to standing. Then you'll step back with one leg. Make sure you take a long enough step backward with the rear leg so that your heel can be down on the front foot when the back knee GENTLY touches the ground. Bring your front leg back and stand all the way. Then repeat on the opposite leg. You should finish in the same place you started. That's one rep. Do that 5 times.
WAITER SQUAT
Hold your DB/KB on one shoulder. Feet are shoulder width apart with the heels down. Stand tall and tighten your belly. Reach the butt back and down while driving the knees out. Keep the chest lifted and belly tight. Keep going down until the butt is lower than the knees. Do not allow yourself to collapse, round your back, or plop at the bottom. In the bottom position the heels should be down, knees out, and chest up!
ELBOW PLANK 1-2 STEPS
Get into an elbow plank position - propped up on your forearms and toes. Make sure your belly, butt, and quads are squeezed tight so that your hips stay in line with your shoulders. From here, step out a few inches with your right foot and then step a few inches out with your left foot. Then step back in with the right, then back in with the left. You should be in the same position you started in. Continue stepping out-out-in-in until 30 seconds are up!
DB/Back/Front/Air Squat
If you have a hard time maintaining control and a stable midline in the bottom of the squat or if you find yourself bearing down to get out of the bottom, try subbing a target or assisted squat to shorten the range of motion. A box squat is always a great idea especially during pregnancy to strengthen the posterior chain and balance out the growing belly.
Lunge
If you have any pubic symphysis pain or SPD focus on keeping your pelvis neutral and your hips level. You could always do lighter weight, smaller step/less range of motion, or step up or forward instead of step back in the lunge lunge.
You can also try stepping laterally onto a stack of plates or something instead of stepping back or up, sometimes this helps create some control in managing the position of the pelvis. Feel free to sub a squat or goblet squat for the lunges.
Plank Hold
Pay attention to any coning or doming in your belly and try adjusting your posture, breath, or tension strategies. You can always modify with an Elevated Plank Hold, Bear Hold, or Overhead Plate Hold. You could also do a shorter timed set or certain number of reps/distance of Waiter Walks, Farmer Carry/March, or Bear Crawl. See the Mama Modifications Movement Library for demos.