Natalie Jill leads a bodyweight routine for glutes and thighs using Bulgarian split squats, curtsy lunges, and single-leg glute bridges. Push through your heels, keep your core tight, and add weights if you want more intensity. She wraps with basic nutrition advice and her Seven Day Jump Start program.
Questions this video answers
July 1, 2014.
Bulgarian split squat; reverse lunge with a curtsy; glute bridge (bench-supported); single-leg bridge variation.
A bench or small platform (alternatives: aerobic step, ottoman, small table or chair).
"Seven Day Jump Start" (seven days).
Chapters
Hi, guys. Natalie, Jill here. We're happy, healthy, and fit today because we are working on the thigh again. You know, that area between the butt and the thigh that we're endlessly working on, changing our legs, changing those hamstrings, working on glutes, doing a body weight exercise today, working the legs and also that the thigh. Because if we develop those glutes and we work those hamstrings, we're going to really change the appearance there. And that's what we're after, right? We all want to look good in jeans and a bathing suit, whatever. So we're using our own body weight today. All you need is a bench or a little platform. You can use a step if you have an aerobic step. You can even use an ottoman from a couch or a little table or chair if you want. But we're going to start with a Bulgarian split squat, just using our own body weight. What you're going to do, you ready? Base leg's planted forward. Your active leg is going to come back up on top of the bench. I'm using a stool here. Your hands will be out in front here on your hips either way. And we're just going to squat down. Ready here? Are you ready? All right, take it down with me. Down and back up. Now you're pushing from that base leg, from that heel. So you're feeling it in that glute. Whoop. Do your balance here. Feeling it in that glute here. Low and back up.
All of that work is on that base leg in that glute. You're also getting a nice hip flexor stretch as you're doing it. You're feeling super strong, and you want to make this harder. You can always add some hand weights and hold them here, which will make it some extra work. Let's take it down. Keep going. Always breathing through it. Your hands are down by the side or out in front here. Back straight, core tight. Working the thigh, working the glute, working that leg.
Few more here.
Last one. Hold it here. A little pulse. Ah, that burns. Little pulses here. Feeling it.
Few more.
Nice job. Whoo. Check it out. Okay, we don't want to be lopsided, so we're going to switch legs. Same thing on the other side. Ready? So other leg. Base leg. Now planted forward. The leg we just worked is going to come back. We're going to take it down. Are you ready? Take it down and up. Down and up.
Bulgarian split squats here. Working the thigh, working the glute leg.
Really feeling it down and Up. Nice job.
Few more.
Last two.
You're gonna hold it here and little pulses down. People always say, how many am I doing? How long am I doing it for? It's whatever you feel. There's no magic number. There's no magic number. Rep set, time. That's going to get you the results. It's what you feel. And I'm feeling it. Squeeze. Few more. Nice job. Shake it out. Are you feeling it or are you just watching me? Hopefully you're doing it with me and you're feeling it, too. Okay, Catch your breath. Shake it out. We're going to switch it over to a reverse lunge with a curtsy body. Little move, but we're using the bench. We're keeping it a little bit of a platform. Watch me here. Bench is here. Step up onto the bench. Base. Legs planted. Your active leg is going to come back, touch down, tap back in the middle, and then curtsy it over. Take it back. Tap, curtsy, tap. Keep going. Now, I've done these before, or if you've watched some of my other workouts, not with a bench, but by using the bench here, we're working this deeper, making it a little bit more challenging. Got this whole decline thing happening, so we're going to do it even more. Don't take a lot of these to really feel them.
Curtsy it over.
Last set on this side. Back tap over. Whoa. Shake it out. How are we feeling? I'm feeling it. All right. Switching sides. Other leg up. We're going to repeat the same thing. You can always add hand weights if you want to make it harder, but you should feel it even with your own body weight. You ready? Take it back. Tap. Curtsy it over.
Tap.
Now, if you're not feeling these, you do want to add weights or you want to add reps. You want to make sure you're feeling it.
Curtsy.
Last one.
Shake it out. Good job for doing these quick. You notice, but they're hard. They're hard work, and that's what's changing your body. That's intense for you. You want exercises that are intense for you, and that's what changes your body. Okay, moving on to another exercise. We're going to come down to the ground.
Lay on our backs, heels up on the bench, lifting up, pushing through those heels. We're doing a glute bridge. Watch me first. Squeezing up. Squeeze. And back down. Are you ready? Take it up. Squeeze and lower.
Squeeze.
Lower. Pushing through those heels, really feeling it in those hamstrings and those glutes. Squeeze.
Not an ab move here. This is a glute and hamstring move. Still working that both eye.
Feeling it. You can add a weight on those thighs if you want to make this more challenging or just using your own body weight.
One more here. We're going to hold it. Squeeze. Stay with me here. I want you to lift a leg. One leg up. I'm going to take it to lowering it. Back up. Ready? Up.
Two more here.
Nice job, Mini shakeout. Switch legs. Other leg up. Take it down and up. She's got five of these here.
Last two.
One. Squeeze.
Good job. Shake it out. Nice job, everyone. We did it. We attacked the both eye. Now, as always, what you eat plays a significant role in changing the appearance. We can work those muscles, we can change the appearance on the way the muscle is shaped, the way it looks. But if we have a layer of fat over things, we're not going to see that definition. And that's what we're after. So there's two things you can do to lose that fat. You can change your diet if you're eating natural whole real foods, but not too many of them. We're going to lose that layer. And then you want to train with intensity. Intensity for you. Whatever's getting your heart rate up, whatever's working, making you sweat. That's the intensity I'm after. You want help on the diet part? Check out my programs, especially the seven day jump start. Seven days. I teach you the habits to change your life forever. Let me know if you're in, because it works. Do my exercises, do my nutrition plan. You'll get the results. See you guys next time. Bye.
