KMB: Tailored Health & Fitness
For many years, a common issue I see and hear is that someone’s glutes feel dead, are unresponsive to growth and/or are in pain. In my opinion, the glutes were never properly introduced to exercise, forcing the butt to be in a chronic state of inhibition (aka Dead or Sleepy Butt Syndrome).
Typically, because of the lack of knowledge on how to train the lower body correctly, quads become overdeveloped, and the hamstrings are underdeveloped, which causes the exerciser to never “feel” the soreness or activation in the glutes – this is a problem. What’s an even bigger problem is that the glutes are rarely trained correctly.
Believe it or not, the glute muscles – which are three in total – make up one of the largest muscle groups in the human body. These powerful muscles play an important role in supporting you when you stand, walk, run and step.
From my experience of over 30 years of fitness bliss and learning, the “mind-to-muscle” connection has never been found during normal waking hours nor training sessions.
It’s kind of a funny story, but I was introduced to a sprint coach in 2012 when I decided to start racing in the Masters USATF sprint events. My track coach met me on the first day of track practice and had me do a few drills for a bit, then proceeded to tell me the following:
“Monica, I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time and, in fact, have this Muscle & Fitness Magazine for you to sign for me, and I know you have been ‘known’ in the fitness industry for your glutes, but I have to be honest and let you know you have very weak glutes.”
I suppose you can see why this stood out to me and created a fever in me to figure out how to strengthen my glutes. Over the last 10 years, I’ve discovered a method that allows me to incorporate my glutes daily, and when I train them, I can connect with them immediately and ensure my training is effective.
With all of this in mind, I never let an opportunity to learn more from other knowledgeable coaches go to waste. In fact, this was the very idea that I took to Austin Fit Magazine around 2008 when I brought the idea of Kick Mo’s Butt to them, and we agreed to run the features for a solid three years straight and now again for 2021.
Let me confess, this month’s KMB session was developed with an ulterior motive by me. After all, who doesn’t like a great glute workout? Now, we will all have a new session to incorporate into the routines!
And if you love it, be sure to head over to Gym One and let Jonny Catanzano personally put you through a few sessions or more.
Jonny has an extensive resume of certifications to utilize for any needs as well as a fun personality complete with a large smile for all. His energy is on, and he walks the talk with a newly acquired IFBB Pro status in the Classic Physique category.
I recently invited Jonny to be a guest on my show, The Monica Brant Show. You can find his interview soon on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MonicaBrantFanTV.
Now, for the information I know you are hungry to have – the workout!
Jonny set up six exercises:
- Seated Leg Curl
- Hex Bar- Single leg ‘sprint’ stance
- Glute Bridges
- Glute Biased Barbell Squat
- Hyper Extension machine with Glute Biased
- Cable Kickbacks with Angle
All exercises incorporated two easy/light sets for a warm up followed by two to three work sets of 10 to 12 reps.
With my canine, Camy the Doxie, we started the session, and Jonny gave specific instructions on how to maneuver through the exercise – when to pause and how to think about the exercise to gain the most from each movement.
I have personally used some of the exercises, such as the glute bridges and hyperextension movement. However, the cable kickback with angle was different and gave me a new appreciation for cables.
I believe the hex bar is one of the handiest tools anyone can use, because it helps the user maintain form and can be an easy tool for multiple exercises. Personally, I appreciate the hex bar and now have a brand-new exercise that is “sprint” related!
We had a laugh when the guys near us were dropping their heavy Olympic-style bar and the clanging made Camy scared so I decided she would make a great weight for my glute bridges to help keep her calm. Side note: you can do these at home with your child or dog if you can keep them on your hips!
In closing, I was sore the next day in all the right places and have been enjoying a new glute recipe.
Give Jonny a try if you are looking for some extra help. He can work with all shapes and sizes. Plus, if you are ready to take your training to the next level and step on stage, he can help with that too.
Stay fit and love life!
Monica Brant
