Australian weightlifter, personal trainer, and busy mom Stephanie Sanzo is known for staying in shape while balancing family life, so when it comes to firming her glutes, the buff beauty finds success in simple workouts that require maximum effort. Recently, Sanzo shared her booty building process on social media, so that others can work towards their own glute gains.
The workout, shared with Sanzo’s 3.3 million followers on Instagram, had viewers understandably inspired to replicate her reps. “Steph proving that muscles don’t take away from femininity,” wrote one user. “The best,” added another,” and “Saved” wrote yet another fired-up follower. Here’s how to try it for yourself.
Stephanie Sanzo’s Glue Focused Workout
Standing Hip Thrust Machine: 3 sets, 20, 15, 10 reps
Barbell Hip Thrust: 3 sets, 10 reps
Rack-Supported Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets, 12 reps
Hip Abduction Machine: 3 sets, 15 reps
Bench Supported Single Leg Dumbbell RDLs: 3 sets, 20 reps
Understanding that muscles grow by adapting to progressive overload, Sanzo uses her rep scheme to aim for hypertrophy, starting out with a taxing drop tri-set that sets the bar for what’s to come. The standing hip thrusts, targeting the glutes and hamstrings include 35 reps across three sets.
From then on, each exercise takes in three sets with a short rest allowed, and that’s just as well, because the reps rise all the way to 60 by the time Sanzo reaches the RDL finisher. Note: If your gym doesn’t have a standing hip thrust machine, the coach suggests standing cable pull throughs as a similar alternative.
Second-up is the traditional barbell hip thrust, building glute strength and mass with the support of a bench for her upper body and hitting a straight line at the top of the lift. The third move is the rack supported dumbbell Bulgarian split squat. The purpose of using the rack, or anything else available for support, is that this helps to isolate the lower body and require less muscle recruitment from the upper body for balance. Of course, Sanzo characteristically ups the intensity by adding dumbbells, hammering the glutes, pelvis, and hamstrings as she goes.
Moving back to the machines for her fourth exercise, Sanzo sits down on the hip abduction machine to work the outer hips in a way that is difficult to achieve with free weights. Stronger hip abductors improve stability in the core and pelvis, aiding mobility and making other glute exercises easier to execute. Also, adding mass to the outer hip region muscles, like the gluteus medius, will help to add some roundness to your rear.
For her finisher, Sanzo leaves it all in the gym with three heavy sets of bench supported dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts. Keeping her legs straight, the fit female contracts her glutes and core as she crushes each lift, blasting her glutes and hamstrings before hitting a well-earned shower.
If you’re chasing a simple glute focused workout that will leave you feeling the burn, this one’s for you.
To follow Stephanie Sanzo on Instagram, click here.
