Burn Fat and Grow Your Glutes with This Free, At Home Workout Video

This Low Impact Cardio and Glute Workout is one of my favorite lower body workouts for those days when you’re either hitting legs for the second time that week, or you need a little extra recovery. You’ll get your heart rate up without the relentless pounding on the joints that you might feel on a run or with lower body plyo movements. Plus, you’ll work your glute muscles with specifically targeted exercises in between – no equipment necessary!

Low Impact Cardio – what it is and why it’s so great

You’ve likely heard of HIIT – high intensity interval training. It’s been a hot fitness trend for a while now and for good reason. But, you don’t always need to put your body through the challenge of a really intense workout. In fact, low impact cardio might be just the thing you need to make the most of your well rounded exercise routine.

Low impact cardio is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a form of cardiovascular training that low-load/low-weight bearing. It doesn’t place a lot of pressure on your joints – from your ankles, to your knees, to your hips, to your shoulders. And whether you’re an adrenaline junky, a body building queen or a yoga goddess, low impact can work for you.

Low impact cardio is especially beneficial for you if you have prior injuries, or you’re just getting started and high impact exercises (think running and plyometrics), aren’t for you. You’ll still benefit from the heart-rate-revving benefits!

A Glute Workout for the Booty Building Win

Strong, toned glutes don’t just look good in tight jeans. Glutes are the largest, and one of the most powerful muscles in your body. Dialing in your focus to specifically target your glute muscle, and really the whole posterior chain, benefits you in so many ways. Think…

Increased total body strength. No matter your fitness level – glute strength is important. It such a big muscle, involved in so many exercises, that to ignore it’s importance is silly. Obviously strong glutes help you improve lower body exercises like squats, deadlifts and lunges. But think about upper body exercises that also use your glutes. Bent over rows and tricep kickbacks both require your glutes to hold you steady. Push presses and even planks require strength, stability and control from your booty.

Reduced back pain. Your glutes involve themselves in every lower body movement you make for good reason. From walking, to taking the stairs, to sitting, to kicking a ball – your glutes play a key role. Weak glutes force other muscles to work in ways they shouldn’t be, including your lower back. Strong glutes and hips on the other hand, support your back and all lower body movements.

Improved posture and stability. Since your glutes are considered part of your core, it makes sense that they are also involved in posture and stability. Strengthening your glutes helps to support your spine and hips, improving posture and preventing slouching.

Stronger movement patterns. One of the reasons I’m such a stickler with my clients about form, is because if good form is your comfort zone, then your body will always want to fall back into that movement pattern, no matter the force or intensity of the lift. Strong glutes help to correct and maintain muscle imbalances and movement imbalances in your lower half. Absolutely key for strength and general health!

If good form is your comfort zone, then your body will always want to fall back into that movement pattern, no matter the force or intensity of the lift.

Improved athletic performance

The exercises in this video are what I like to think of as support leg exercises. They’ll absolutely help you tone and tighten, but don’t skip out on the big lifts like squats, deadlifts and hip thrusts!

Add Ankle Weights to Increase the Challenge

I’m all for getting the most bang for your buck. Which means that if I can throw in an ankle weight to a bodyweight glute workout? I’m going to do it!

Ankle weights are perfect for this particular glute workout because all of your strength exercises will be floor-based. Kickbacks, Fire Hydrants, Leg Lifts…

These are the kind of exercises – targeting the glutes and hips – that benefit the most from added weight around the ankles. Your muscles have to work just a bit harder to move the load against gravity which in turn, builds muscle and increases strength.

Low Impact Cardio and Glute Workout

Here we go!

Equipment needed: ankle weights if you have them/want to use them otherwise, all you need to get this kick butt workout going is a matt.

We start with a quick warm up of light cardio (brief), and dynamic movement.

The workout itself is made up of 3 circuits, totally just 30 minutes. We’ll rest after each low impact cardio interval. We won’t rest in between glute exercises. The goal is to increase the challenge and improve muscular endurance.

Follow along from start to finish for the best workout!