Former Women’s Physique Olympia champion Dana Linn Bailey met with Olympia Wellness athlete Yarishna Ayala at Lee Labrada Gym in Montgomery County, TX, for a heavy glute workout. Bailey has some of the best shoulders in the sport, while Ayala has some of the best glutes. Ayala believes more people should break their leg training into multiple sessions for optimum development.
I had [Yarishna Ayala] take me through her typical glute workout. She is so strong!
Bailey trained legs earlier in the day but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hit glutes with Ayala. Check out their workout in the video below published on Bailey’s YouTube Channel on Aug. 29, 2022:
[Related: Hunter Labrada Talks Best Chest Exercises for Growth, Fixing Muscle Imbalances, and More]
Thigh Abduction Machine & Hip Thrusts
The day’s first exercise was the tried and true thigh abduction machine. It helped warm up their glutes and hips for heavier compound movements to come. They performed four working sets for eight paused reps each. Reps were held for four seconds at peak contraction.
The second movement was the hip thrust performed in the Smith machine. They did four working sets of 12 reps with a four-second eccentric per repetition. They held a squeeze at the top of each rep for two seconds.
Time under tension makes it so that you don’t have to put on a thousand plates.
Paused reps can aid growth as it increases the cumulative amount of time stimulating the muscles. Ayala stuck with one 45-pound weight plate on each side, but Bailey worked her way up to three plates on each side for the 12 reps. Bailey’s power-building style was certainly on display.
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{Related: Big Ramy Machine Presses 440 Pounds for Reps During Olympia Prep With Bodybuilder Dennis James]
Sumo Pit Shark & Reverse Hack Sled
The third movement was a sumo variation of the squat in a pit shark — a belted squat machine that emphasizes more time under tension while removing strain from the joints. The sumo stance allows for a more glute-biased squat. They performed four sets of 10 reps with a three-second eccentric.
They followed that with hamstring and glute-biased reverse hack squats. They maintained a foot placement toward the bottom of the base so they could stabilize themselves while sending their hips back with each rep.
They performed four sets of eight reps with a three-second eccentric, a three-second hold at the bottom while maximizing the stretch in the glutes, and then exploded through the concentric.
Pendulum Squat & Leg Press
Next up was the pendulum squat. Ayala and Bailey each performed four sets of 10 slow and controlled reps to keep tension on the glutes. They did not slow down with the volume or weight, as the sixth movement was a classic leg press.
Ayala and Bailey hit four sets of 10-12 repetitions with a two-second pause at the bottom of each rep. Bailey emphasized that every rep of every set was slow and controlled — no muscling of the weight around; momentum need not apply.
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[Related: Urs Kalecinski Looks Absolutely Stacked at the Start of His 2022 Classic Physique Olympia Prep]
Walking Lunges
Bodyweight walking lunges closed out their session. Their legs were toasted at this point, but the high-volume bodyweight work to train the glutes in the lengthened position helps to dial in the details. Each bodybuilder performed three sets of thirty reps with a pause at the bottom.
Ayala and Bailey’s Glute-Focused Leg Workout
Below are the exercises performed by Ayala and Bailey during their workout:
- Thigh Abduction Machine
- Hip Thrusts
- Sumo Pit Shark Squats
- Reverse Hack Squats
- Pendulum Squats
- Leg Press
- Walking Lunges
Bailey is currently on a hiatus from competitive bodybuilding and did not state in this video if there were any current plans for her return. She could return to the Olympia stage at any time in the Women’s Physique division as she holds a lifetime invite as a former Olympia champion.
Ayala continues to improve her physique as she is slated to return to the 2022 Olympia in the Wellness division with the target of ranking higher than her fourth-place finish in 2021.
Featured image: @yarishna on Instagram
