According to NPC News Online, Bikini bodybuilders are judged on a balance of muscularity that “gives shape to the female body,” including slight roundness of the delts and “full round glutes with a slight separation between the hamstring and glute area.” Although Bikini competitors are not training to be the biggest or most conditioned compared to other divisions, they still train hard to dial in the tight physiques expected on a pro stage.
In a video published to YouTube on Oct. 6, 2023, pro bodybuilders Aimee Delgado and Phoebe Hagan, who ranked sixth and seventh at the 2022 Bikini Olympia, respectively, shared their high-volume glute training at the Dragon’s Lair Gym in Las Vegas, NV, five and a half weeks out of the 2023 Olympia, scheduled for Nov. 2-5, 2023. Check out the video below, courtesy of Hagan’s YouTube channel:
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Phoebe Hagan & Aimee Delgado’s Leg Workout
Here is a summary of the two Bikini athletes’ glute workout:
- Barbell Romanian Deadlift
- Machine Hip Thrust
- Abductors
- Smith Machine Deadlift
- Cable Glute Kickback
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Barbell Romanian Deadlift
The Olympia-qualified duo opened with barbell Romanian deadlifts. They placed their toes and balls of their feet on a squat wedge and used slow eccentrics through their full ranges of motion to achieve a deep stretch at the bottom of each rep.
A meta-analysis conducted by the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that “Eccentric training performed at high intensities is more effective in promoting increases in muscle mass measured as muscle girth.” (1) In simpler terms, training the hamstrings in their fully lengthened position is likely to pay hypertrophy dividends, hence the emphasis on a loaded, deep strength.
Machine Hip Thrust
Delgado and Hagan moved onto machine hip thrusts to isolate their glutes. Hagan maintained a slower tempo, developing a mind-muscle connection that will enable her to better load the glutes each rep. She paused at the top in the fully shortened position, fully contracting the glutes.
Delgado and Hagan use a similar training split leading to the Olympia: glutes twice per week and quads, back, and shoulders once per week. Hagan finds establishing a mind-muscle connection in training more challenging on a low-carb diet. Muscle pumps during training are used as a gauge for adding or decreasing carb consumption.
Abductor Machine, Smith Machine Deadlift, & Cable Glute Kickback
The Bikini bodybuilders used the abductor machine to bias the gluteus medius and minimus. They wrapped one end of a resistance band across their upper back and the other around the machine’s weight stack at chest height. Delgado and Hagan superset the abductor machine with banded hip extensions while remaining seated.
Smith machine deadlifts with a wider-than-shoulder-width stance to bias the gluteus Maximus followed. Slower eccentrics were utilized to ensure that the weight was loaded on the glutes.
Hagan and Delgado concluded their glute session with cable glute kickbacks. Cables keep constant tension on the target muscle throughout the range of motion — cable training has been shown to allow for a greater range of motion than non-cable training. (2)
Road To 2023 Olympia
Hagan and Delgado scored top-10 finishes at the 2022 Olympia among a stacked lineup of 54 competitors. Delgado has had a blockbuster 2023 season, with five pro show victories, including the 2023 New York Pro, 2023 Pittsburgh Pro, 2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro, 2023 Wasatch Warrior Pro, and 2023 Klash Series Championships. Hagan qualified for the 2023 Olympia by scoring gold at the 2022 Battle of Texas in December 2022. She has since trained consistently over a long offseason.
References
- Roig M, O’Brien K, Kirk G, et al. The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2009;43(8):556-568. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2008.051417
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Signorile, J. F., Rendos, N. K., Heredia Vargas, H. H., Alipio, T. C., Regis, R. C., Eltoukhy, M. M., Nargund, R. S., & Romero, M. A. (2017). Differences in Muscle Activation and Kinematics Between Cable-Based and Selectorized Weight Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(2), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001493
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