IFBB Bikini competitor Daraja Weidemoyer is prepping with “Team Pro Physique” owner and head coach Paul Revelia for her return to the Olympia stage in 2023. Weidemoyer has competed at the Olympia on three previous occasions since turning pro in 2019.
In 2022, Weidemoyer scored the best Olympia finish of her career thus far — fourth place overall behind reigning Bikini Olympia champion Maureen Blanquisco, 2021 Bikini Olympia champion Jennifer Dorie, and three-time Bikini Olympia champion Ashley Kaltwasser. On June 23, 2023, Revelia published a video on his YouTube channel wherein he guided Weidemoyer through an intense glute workout. Check it out below:
The criteria for the Bikini division require competitors to present a toned (rather than striated) physique that demonstrates proportion, symmetry, and balance rather than being too cut or carrying too much muscle mass.
Daraja Weidemoyer’s Glute Workout
Weidemoyer’s workout in the video above was filmed at Fitness 1440 Jax in Jacksonville, FL. Below are the exercises she performed:
- Smith Machine Assisted Barbell Split Squats
- Machine Hip Thrusts
- Goblet Squats
- The Gluteator
- Hip Abductor Machine
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Smith Machine Barbell Split Squats
With a grip shoulder-width apart and her chest up, Weidemoyer lowers her back leg toward the floor while balancing the load evenly on both legs. Her range of motion was consistent, with each rep involving her front knee bending to a 90-degree angle. Once through the eccentric, Weidemoyer drives to the starting position through her front foot.
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There’s no quad flexion. There’s no travel forward or backward on the knee. All glute.
Weidemoyer trains each working set to failure. Revelia suggested using dumbbells as an alternative, depending on shoulder mobility sufficient to support a barbell.
Machine Hip Thrusts
Weidemoyer demonstrated the B-Stance sets during her hip thrust routine. B-Stance biases the weight onto one leg, isolating each glute. The major load-bearing leg’s foot is planted, driving through the heel.
Weidemoyer splits her glute training week between lateral days, comprised of isometric work, and heavy days focused on load. Weidemoyer’s glute training goals are about proportion — achieving enough size to prevent her hamstrings from being overly prominent.
Goblet Squats
In a sumo position with feet pointing out 45 degrees, Weidemoyer sinks deep into each goblet squat. Her concentric are slow and controlled to maximize her glutes’ time under tension.
With the goblets…the biggest thing is making sure your ankle and hip mobility [can] perform the range of motion properly.
To help her range of motion, Weidemoyer warms up with deep bodyweight squats.
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The Gluteator & Hip Abductor
“It works the glutes in two plains,” explained Revelia. “Instead of just going down, it goes down and back.” The line of motion on the Gluteator Glute System is designed to allow the lifter to extend and abduct the hip in the sagittal and frontal planes simultaneously.
Closing the session, Weidemoyer targets the sartorius, gluteus medius, and the tensor fasciae latae (TFL) via the hip abductor machine. Revelia aims for Weidemoyer to perform three working sets — a volume allowing enough intensity without overtraining.
Featured image: @darajaweid on Instagram
