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"The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. The heroic cannot be common, nor the common heroic." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

To say I was bombarded with emails after my first Gladiator Glutes article is an understatement! A slew of people emailed to say that not only are they making progress on the routine, but they want more, more, more! So, I guess I’ll continue to be a pain in the… butt. Here is part two of the Gladiator Glutes series.

The three most common questions I get are, "How do I get a flat stomach?" "How do I lose these hips?" and "How do I tighten my butt?" Every female client I've ever trained has asked me, “What do I have to do to get a great looking butt?” Not one of my male clients has ever asked me that question!

The gluteus muscles are one of the most beautiful sets of muscles in the body, yet people always seem to buy clothes with the goal of covering them. Let’s face it, we know that people are looking. So, whether you have a "flat butt," a "big butt" or "no butt," I have a routine that will kick butt!

One of the things I’ve always told my clients is that after working with me, they’ll be able to lie on the floor face down and I’ll be able to bounce a dime off their rear ends! Yes, I have that much confidence that I can help anyone get a better looking backside. However, like all good things, it does take work.

I’m providing one of my all-time favorite glute routines that works like a charm. Hopefully, you’ll have trouble sitting down the next day. If you perform this routine correctly and with the proper consistency and intensity, you’ll never wear that black extra large t-shirt that falls to your knees again!

Before I provide a brief overview of the gluteus, I need to make one thing perfectly clear as I did in my last glutes article. You will never have a great looking butt if your body fat is excessive. You don’t have to be skinny or be at 3 percent body fat. In fact, you can probably be 15 pounds over your ideal weight and still have great glutes. However, at a certain point, excess body fat will negate any affects you’re attempting to accomplish. That being said, your thought process to get great glutes should begin with your nutrition working for you and not against you.

Let’s get a better understanding of the eye catching gluteus muscles. The glutes are comprised of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medias and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is a major stabilizer of the pelvis and runs from the iliac crest to the femur and iliotibial band.

The gluteus medias and minimus lie directly beneath the maximus. The primary function of the gluteus maximus is to extend the thigh at the hip and also to rotate the thigh away from the midline of the body. The gluteus medias and minimus serve to move the thigh away from the body and towards the midline of the body. There’s more to this muscle group, but this should be a good introduction for you. Plus, I know you’re eager for the workout. I always like to provide a brief overview of a muscle group, because it’s important to know how your body functions.

GLADIATOR GLUTE WORKOUT... PART 2

I will not be providing descriptions for each and every exercise. That’s what eFitness and our 3-D exercise animations are for! One of the interesting things about the gluteus muscles is thatthey are difficult, if not impossible, to completely isolate. Other muscle groups will come into play, but that’s actually a good thing because it will create more total balance and symmetry to your body.

After all, great glutes should be accompanied by great quadriceps and hamstrings. However, I have had great success with specific foot positioning to better attempt to isolate the glutes. In this new glute workout, I step things up a bit, so take your time getting used to it and go at your own pace to begin. In this workout, I manipulate time between sets as well as incorporate super sets!

It’s show time!

1a. SQUATS: The barbell squat is one of the best lower body exercises on the planet. It works just about the entire lower body. However, leg positioning can assist in better isolating the glutes. If you position your feet about 1-2 inches past shoulder width and squat to a parallel position, youll really feel those glutes being worked. However, you have to go to the parallel position for maximum effectiveness. Dont let ego guide you on this exercise. Lower the weight if necessary and focus on perfect form. This routine will have you performing three sets of 20 reps to momentary muscular failure. However, after each set of squats, I want you to go directly to the next exercise without a break!

1b. STATIONARY LUNGES: Stand straight with your feet together. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down at your sides. Step forward with the right leg and lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor. Bring the left leg back in line with the right leg and repeat the process with the same leg for 15 reps. The step should be long enough so that your left leg is nearly straight.

Then, perform the same movement with the opposite leg. Do not let your knee touch the floor. Make sure your head is up and your back is straight. Your chest should be lifted and your front leg should form a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the movement. Also, your knee should not pass your foot. After completing both legs, rest three minutes and then perform 1a and 1b all over again. Remember, perform three total sets combined with squats.

ANGLED LEG PRESS: Place your feet two inches higher than you normally do on the leg press machine in order to place more overload on the gluteus and hamstrings. Your feet can be positioned at shoulder width or just a little wider. Make sure you lower the weight just a tad below 90 degrees, but no more. We cant forget that we need to protect those knees! Complete three sets of 15 reps of the leg press and take no more than 75 seconds between sets. This is a high volume rep routine. Make sure your legs are high enough on the platform so you can really feel your glutes on the negative part of the movement.

STAIRMASTER: Now, Im going to switch gears and have you perform 25 minutes on the Stairmaster. This will place a little different emphasis on the glutes and incorporate some additional calorie burning cardio. Many people dont perform cardio after an intense leg/glute workout, because its just so intense. Well take it the extra mile and finish things off, so that we incorporate the best of both worlds.

By the way, when you're performing this movement, your body should be upright and you should not support your body with the handrails. It is acceptable to balance yourself with the handrails, but avoid using them for support (as this will take away from your workout). Do not lean forward!

Perform the above routine every six days for three weeks. If you don’t feel your glutes the next day after performing this routine, then something is seriously wrong! Also, if you’re a beginner or novice then reduce the sets to just one or two and focus on form. You’ll need to build to the volume and intensity safely, but once you do, people will be noticing. The end result will be admirers noticing and thinking, "great butt!"

A competitive bodybuilder and former 2001 Mr. Connecticut, the author, Raphael Calzadilla, BA, ACE, RTS1 2001 Mr. Connecticut (Short and Masters Class) is a veteran of the health and fitness industry who specializes in a holistic approach to body transformation, nutrition programs and personal training.

He earned his B.A. in Communications from Southern Connecticut State University and is certified as a personal trainer with ACE and APEX. In addition, he successfully completed the RTS1 program based on biomechanics.