Mind Over Glute Matter

With our strong-a** strength trainer, Denise

I only started strength training because I wanted a nicer butt. I was thirty-seven, and for years had sworn I would never set foot in a gym. I thought it was for a bunch of brutes randomly heaving things up and down over and over again while grunting. Of course, in any public gym you will encounter some of that, I’m afraid, but little did I know that learning how to strength train properly actually involved an immense amount of technique and skill. Working with a barbell especially made me realise that it was no different from ballet—it just also happened to involve iron.

My quest for a nicer butt was fuelled by my decreasing muscle mass and increasing body fat, no matter how much I ran. For over a decade, I had practised yoga (I became certified as a teacher) and ran. Little did I know that what I was experiencing in my mid-thirties was sarcopenia, which is the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it costs energy to maintain—even at rest. The best way to maintain a healthy body composition, keep our bones strong, and prevent sarcopenia is to consume an adequate amount of protein daily and perform intense resistance training. Building muscle strength and mass is the true fountain of youth, energy, confidence, health—and yes, a nicer butt.

No matter where you’re starting or when you’re starting—start. It’s never too late, and you can always build more muscle with consistent and progressive training. The extra body fat that can creep up in our thirties and forties, along with joint issues, can’t be solved on the treadmill. Getting in all sorts of general exercise is extremely important, but strength and resistance training is a specific thing. It requires good technique and a program that addresses your specific needs and goals, while constantly evolving so that your body has adequate stimulus to build that precious muscle—and your mind has adequate stimulus through learning new skills. There is great satisfaction in seeing and feeling improvement in your body, your energy, your mental capacity, and your overall confidence in life. Firmer butts simply become a nice by-product of a new way of living that leaves you feeling strong, inside and out.

Denise Mader