This Alo Moves Trainer Transformed Her Glutes With This 3

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In my early 20s, I was a careless college student. I was partying, eating out, and drinking. My lifestyle took a toll on my mental and physical health. My daily habits caused about 40 to 50 pounds of weight gain, a crappy mood, and stagnant energy.

I was still mildly active, playing in a co-ed volleyball league and lifting here and there, but I wasn't reaching my potential.

My strength journey began back in 2017, around the age of 21 (I'm 27 now). I realized I was entirely in charge of my own life. I had been showing up for others instead of myself for too long. I needed to make a change for my overall wellness.

I was borderline depressed, medically overweight, and frustrated with myself. My confidence was shattered and I was insecure about everything. I couldn't believe I let my health go that badly.

So, I made a goal to pour effort into myself first and lose the weight I had gained. (Later I would shift my focus to building muscle and strength.) I made the commitment to myself to get 1 percent better every single day.

I reached the peak of my frustrations and started demanding change out of myself. I dove into reading, journaling, and being obsessed with my daily planner.

The book, You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, helped me shift my energy and realize what I deserved and was capable of. It gave me the courage to make the changes I knew were necessary for my personal growth.

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I kept myself accountable to my goals by journaling. My journaling style varied depending on my mood. Sometimes I poured out my innermost thoughts and feelings that I couldn't share with anyone else. Other times, I would write out my master plan in bullet form, like this:

This week I will:—Gain three new clients—PR in my leg press—Network with three new people

This form of journaling helped me claim where I wanted to go. I journaled about all the highs and the lows in my world and always journal about the main "life buckets," like relationships, careers, finance, and fun!

A couple years into my healthier routine, I moved back to Los Angeles for the birth of my nephew. Being back home, I re-established connections that gave me so much more confidence. Making this drastic change allowed me to quite literally leave toxic people and habits behind. I shifted my focus to myself 100 percent—becoming my best and highest self.

Not everyone has the ability to uproot and physically move, so I always advise women to put their blinders on and focus on what really matters, wherever you are. I realized I had to make certain sacrifices to maintain my healthier lifestyle, and one was changing my friend group.

I created a small girl group chat (five to seven of us) where we focused on working out, doing yoga, and beach days. I had to surround myself with women who were vulnerable and open to growing together.

I had to overcome a major fitness setback in 2022. I was in an accident, and I had stop lifting and exercising completely.

After the car accident, I was unsure what training would be like. I could have given up with that setback, but I didn't and I'm so proud of seeing it through. I took it slow, and I started with mobility and yoga. Thanks to that gentle movement, now I’m able to lift and press heavier than before with my legs.

Monday is all about lifting heavy and training my legs. I start off strong to set the tone for the week.

Tuesdays, I train back muscles.

Wednesdays I devote to cardio. I keep moving with indoor volleyball or a stair workout at the Culver City Stairs.

Thursday, depending on how my body feels from volleyball, I take a rest or do a chest workout.

Fridays, I finish strong with a full-body routine. Friday's focus is on mobility, core, and hip strengthening.

Weekends are usually rest days for me. A couple times a month, I’ll teach HIIT workouts.

The last year, I've focused on building glutes. The moves that have worked for me are hinges, isometric holds, single-leg workouts, and upping my leg workouts to three days a week.

For glute training, I love to start with prioritizing all areas of my hip flexors (front, lateral, and back). I do 100 kicks in all directions before any leg day. For some of my clients this is challenging enough and all the workout they need.

Then, I dive into the meat of the glute workout. I used my knowledge of muscle engagement to create effective glute routines with the equipment I had. I do four sets of each move below at least two times a week. My results in just a few months were insane!

I can't believe that I host workouts filled with incline sprints and jumps up the stairs, or that I’m still playing high-level volleyball 20 years later. Not so long ago, I was struggling on the treadmill, scared to let go of the rails.

I'm so proud I stuck to my plan and followed through on the healthier habits like I said I would. Being committed to fitness and becoming my best, most vital self has gotten me into places I never knew were imaginable.

I found value in myself and my career by being who I naturally am: a fitness junkie, a competitor, and a hard worker. I’m proud of myself for not comparing myself to others. I understand that everyone is unique, and it's not helpful to compare my journey to someone else's.

Recently, I'm focusing my training on muscular endurance, so I’ve been including high-volume rep training to see how far I can really push myself. I feel stronger than ever.

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