The glutes are the body’s largest and most powerful muscle group. They also balance one’s aesthetics and enhance athletic performance. Competitive bodybuilders strive for striated glutes, a hallmark of exceptional muscle conditioning.
On Aug. 7, 2024, the 2024 New York Pro Women’s Open champion Ashley Lynette Jones unveiled her in-prep glute-focused leg training and tips to carve an Olympia-worthy physique.
Ashley Lynette Jones’ 2024 Olympia Glute Workout
Warm-Up — Walking Lunges & Glute-Ham Raises
Superset — Stiff-Leg Deadlift & Adductor Machine
Superset — Standing Leg Curl & Air Squats
[Related: The Anatomy of Your Leg Muscles, Explained (and How To Train Them)]
[Related: 12 Best Pre-Workouts]
Warm-Up — Walking Lunges & Glute-Ham Raises
Jones primes her muscles with a walking lunge and glute-ham raise superset. During the walking lunges, she steps diagonally outward to maximize glute and hamstring engagement.
Jones favors GHD raises for the deep hamstring stretch with each rep, sharpening her mind-muscle connection. She drives her thighs into the machine’s pad and pauses in the fully shortened position. (1)
Superset — Stiff-Leg Deadlift & Adductor Machine
Jones performs stiff-legged deadlifts with the balls of her feet positioned on a squat wedge. She maintains slight knee flexion and pushes her hips and knees back during eccentrics.
Jones chose the adductor machine for this superset since it doesn’t interfere with her stiff-leg deadlift performance. She adopts a deliberate and controlled rep cadence, increasing time under tension (TUT). (2)
Superset — Standing Leg Curl & Air Squats
Jones alternates between seated, standing, and lying leg curls each workout to add variety to her training and ensure overall hamstring development. She begins unilateral exercises with her weaker side to iron out strength imbalances.
If you notice imbalance, start with your non-dominant side.
Jones transitions to sumo air squats, focusing on achieving depth and a sharp contraction.
Belt Squat
The three-time Olympian favors the belt squat, as the machine’s unique line of pull loads the glutes, hamstrings, and quads while minimizing spinal strain compared to conventional barbell squats.
Jones assumes a wide stance with her torso at 45 degrees to better bias the glutes. She recommends slow negatives.
Road To The 2024 Olympia
Jones aims to ride the momentum from her 2024 New York Pro win to more gold at the 2024 Rising Phoenix on Aug. 24, 2024. She will compete at the 2024 Olympia, scheduled for Oct. 10-13 in Las Vegas, NV.
Jones began her bodybuilding career in the Figure division in 2019. She transitioned to Women’s Physique in 2021 before finding her stride in the Women’s Open in 2024. This year marks her highly anticipated Women’s Open debut at the Olympia.
References:
Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478
Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
Featured image: @ivystrong2 on Instagram
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