Only The Strong Shall Survive
Galvanize Your
Glutes For a Rock-Hard Rear View
• by Bill Starr • Photography by Michael Neveux •
Uncle Buddy and Eva had driven down from
Boston, where they’d rendezvoused that
morning. She’d flown in from London, and
Uncle Buddy’s ship had docked in Boston
Harbor. Eva owned a rare-books shop in the
British capital and was taking a vacation.
Uncle Buddy was on furlough. A journeyman
seaman, he’d work without taking any leave
for six months and save all his pay, and then
spend the following six months traveling
around some part of the globe with one of
his lady friends.
They planned on visiting for a couple of
days before going south to Key West, then
out to the West Coast. But their itinerary was
flexible. If they came to a place they really
liked, they’d stay as long as they desired. I’d
always envied my uncle. His lifestyle
seemed absolutely wonderful.
I’d met Eva on a previous visit, and she
was my favorite of all of his ladies. A
stunning beauty who reminded me of Ali
Landry, she had the brains to match her
flawless face and figure. She spoke
four languages and was the only
person I knew who’d read the
complete works of William
Shakespeare, along with all
94 SEPTEMBER 2004 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
the classics and countless other books I’d never
heard of.
How my uncle attracted such magnificent fe-
males was a mystery to me. While he was well
built, he had a stevedore’s physique. He shaved
his head bald and had the face of a fighter
who’d lost more bouts than he’d won. I was
aware, however, that he possessed many quali-
ties that women appreciate more than good
looks. Uncle Buddy respected women, treated
them like royalty, thoroughly enjoyed their com-
pany and was extremely generous. He could
also charm a monkey out of his last banana
when he set his mind to it.
Over a late supper of crab cakes and cold
Millers at Grumpy’s he asked if I knew of a gym
close by where he could take Eva. Whenever
Uncle Buddy came to town, we generally
trained at the Harford Barbell in the old
Aberdeen High School building, but that was an
all-male club. I told him a friend of mine was the
manager of a new fitness facility only a half
hour away and that he’d given me four passes.
“And it’s co-ed?”
I laughed. “Sure, all the big gyms are now.
That’s what brings in the customers. Gyms are
Model: Kelly Ryann
like nightclubs—meeting places to check out the
opposite sex.”
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2004 95
 Galvanize Your Glutes
“Good. Eva thinks her
butt’s getting too flabby. I
want to show her some
exercises to help her
tighten it up.”
Eva only smiled and
blushed.
Later, when she got up
to go to the bathroom, I
watched her walk away
and commented, “She
doesn’t look like she
needs to worry about her
glutes.”
“She don’t,” Uncle
Buddy grunted. “Her
butt’s as tight as a teenag-
er’s, but you know how
women are. Once they get
a notion in their heads,
you might as well go
ahead and deal with it.”
Which was the truth,
and I also understood that
the people who really
need to get in a gym and
shed some blubber never
bother. They just keep
stuffing in the calories
until they’re eligible for an
extreme makeover. It’s the
men and women who are
already in decent shape
who support the fitness
centers across the coun-
try.
They were staying at
the Holiday Inn. Knowing
that mornings didn’t exist
in my world, Uncle Buddy
said they’d do some sight-
seeing early, then hook up
with me around noon. We
decided to hit the gym in
midafternoon, when it
would be less crowded.
Uncle Buddy hated to go
to a busy facility and have
to wait around to use
some piece of equipment.
Patience was not his
long suit, especially in the weight
room.
“We need a place to squat, and
do they have a Smith machine?”
“They have two squat racks and a
Smith machine. My friend talked
the owners into putting in the squat
racks and two platforms so they
could attract high school and col-
lege athletes.”
“Smart. That’s an untapped mar-
ket.”
96 SEPTEMBER 2004 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
When we arrived at the gym, we
were delighted to see that there
were only two young men working
out. My friend Rich was out run-
ning errands. We presented our
passes to the older man behind the
counter, who accepted them and
asked us to sign in.
Eva peeled off her sweats right in
front of me, and my mouth
dropped open. I had no idea that
she was so fit. Her skimpy white
shorts looked as if they
had been spray-painted
on, and I hadn’t seen
glutes that impressive
since the last time a photo
of Amy Fadhli appeared in
IRON MAN. The rest of
Eva’s body was equally
imposing. Her short yel-
low tank top revealed a
taut midsection, ample
breasts and firm shoul-
ders and upper arms.
Long, muscular legs sup-
ported the nicely put-
together package.
I noticed that the two
members had stopped
what they were doing to
ogle. I sure couldn’t blame
them. I was doing some
serious ogling myself and
decided that this was
going to be a super work-
out. Uncle Buddy
instructed Eva to do a set
of situps and a set of back
extensions. We followed
her, since those were the
warmup exercises we
both did.
Then we moved to one
of the staircase squat
racks. “The first exercise
you’re going to do is full
squats,” he said. “They’re
the best single exercise for
building strength and also
toning the glutes. Have
you ever done them?”
She nodded. “But it’s
been a while.”
“Did you go low?”
“What do you mean by
low?”
“Low enough so that
Model: Kelly Ryann
the tops of your thighs are
below parallel. Like this.”
He demonstrated.
“No, not that low. My
trainer said going low was
bad for my knees.”
“He’s an idiot!” blurted Uncle
Buddy. “Going low transfers the
stress from the knees to the hips
and legs. The lower you go, the
more you involve the glutes, hips
and muscles of the legs. Do some
reps with just the bar so I can check
out your form.”
After the second rep, he suggest-
ed, “Move your stance in just a bit
and see if that helps you go lower.”
 Galvanize Your Glutes

She did as instructed and was

able to go six inches lower. He made
a few more form adjustments, and
by the 10th rep her technique was
perfect.
The two young men had gravitat-
ed closer to the squat racks. They
wanted a better look at Eva, and
they were interested in hearing
what Uncle Buddy was saying. The
taller of the two stepped up to
Buddy and introduced himself as
Pat and his training partner as
Chris. “We heard what you said
about the glutes. Do you think
they’re important for us? I’m going
to be playing lacrosse at Towson
University next year, and Chris
wants to enter a bodybuilding show
in Ocean City this summer.”
Uncle Buddy asked Eva to add 10
pounds to each side of the bar, then
turned to the boys. “Glutes are
important to every athlete. Just look
at the top players in any sport from
football to baseball to tennis. The
good ones all have powerful glutes.
They’re part of the power pack,
along with the hips, legs and lower
back. That’s where the power origi-
nates for nearly every physical
activity—throwing and hitting a
baseball, serving in tennis, blocking
and tackling, sprinting and laying a
Good mornings.
hit on your opponent in lacrosse.”
Any exercise that
“And doing full squats the way
Model: Jammo Nezzar

works your lumbars

she’s doing is the way to get
also hits your
stronger glutes?”
glutes, as well as
“One of the ways. Other exercises
your hamstrings.
hit the glutes as well. I’ll show them
to you if you’re interested.”
They looked at one another, and mags in his gym bag. He grabbed
Pat replied for both of them: “Sure, some, came back, flipped open
we’d like that.” some pages and showed the picture
I got the impression that what to the waiting boys. “This is John C.
they really liked was being able to Grimek, whom I consider the great-
train at the same station as Eva. est bodybuilder ever. He always
While Eva did a second set of went deep on his squats, plus he did
squats, the boys went to their gym front squats when he was compet-
bags to get their lifting belts. When John ing in Olympic lifting. Think he has
they returned, Chris said to Uncle Grimek a wide butt?”
Buddy, “I read an article by a body- always They shook their heads. “He’s
builder, and he said he never went went deep amazing,” said Chris, “and he don’t
low in the squat because that would on squats, look like the bodybuilders in maga-
give him a wide butt.”
with no zines now.”
wide-rear
I could see my uncle’s face dark- “That’s because he trained for
repercus-
en as he grumbled, “Nonsense. sions. balance. Everything is in propor-
Sure, if you gain a ton of tion—from his neck to his upper
bodyweight, your butt’s going to get arms to his calves. His glutes fit
bigger, but if you only pack on mus- perfectly as well. Nowadays all that
cle, it will all be in proportion. Here, matters is size. Symmetry has got-
let me show you some photos.” ten lost in the quest for bulk. I’d
Uncle Buddy always carried muscle hazard a (continued on page 100)

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2004 97

Galvanize Your Glutes

learn something from my uncle

The Smith-machine when he gives a lecture on training.
squat is a good auxiliary “You’ll do squats a bit differently in
movement to use with the Smith machine than you did
the free-bar squat. with the free weights,” he told Eva,
Pat and Chris. “I want you to sit
back on your heels so that you’re
pushing the weight backward when
you come up with it. Set your feet
out in front of the bar and experi-
ment with your foot stance until
you find the one that lets you go the
deepest. For most, this is a narrow
stance. Do 20 reps.”
Eva went first, followed by Pat,
then Chris. When they finished,
Chris asked, “Why not do all the
squats in the machine? I mean, I
was able to go a lot lower, and you
said that was important. And I
could feel my glutes contract more
when I did them in the Smith ma-
chine.”
“You need to do full squats off
the rack because having to balance
the weight forces your tendons and
ligaments to work more than when
you use a machine. Those attach-
Models: Kat Meyers and Brenda Kelly ments are the sources of strength,
so the full squats need to be your
primary exercise, with the Smith-
machine squats added as an auxil-
iary movement. Do a couple of
high-rep sets in the machine right
after your squat workout. Use them
as back-off sets.
Start light (continued from page 97) guess that “Another good exercise for the
with you’re fans of Arnold.” glutes is the lunge. Eva, have you
lunges “Sure, he’s the greatest ever in ever done them?”
and work our book.” “Not since I took gymnastics, and
up to get- “Well, look at this shot of him that was a long time ago. And we
ting your squatting. Think he believed that never used any weight.”
rear leg going low built a wide butt?” “Show me how you did them.”
straight. I knew the photo. In it, Arnold is She placed her hands on her
nearly sitting on his calves at the hips, lunged into a deep split,
bottom of the squat. Uncle Buddy stepped up, lunged and continued
had made his point. When Eva across the gym in a fluid, continu-
completed her third and final set, ous motion.
the boys did two sets so Uncle “And that, boys, is why female
Buddy could help them with their gymnasts have the finest glute
form. He continued his impromptu development in all of athletics.”
clinic as they squatted: “The glutes “No argument here,” said Pat,
are made up of three muscle grinning widely.
groups: gluteus maximus, gluteus “Notice how she climbs high on
medius and gluteus minimus. All her front toes when she comes out
three are involved in the squat— of the deep split. That’s the key to
much more so when you go low. being able to move through the
Okay, that’s enough. I just want to reps smoothly. And see how she
show you what to do, and you’ll always keeps her trailing leg per-
Model: Tiffany Richardson

need to save some energy for the fectly straight?”

other exercises. Let’s go over to the They nodded, and he went on:
Smith machine.” “In most magazines the model will
I tagged along because I always be dipping his rear leg to the floor,
 Galvanize Your Glutes

The Workout Uncle Buddy Full squats should

be the core of your
Gave Eva for her Glutes glute-galvanizing
Monday
routine.
Free-weight squats 4 x 12
Smith-machine squats 2 x 20
Wednesday
Lunges (per leg) 4x6
Straight-legged deadlifts
or good mornings* 4 x 10

Models: Steve and Becky Holman \ Equipment: Powertec power rack, 1-800-447-0008
Friday
Free-weight squats 3 x 15
Smith-machine squats 2 x 20
At the beginning of every
workout in the gym:
Crunches or situps 1 x 100
Hyperextensions 1 x 50
At the end of every workout
in the gym:
Leg raises or other
lower-ab exercise 1 x 100
Stretch out
On the days you don’t go to
the gym:**
Leg kickbacks (per leg) 2 x 100
Reverse hyperextensions 2 x 50
*You can alternate the two
exercises every other week. Deadlifts provide a lot of
**Try to do these at least three work for the glutes. Your
times a week even if you go to hips work in tandem with
the gym. your thighs and back.

and it will be bent. That’s not nearly

as effective as keeping it straight.”
“Those can be done with dumb-
bells, can’t they?” asked Chris.
“They can, and I’ve had 500-
pound squatters crumble after
going across a weight room using
only 20-pound dumbbells.”
Eva came back, and Uncle Buddy
gushed, “That was perfect. One of
the great things about walking
lunges is you can do them almost
anywhere. I’ve done them in hall-
ways of hotels and on the beach.
Let’s go back to the rack, and I’ll
show you how to do them with a
bar.”
All three of his pupils did them to
his satisfaction. “It’s best to alter-
nate legs for more equal develop-
ment. If you find that one leg is a lot
weaker than the other, do two or
Model: David Yeung

three extra reps on that leg at the

end of each set. You do six reps per
leg on each set, and when the
weight gets heavy, take as many

102 SEPTEMBER 2004 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

 Galvanize Your Glutes

small steps as you need to recover.

Do lunges on your light day in
place of squats.”
“That it?” asked Pat.
“No, you should include a spe-
cific exercise for your lower back.
Actually, any exercise that works
your lumbars also hits your glutes,
as well as your hamstrings. The
two best are good mornings and
straight-legged deadlifts. You boys
do either of them?”
“We were doing them,” Chris
said, “but Rich saw us standing on
a bench and went shitcakes, and
we haven’t done them since.”
“Well, if you did them off a
bench in my gym, I’d go shitcakes Running can also firm
too. Drop the bar, and there goes the glutes, especially if
several hundred dollars. It’s not you include hills on your
necessary to stand on anything. route.
Use 25-pound plates and stand on
the platform. That’s just as effec- Eye-popping
tive and safer. glutes are an
“Eva, do some reps with the asset to the
empty bar. There are two main male and fe-
form points: Keep the bar tight to male physique.
your body going both up and
down, and bend your knees slight-
ly. As Bill always writes, the exer- of reps, like a
cise should be called the hundred, then
almost-straight-legged deadlift. switch over to the
Never lock your knees when doing other leg. You can
any lower-back exercise, and that also contract your
includes hyperextensions. It’s glutes while
potentially harmful to your lower you’re sitting in a
back and lumbars. Since bending chair, driving a
your knees doesn’t change the car, or even lying
benefits, it doesn’t make any sense in bed. And if you
to lock them.” can find some-
While Eva did a set, Pat thing solid to lie
announced, “We gotta run. We got on, you can do
tickets for tonight’s Orioles game. reverse hyperex-
Thanks for your help.” Quick tensions. I’ve
farewells were exchanged, and the done them on
boys left. desks and coun-
Model: Jennifer Hendershott

Eva was looking weary, so Uncle tertops where I

Buddy only had her do one set of
good mornings with just the bar.
“Again, make sure your knees’re
bent slightly, and go as low as you
can. The lower you go, the more
your glutes get into the act. That’s
enough lower-body work for one
day.”
“Good, my legs are shaky,” she
admitted. “Are there some exercis-
es I can do in my flat? I can’t always
get to the gym.”
“Sure. You can stand, hold on to
something for balance, and kick
back with one leg. You should be
able to feel it in your glute. Do lots
could grip the
sides. Let’s do a
few bench press-
es. Then we’ll go.”
I saw Rick
come in and went
over to thank him for the passes. ther. What’s his secret?”
His eyes were glued to Eva. “Where “I wish I knew,” I mumbled hon-
in the world did you find that fox?” estly, certain I never would know.
“She’s not with me. She’s with my
uncle. You met him at Aberdeen.” Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a
“Yeah, I remember him. Uncle strength and conditioning coach at
Buddy. You write about him all the Johns Hopkins University from
time. You’re shitting me—he’s with 1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The
her? She looks like a fitness model, Strongest Shall Survive and Defying
and he’s old enough to be her fa- Gravity. IM

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