Here is Casey Bergh’s story.
I have no history of athleticism and up until three years ago, I lacked knowledge about fitness in general, and had absolutely no exposure to bodybuilding and the weight room. I weighed 220 pounds after having each of my children and my only goal after having my second was simply to get “skinny” again. Somewhere along my journey, I accidentally stumbled across bodybuilding. I braved the weight room with a beginner’s program and the rest is history.
After 18 months of lifting my body had completely transformed. I had a fully developed upper body and a pretty decent set of quads and hammies. The only problem was my Glutes! They were below average at a healthy body weight and when I dropped fat to enter the world of competing, I found that I had NO muscle!
All I really wanted was a good pair of glutes- I trained legs heavy twice a week, I squatted, deadlifted and leg pressed heavy (probably with less than perfect form) I fell victim to the “all you need to do for a great butt, is squat” trend, I was devastated with my lack of results despite my intense efforts to develop a good set of glutes. I am 5’10” and was sure that my lack of development was a direct result of being too tall, and having the absolute worst glute genetics possible… I’m still convinced these two factors work against me but I made a decision exactly one year ago to build the best set of glutes I possibly could. I took pictures that day that were so upsetting I could hardly stand it but I told my husband, “some day, people will hire me to teach them how to get glutes like mine!”
Then, I set to work. I read every article, forum thread, blog post, I subscribed to Bret’s newsletter and ordered his book. I ordered bands and most importantly, I started hip thrusting. At first my heaviest set of 10 was around 80 pounds and it just about killed me. I was so excited it was the first time I felt my glutes really working and it was a real eye opener for me.
What changed over the course of this past year that led to my transformation? I now go into the gym with the intention of training glutes, not legs. I begin with band work (sumo walks, x-band walks, monster walks, side lying clams, etc.) I often incorporate band hip thrusts or donkey kicks with a 20 lb ankle weight in as my first exercise. I spend a lot of time just trying to fire up the glutes before going into any heavy lifting. I alternate each leg day (2x/week) as either a squat day or deadlift day. Instead of going into the gym and just trying to “go heavy” I now understand that making measurable progress and following some type of program is crucial to making gains. I have recently become more focused on powerlifting and making strength gains but never neglect to follow up my core lifts with direct glute training. I hip thrust twice a week and my current PR is 365×3 (my squat PR is 240×1 and conventional deadlift is 250×2). I have learned how to properly engage my butt in each lift. I have built my body up to what I consider to be an ideal amount of muscle mass for me and for the next year my goal is to focus on strictly building my glutes but maintaining my current size for the rest of my physique. I would like to hit 400 lbs on my hip thrust before the end of this year! Aside from the hip thrust, my favorite exercise is the sumo deadlift, I recently started incorporating it into training and after getting used to the new movement, was able to progress very quickly with it.
I already mentioned the importance of progressive overload above but if I had to sum up the “how” of my glute transformation, It would simply be: to get better and stronger at squatting, deadlifting and most importantly, hip thrusting. Hard work, consistency, trusting the process and pushing through obstacles all tie into the above, during the time that my body changed, my entire outlook and attitude had to change and I learned the power of goal setting, discipline and the compound effect that occurs over time from making small, consistent changes in in my training approach.
I would also like to mention that aside from the changes I made in training, a huge factor in my transformation can be attributed to my diet. I increased my caloric intake gradually but drastically over time. After being overweight as a teenager and young adult and then losing 80 pounds, that is easier said than done, but with an increased knowledge about diet and consistent tracking of my macronutrient intake, the results that followed were undeniable and I have been able to re-define the role that food plays in my life, it is no longer the enemy but a tool that enables me to achieve my goals.
During this process I became an NASM certified personal trainer and I can actually say that countless times, women have approached me in public and at the gym and asked me “can you teach me how to get glutes like yours?” My own clients have had amazing results in the glute department by applying the same principles. Thank you Bret for all of the knowledge and resources you’ve consolidated into one place that have allowed me to literally change my life and body and to help others do the same!
About the Author
Casey Bergh in an NASM-certified personal trainer in Turlock, California. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
This is in a year? Get out of town. Wow. That’s crazy awesome!!
Holy crap! Impressive is an understatement.
Impressive. As a tall girl with flat a$$ genes I understand all to well how hard it is to have a butt. I still tend towards flat ;-/ Great commitment and in only a year – WOW
Well done Casey! And well done Bret for continuing to inspire and educate.
I am starting the program today and this is great motivation!
I am speechless, and thoroughly inspired. Well done to say the least.
Carol
Holy shit! That’s my sister’s huge ass! She works hard! Great job Casey!!!!!
This is awesome! I have been training with strength and conditioning coach, Zack Byler (www.bylerelitestrength.com) who has taken Bret’s glute knowledge and taught them to tons of women (and men) with this same problem. All of this clients, including myself, are now working on awesome glutes of our own. I can DEFINITELY say that hip thrusts, glute bridges and single leg lunges have been game changes for me. Thank you Bret for your insane amount of knowledge and congrats to Casey Bergh on her AMAZING transformation.
Very nice work!!! I want glutes like that
No way! If you weren’t such an honest guy, I would not believe these results! Crazy amazing. Note to self: I’ll have what she’s having…more hip thrusts.
Also, great article by James Fell the other week!
I’m genuinely curious – are these all photos of the same woman? If so, what’s up with the disappearing tattoo in one of the ‘after’ photos? She appears to start out untatted, has a full sleeve throughout transformation, and then it just disappears at the end. Huh?
Good eye Anna. Yes, same woman. See her Instagram page. I suspect that she flipped the image in order to avoid showing the sleeve. You can see it in other pics.
Explain to me please as I do to achieve those buttocks
That one was taken into a mirror.
I hesitated for a minute too.
Anna, I just flipped my images to compare side by side more accurately to measure my progress… I have a heart tattoo on my butt that you can see in the before and afters 🙂
Anna, all you have to do is look at her left cheek and compare all of her pics except the first and third one. Her left cheek has either a tattoo or a birthmark in ALL of her pics that exposes of backside! Same woman!!! Good job, Casey!! Very inspiring!!!!
Um… Let’s celebrate with a tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAyZ6krMrkk
Great work.
Thank you for sharing about pushing past the obstacles, keeping your goal in sight while making small but important changes thought your journey. Food/nutrition choices ARE so critical to the progression of a healthy, functional, better working body!! (I have been ice cream free for 3 weeks and my body thanks me, internally and externally.) What book by Contreras are you referring to?
Cheers to your NASM certificaton and for sharing your progress! It helps to know others do improve with dedication and the pictures are motivating!!
Such an inspiration! I’ve been using Bret’s Strong curves book for almost 9 months and, while I know my glutes are stronger, they are still flat. I follow the nutritional guidelines, but I suspect I need to increase my caloric intake before I see the results I want. Hoping to lose some more body fat first and maybe start a building phase during the winter. Reading this makes me feel better and like it may actually happen for me.
Awesome work Casey!
which book did you order?
Your before glutes are exactly like mine, it was like looking into a mirror.
Amazing! Gorgeous glutes!
Brett, do you think those kind of results are achievable by woman of a certain age – say, 45+?
I am 48 and I say yes. Granted, I have always been genetically well endowed in the butt department, but my glutes are more round and perky than the vast majority of women my age due to lifting (including Bret’s great recommendations the last year or so). I was sedentary my entire life until I started lifting in my late 30s. You will see great results! The trouble for me is getting as lean as I would like, but that is all about calories. Still, I am generally pleased with my results. Consistency is the key!
Awesome job
I want to work on my glutes…
wow, she looks incredible! I’m interested as to what rep ranges she uses with her hip thrusts? I never know whether it is most effective to go heavy and low rep, lighter and high rep, or to just mix it up!?
Awesome! I have hope for my flat butt.
clearly you do NOT have the worst glute genetics ever! Great job!
Bret, you should really do a leg/glute workout regime for a nice even bottom half!
OK! I need to contact her for a personalized strategy! Is there any way to shoot her an email? Thanks so much- I”m a believer!!!!!
Seriously, amazing. Great work girl!
This is an amazing and inspiring testimony. Thank you, Casey!! Beautiful in body and spirit. This is very helpful to all of us, no matter where we are right now.
There is hope for me after all!! Aaaamazing!!!!!
Been trying to figure out were do i start? Love this idea an want get my glutes bigger and body more tighter. I was 200 pounds now im 160 and ready to step it somebody HHHHEEEELLLLPP
Casey you are a great inspiration! I am 58 years old, but still want to look fit and strong and regain the butt of my youth. I hope Bret will have articles and/or pictures of women over 40 who have had success with his glute training system.
Her body, ESPECIALLY her booty, is utterly amazing. I’m in awe!
Proof that incredible transformations like this are possible… I wonder if this would be possible (and safe) for a teenager…
Great article, i love how she described her training and diet(:
Her hard work, dedication, and results are so inspiring!
Thanks for this awesome article!(:
Great transformation!! Curious if you offer online training….
Hi Bret . I’ve been trying to get my rear to look like a bubble I don’t want it huge I just want it lifted and perky and round. I’m so self conscious .I’m a nurse and have a 1yr and 7 yr old so im constantly running around with them and don’t have access to all the gym equipment. Wondering if you give me a routine I can do at home . I have barbell, plates, dumbbells, 15lbs Kettlebell, and treadmill.
is there any way we can achieve this look without having to go to the gym? As in using weights at home or no?
That is truly a transformation.. congrats to you.. can a woman in her 50s do the same.. I desperately want to lift my butt, one cheek tends to droop with a dent look in it.. any help would be greatly appreciated.. thank you
Inspiration!