Dana Linn Bailey Shares 'Hamstring-Glute-Focused' Workout for Leg Gains

Dana Linn Bailey (DLB) is a pioneer of the Women’s Physique division who remains in stellar shape years after retirement. In a recent YouTube video, Bailey walked fans through a brutal hamstring-glutes-focused training session for growing muscle and building strength.

“So today, we’re focusing on hamstrings and glutes. I like to separate my leg days so I can really focus on quads one day and hamstrings and glutes [the next],” Dana Linn Bailey shared.

In the 2000s, DLB established herself as an all-time great in the Women’s Physique category. Her capped and striated shoulders helped her reach the top of the sport in 2013 when she claimed the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia title. All signs pointed to utter dominance until Dana returned in 2014 when she was ousted from the throne by Juliana Malacarne.

Bailey’s love for the sport still fuels her today. While she’s stepped away from competing, Dana is a famous online influencer known for sharing fitness-related content such as workouts, nutrition information, and physique transformations.

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In one of her latest endeavors, Bailey decided to revamp her physique in June. In what she’s titled the ‘Summer Shredded 4.0’ challenge, Dana plans to get ripped and lean at the same time in the months to come.

It remains uncertain if Dana Bailey will entertain a competitive return. Questions about her competing again were raised during her recent Cutler Cast Podcast appearance. Bailey even mentioned that she would undergo drug tests to prove her natural status if she did announce a comeback. With her attention shifting to a new physique goal, DLB updated fans with one of her leg day workouts.

Check Out Dana Linn Bailey’s Hamstring Glute-Focused Leg Day Workout

“We are doing a hamstring and glute-focused leg day. This is one of my favorite days of the week as far as legs go, you know. But today’s focus, we’re hitting that posterior, DLB said.

Sumo deadlifts – 12, 10, 8, 8 rep pattern 4 sets
Hip thrust machine (banded) – 10-12 reps with 5-8 pulse reps 4 sets
Abductions – 20 reps 4 sets
Toes-Elevated dumbbell Romanian deadlifts – 12 reps 4 sets
Sumo Squats – 12 reps 4 sets
Reverse squat – 10-12 reps 4 sets
banded/bodyweight hyperextensions – to failure

Sumo deadlifts

“We are starting off with sumo deadlifts. I love sumo deadlifts. I’m much stronger in them and I feel them not so much in my back, I feel it all in my legs and hamstrings. So, when I do deadlifts, I tend to not do deadlifts on back day, I tend to do my deadlifts on ham and glute day. So, we’re doing a sumo stance, the reps, I generally stay a little bit higher.”

“When you come up, I want you to really focus on thrusting those hips forward. When you do that, your butt will squeeze.”

Hip Thrust machine (banded)

“The whole point of this is it’s pushing your knees in. So, you actually have to engage your glutes even more by keeping your knees out. So, it’s just adding more tension to the glutes, which we’re always hitting a glute exercise so we’re going to go 10 to 12 reps on the hip thrust with the hip band. Once you get 10, we’re going to add let’s say five to eight pulses at the top. Just little half reps.”

Dana Linn Bailey shared that if you don’t have access to a hip thrust machine, try a barbell variation.

“If you don’t have a hip thrust machine, you can do this all on a barbell,” said DLB.

Abductions

“Abductions. So, now we’re trying to get our knees as far away as we possibly can. 20 reps here, holding for a good two-second count on each one. And your butt will be on fire.”

Toes-Elevated dumbbell Romanian deadlifts

“A little superset. One of my other favorite little supersets I do. We’re going toes elevated dumbbell RDLs. The reason we have our toes elevated if you’re like me – I’m pretty flexible, most girls, we’re pretty flexible. If you’re not as flexible, do it with your feet flat. This is just going to add a little more stretch in your calf, Achilles, and a little more stretch in the hamstrings. 12 reps here.”

Sumo Squats

“Sumo squats. So, the way I do it, if you prefer holding it this way [vertical] this isn’t going to be much of a squat, you would have to elevate yourself. So I keep the dumbbell that way [horizontal]. I want you to have a forward lean in your torso just like we talked with Bulgarians.”

Reverse squat

“Hamstring and glute day is all about your basically hinged at the hips the whole time. So we’re going to be facing away and the first part of the movement is you’re going to push your butt back just like you did with those RDLs, push your butt back then you’re going to squat down and you’re going to stay in that leaning torso position instead of being more upright. Upright quads, lean in is hamstring and glutes.”

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Banded/bodyweight hyperextensions

“Then, I’m going to go over and do hypers. If you can’t do them at the same time that’s fine. I do this just to save time. We’re doing banded hypers and then drop set to just bodyweight hypers to failure.”

DLB isn’t opposed to working with high-profile names in the sport. Given her status as a former Olympia winner, she loves testing her strength in the company of other bodybuilding veterans. She recently joined hands with trainer Hany Rambod for a brutal FST-7 shoulders workout.

Bailey also teamed up with four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. Last July, they took part in a tough chest and triceps training session. By the end of the workout, Cutler was not only impressed with Dana’s strength but her endurance as well.

Despite having reached 40 years old, DLB doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Fortunately for her fans, she’s offered a consistent look at her physique as she aims to transform her body. Days ago, Dana revealed that she likely gained muscle ‘if anything.’ However, she plans to increase her cardio in the next few weeks to lean down.

Even though she’s long retired, DLB still attacks training sessions with the same attitude that saw her reach the top of the sport. She encourages anyone watching her videos to follow along as she enters the next stage of her ‘Summer Shredded 4.0’ body transformation challenge.