Episode 434: Tara LaFerrara: How to Build Glutes, Time-Wasting Exercises and the Truth about Belly Fat

Summary

Habits and Hustle Episode 434: Tara LaFerrara: How to Build Glutes, Time-Wasting Exercises and the Truth about Belly Fat Release Date: March 21, 2025

Hosted by Jen Cohen and Habit Nest

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Introduction

In Episode 434 of Habits and Hustle, host Jennifer Cohen sits down with Tara LaFerrara, a seasoned strength and mobility coach, to delve into effective fitness strategies. The conversation focuses on optimizing glute development, identifying inefficient exercises, and addressing common misconceptions about belly fat. Their candid dialogue offers listeners actionable insights to enhance their fitness routines and achieve a more balanced, healthy lifestyle.

Building Glutes: Hip Thrusts vs. Squats vs. Deadlifts

One of the episode's central topics is the most effective exercises for building glutes. Jennifer initiates the discussion by comparing hip thrusts, glute-specific exercises (GLS), and squats.

Key Points:

• Hip Thrusts: Widely discussed on social media, hip thrusts are praised for isolating the glutes effectively. Tara notes, “there's a lot of studies that have shown that you get more out of your glutes through a hip thrust than you would a squat” (01:37).

• Squats: The effectiveness of squats can vary based on the type. Tara emphasizes the importance of understanding different squat variations:

  • Back Squats: Depending on whether they are high bar or low bar, the muscle engagement changes.
  • Front Squats, Goblet Squats: Each variation targets muscles differently and impacts glute activation.

  Tara shares her personal experience, stating, “I'm more quad dominant. So I've literally never felt glutes in squats, no matter what I put on the bar” (01:55).

• Deadlifts: Contrary to some opinions labeling deadlifts as unnecessary, Tara passionately defends their value. “I am absolutely not in that camp and love deadlifts” (02:33).

Comparison and Benefits:

• Squats and Deadlifts: These are compound lifts engaging multiple muscle groups, including core, back, quads, and hamstrings. They offer broader functional benefits suitable for daily movements.

• Hip Thrusts: While excellent for targeting the glutes, Tara mentions, “it's not necessary” and shares her reluctance to perform them frequently due to setup challenges (04:05).

The Role of Deadlifts in Lower Body Training

Tara elaborates on the versatility of deadlifts, highlighting various modifications that cater to different fitness levels and preferences.

Notable Insights:

• Variations: Conventional barbell deadlifts, kettlebell deadlifts, dumbbell variations, and trap bar deadlifts allow for diverse training stimuli.

• Functional Benefits: Deadlifts mimic real-life movements like picking up objects, enhancing practical strength and stability.

Time-Wasting Exercises and the Importance of Compound Movements

The conversation shifts to evaluating the efficiency of certain exercises, with a focus on why some might be considered time-wasters.

Key Points:

• Isolation Exercises: Tara expresses skepticism about the necessity of exercises like bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and calf raises, especially for individuals with limited time. She argues that compound movements can effectively engage these muscle groups without the need for isolation:

  “Why would we do bicep curls and tricep kickbacks and calf raises when we're utilizing so many of those in a compound lift, for example, you can get so much from your arms by doing a row” (04:46).

• Efficiency: For those pressed for time, prioritizing compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, pushes, and pulls ensures maximum muscle engagement and functional strength.

Addressing Belly Fat and Core Training

Tara and Jen tackle the prevalent concern of belly fat, especially among aging populations, and debunk common myths surrounding abdominal training.

Key Insights:

• Spot Reduction Myth: Tara emphasizes that “there are no specific ways to spot tone” (06:03). Instead, overall fat loss through compound movements and proper nutrition is essential.

• Core Engagement through Compound Lifts: Tara advocates for integrating core strength within compound exercises. For example, performing goblet squats requires significant core stabilization: “In order to hold that weight in front of you, yes, you're using your arms, yes, you're using your legs, but to keep that weight in front of you, bracing your core is a huge aspect” (06:03).

• Practical Advice: Instead of dedicating hours to ab-specific exercises, Tara recommends incorporating full-body movements that naturally engage the core, such as lunges with dumbbells or stability-focused exercises.

Progressive Overload and Rep Ranges

The duo delves into the principles of progressive overload and the significance of choosing appropriate rep ranges to maximize muscle growth and strength gains.

Key Concepts:

• Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE): Tara introduces the RPE scale as a tool to gauge workout intensity: “If you have something that you do currently that feels easy, ... on a scale of 1 to 10, like, how hard would that be for you to add it in?” (09:06).

• Rep Ranges: Depending on individual goals, different rep ranges serve different purposes:

  • 6-12 Reps: Ideal for body recomposition and muscle hypertrophy.
  • 8-10 Reps: Supports strength building.
  • 12-20 Reps: Enhances muscular endurance.

  Tara explains, “if you're someone that wants to have some body recomposition, you typically want to be in that 6 to 12 rep range” (10:45).

• Finding the Right Balance: Tara uses the analogy of Goldilocks to describe selecting the “perfect weight” that is neither too easy nor overwhelmingly difficult: “You can use that perceived exertion to understand where you're at” (10:25).

Avoiding Plateaus and Muscle Confusion

Plateaus are inevitable in any fitness journey, and Tara offers strategies to overcome them without falling into the trap of ineffective or gimmicky exercises.

Strategies Discussed:

• Assessing True Plateaus: Tara advises confirming whether one is genuinely plateauing or not pushing hard enough: “How hard are you actually pushing yourself to get past that plateau that you might be in now?” (14:23).

• Variety in Training: Incorporating different variations of exercises, adjusting rep ranges, and changing training schedules can help break through plateaus: “We might switch up variations. We might switch up the days of the week that they're working out, we might switch up some of the rep ranges” (15:33).

• Consistent Progressive Overload: Continuously challenging the body by increasing weights, reps, or altering exercise tempo ensures ongoing progress: “Progressive overload is just the gradual increase over time and that does not necessarily have to be with weights” (12:54).

Navigating Fitness Myths and Social Media Influences

Jen and Tara address the overwhelming influence of social media on fitness practices, emphasizing the importance of sticking to proven fundamentals over trendy, often ineffective methods.

Key Takeaways:

• Beware of Gimmicks: Tara criticizes the prevalence of flashy, gimmicky exercises promoted on social platforms, advocating for foundational movements: “The things that actually move the needle and work are the basics” (16:09).

• Consistency Over Novelty: Consistent application of basic, compound exercises yields the best results, while the allure of new trends can lead to wasted time and frustration: “But like, when I stick to the most boring, that's when I get the best results” (16:49).

• Empathy and Education: Tara acknowledges the confusion within the fitness industry and empathizes with those overwhelmed by conflicting information, encouraging a return to simplicity and evidence-based practices: “If you want something so bad, you are going to believe anything you see” (07:59).

Conclusion

Episode 434 of Habits and Hustle offers a comprehensive exploration of effective fitness strategies, guided by Tara LaFerrara’s expertise. Listeners gain valuable knowledge on optimizing glute development, the importance of compound movements, debunking common fitness myths, and implementing progressive overload to prevent plateaus. Tara’s pragmatic approach serves as a reminder that simplicity and consistency often yield the most sustainable and impactful results in the pursuit of a healthy, fulfilled life.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tara LaFerrara on Hip Thrusts vs. Squats:
  “There are a lot of studies that have shown that you get more out of your glutes through a hip thrust than you would a squat” (01:37).

• On Progressive Overload:
  “Progressive overload is just the gradual increase over time and that does not necessarily have to be with weights” (12:54).

• On Fitness Myths:
  “The things that actually move the needle and work are the basics” (16:09).

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Timestamp Reference

• 01:37: Discussion on hip thrusts vs. squats effectiveness.
• 01:55: Tara shares her quad dominance and lack of glute engagement in squats.
• 02:33: Tara expresses her support for deadlifts.
• 04:05: Tara talks about her reduced emphasis on hip thrusts.
• 04:46: Critique of isolation exercises.
• 06:03: Addressing abdominal training and spot reduction.
• 09:06: Introduction of the RPE scale for workout intensity.
• 10:25: Utilizing perceived exertion for weight selection.
• 10:45: Optimal rep ranges for different fitness goals.
• 12:54: Explanation of progressive overload.
• 14:23: Strategies to overcome plateaus.
• 15:33: Adjusting training variables to prevent stagnation.
• 16:09: Emphasis on foundational exercises over gimmicks.
• 16:49: Importance of consistency in training.

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This structured summary captures the essence of Episode 434, highlighting Tara LaFerrara's insights on effective exercise practices, debunking myths, and advocating for a balanced, consistent approach to fitness.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, guys. It's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits and Hustle. Crush it.

[B]

Hey, friends, you're listening to Fitness Friday on the Habits and Hustle podcast, where myself and my friends share quick and very actionable advice for you becoming your healthiest self. So stay tuned and let me know how you leveled up. Tara, thank you so much for, like, you know, stay, you know, to kind of, like, bearing with us. I appreciate you being here, and, you know, hopefully we get this. It works. It's. It's recorded. You guys are listening to this properly. Tara's with me because she's a strength and mobility coach, and we're going to be doing a quick Fitness Friday with you and Tara. It's nice to have you here.

[A]

Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

[B]

Well, thank you for being here. And, like, I said thank you for, like, kind of bearing with our new struggles with technology, which, by the way, is always a problem with me. It's actually a user. I have to say. It's probably half of it. Psychic user. But anyway, it's tech.

[A]

It's fine.

[B]

It's tech. Exactly. Okay, I want to start. I have to. I want to ask you about glutes right off the bat here. Okay. Because me, we talk. Me and my fitness friends talk about this all the time, and I want to know your opinion. What is your opinion? Hip thrust versus a GL versus squats to build your glutes.

[A]

This is hilarious, because I feel like I've been seeing it all over social media recently.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. I actually saw a post today. Mindpub did a post today about this hip thrust, for sure. And there's a lot of studies that have shown that you get more out of your glutes through a hip thrust than you would a squat. It also depends on what kind of squat you're doing.

[B]

So.

[A]

So are we talking back squat? And are we talking high bar or low bar? Are we talking about front squats? Goblet squats? Like, they're all very different. It also depends on, like, what you are more dominant in. So, for example, I'm more quad dominant. So I've literally never felt glutes in squats, no matter what I put on the bar. And there's just so many more studies that show that you can get so much more from your glutes with hip thrusts.

[B]

So can I ask you a question? Because how about a deadlift? And before I even go into the next question, what's your opinion on deadlifts? A lot of people think Deadlifts are garbage. They're like an unnecessary lower body move. What is your opinion?

[A]

I am absolutely not in that camp and love deadlifts.

[B]

You love deadlifts. Okay, can you tell just like, just to kind of break it down in the most simplest terms, what can someone get from a squat, from a hip thrust and from a deadlift? What are the differences and what are the benefits of each?

[A]

Yeah, so it's great because all of them are compound lifts, meaning they're using multiple muscle and multiple joints. You're getting a lot out of each of them just on their own. You're always going to get more out of a squat and a deadlift than a hip thrust though. Because typically hip thrusts are just a little bit more hip dominant. You're not getting as much and they're more posterior focused. Whereas squats and deadlifts, you can actually get more in your core and your back and your quads and hamstrings. Like there's so much more you can get out of them. So what are they good for? I mean, squats are great for everything. We squat all day long, we sit on a toilet, we get up, that's a squat. When we're sitting in our chair, we get up, that's a squat. So longevity wise, squat is really just such an awesome movement for that. Deadlifts is great because you're always picking up something off the ground, whether it's a kid or a suitcase or just anything that you're picking up off the ground and standing up. This is more of a hinge movement, but there's so many different variations of it. And that's why I personally love deadlifts because you can do a barbell conventional deadlift, but you don't have to. You can use a kettlebell, you can use dumbbells, you can use a trap bar. Like there's so many different variations that you can get so much out of. Hip thrusts is great, but all. To be honest with you, it's not necessary. I personally don't do a ton of hip thrust anymore. Number one, because the setup is a pain in the ass.

[B]

Totally agree. I don't. I, I'm the same way. I hate doing hip thrust. It takes way too long to even get set up. Yeah.

[A]

But I will say there are a lot of variations that you can do through hip thrusts. Even a single leg hip thrust or a single leg decline glute bridge. You can get so much out of it with body weight or just lighter weight rather than setting up a whole bar and doing the whole thing.

[B]

So can we just talk about. What are some. What exercises would you say? And I know, let's just say this before we even go any further, like, no, exercise is a waste of time because movement is so important regardless. But with that caveat, what are some exercises that you think are kind of like a waste of time?

[A]

Hmm.

[B]

This is a.

[A]

This is a question that's an unpopular opinion. Uh, I think a lot of isolation exercises are, personally, especially if you are someone. And I work with a. A big population of people that don't have a ton of time. So why would we do bicep curls and tricep kickbacks and calf raises when we're utilizing so many of those In a compound lift, for example, you can get so much from your arms by doing a row. So if we think about the main compound lifts, like a. A squat, a hinge, a push, and a pull, you're getting a lot of those muscles. Muscles already. So not saying that they're unnecessary, but they're just overrated, in my opinion. And again, if you're short on that time, the best possible way to do it is to do compound lifts.

[B]

Yeah, you're speaking my language. What about abs? I get so many questions about abs, especially as you age, I should say, you know, when I was younger, it was more like, how do you get a six pack? How do you get a six pack? And now it's more like, how do I kind of just eliminate the belly fat that's accumulating in my midsection? I always say personally that abs are always made in the kitchen. It's not made in the gym. But with that also being said, are there specific things that people can do to target their belly fat to get the most bang for their buck in the gym?

[A]

Well, you already know the answer to this, I think, Jennifer, but you're asking me to tell them. Again, there are no specific ways to spot tone, and I'm going to lean back into compound lifts. I'm someone that basically never does core exercises ever, because I'm lifting heavy enough where I'm utilizing my core in those exercises. So, for example, one of my absolute favorite, like core quote, unquote exercise is a goblet squat. In order to hold that weight in front of you, yes, you're using your arms, yes, you're using your legs, but to. To keep that weight in front of you. Bracing your core is a huge aspect of this. And if we think about moms with their kids, they're holding them in front of them, like bracing your Core and making sure that you feel strong. There is a way to utilize your core without doing unnecessary crunches or V ups or bicycles or something like that.

[B]

Yeah, you know, it's funny because like a lot of people think that like they're going to do them 5 minutes of abs or 10 minutes of abs. I think it's so much more beneficial to take those five or 10 minutes and go for actually a walk or do like, or just do like dumbbells, like doing lunges with your dumbbells because you have to work your stability muscles. Just the sheer act of just moving more, more muscle groups at once. But yet like psychologically women are working out wrong. Like they, we still are in this mindset that we, we should be doing these like bicycle crunches or doing certain aerobic exercises or cardio exercises when like lifting heavy has been proven time and time again. All the research has shown that's how you change your body composition. Don't you? Like, do you find that like, what is your, what do you tell like your women clients? Like, do you find that happens all the time? Like they're. So if people are. The women are fearful of lifting weights?

[A]

Yeah. You know, I'll be honest, I've been in this industry for 13 years at this point and I think my audience knows me well enough to know that like they're not going to get that from me.

[B]

Yeah, I know. I see your stuff.

[A]

I used to post a lot of stuff that was like, you know, a lot of parody accounts of like do this one exercise and you get six pack abs. And I just like would make fun of them all the time because we all, we know now in the fitness industry that that's not the case. But I think now being in it for a while, I have empathy because it is a confusing place. And if you want something so bad, you are going to believe anything you see. So I really take it with a grain of salt of like, if this, if you want to try this out, great. Did it not work for you? Let's figure out what the root cause of why it didn't work and then kind of give that explanation on why crunches and you know, tuck ins and all that stuff actually doesn't work and why lifting heavy does. I think also the aspect of, you know, you're scared of lifting weights because you're going to look a certain way is really just another society media thing that like you are going to be this bulky human if you're, if you lift heavy bicep curls overnight, which we all know is not the case, but maybe sometimes those people need to go through it to figure it out themselves too.

[B]

Yeah. How do you know if you're lifting heavy enough?

[A]

That's a great question. And I like to use the RPE scale, which is rate of perceived exertion. It's a really great way to understand where you are currently at, because everyone is so different now. You can use this with anything. So if you have something that you do currently that feels easy, I mean, it could be something like you want to add a habit in your life, but you don't know where to add it, or you don't know how to add it and be consistent with it. On a scale of 1 to 10, like, how hard would that be for you to add it in? And then you can gradually start to add in a little bit more. You can do this with weightlifting. So let's say you can lift bicep curls. I'm using this example, but let's use a squat for a better example. Let's say you can do a squat for 10 pounds for 10 reps very easily. You're not out of breath at all. That's a really great chance for you to up the weight. Cool. Let's do the next set a little bit heavier. So now we're at maybe 30 pounds instead of 20. Okay. It was a little bit of challenge, but not that bad. We can still go up. This is why I really love rep ranges. So I do a lot of rep ranges in my training. 8 to 10 reps. We can utilize that scale to find the one, the number in the middle. I like to call that like, you know, Goldilocks and the three Bears. Like, this is the perfect weight for you. So it can always challenge you. If you're on the lower end of the rep range, that means it's maybe a little bit too heavy. If you're always on the higher, it means you can lift too much or it means you can definitely lift a little bit more.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So you can use that perceived exertion to understand where you're at. And sometimes for newbies out there, it might take a minute to figure out what that level is. But if you utilize it in other situations, you. You can have a better understanding of how it will feel in the gym.

[B]

So how many reps should you be doing between 8 and 10?

[A]

It just depends on the person and depends on your goals. I personally, like, I have an app called Broads that we do a lot in the 8 to 12 rep range, but that is to build strength if we are on the lower rep side, we're build, we're getting heavier and getting stronger. And then you can also do like a 12 to 20 rep range, which is more muscular endurance. Now if you're someone that wants to have some body recomposition, you typically want to be in that 6 to 12 rep range.

[B]

So how do you know if you're a 6 PER. If you should be doing 6 reps or 12 reps?

[A]

It just depends on the exercise, it depends on the program and really just depends on where you're at in the cycle of training. So this is a really great opportunity for people to be like, all right, what, what rep range do I want to stick with for at least four to six weeks? How did that feel? And how can I shift my program around to make it work best for me? So it's a lot of trial and error. Just like with nutrition and just like with business, like we have to try things out to, to make sure that they fit and they work really well for us in order to see that progress.

[B]

Or you know what, honestly, like, in my opinion it would be, and this is of course my opinion. I think you do all of it. You do sometimes six reps, you do sometimes eight reps, you do sometimes 12 reps. Because that's how you kind of get that muscle confusion. If you're doing the same amount of reps or the same amount of weight over and over again, you're never going to see any different results. It's going to be. You're going to basically just either your body gets very acclimated and then nothing happens after that.

[A]

Yeah, for sure. That's like just another example of progressive overload. Right. So we can use. That's why I always do at least a four week plan. So you see the same.

[B]

Well, wait, wait, talk about that because I was going to ask you about progressive overload because I think, yeah, people like hyp. I always say the word. I can never pronounce the word hyp.

[A]

Oh, hypertrophy.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yes, I could say I can. My, my lips can't say it. Say it again.

[A]

Hypertrophy.

[B]

Yes. And which is like basically progressive overload, which they say is the best type of training. Can you explain what that is and how it works with reps and how it works with weight?

[A]

So progressive overload is just the gradual increase over time and that does not necessarily have to be with weights. It could also be variation, it can be tempo, it can be shortening your rest periods, it could be adding sets or reps the easiest way to look at it could be just adding weight week over week. Now, if you've been doing this for a really long time, you're not going to be able to add weight to your workouts week over week, forever. So this is a cool way to add in different variations, maybe single leg exercises, tempo and such. But hypertrophy is more based on like, really muscle gain, like more of a aesthetic look. Whereas progressive overload is just building strength over time. So try not to. We can, we can try not to confuse them too much because sometimes people, women specifically, hear hypertrophy. If they don't know what it is, they might think it's more on that. Like, oh, I want. I'm. I'm going to get too big and bulky. But really progressive overload is just progressing what you're currently doing and getting better over time.

[B]

So let's go back to this whole about muscle confusion though, because that's what I was like initially. I'm like, you know, sometimes in my training I'll do like one for a while. For a few weeks I'll do like low reps, and then another week I'll do high reps and a couple days I'll do like middle, just so my body's not getting used to it. Would you say that, would you recommend that for somebody so they don't plateau or what do you tell people? Like, how do you break a plateau and how do you tell people how they will not plateau?

[A]

Well, first I always ask, like, are you actually in a plateau? Like, truly, are you there or do you not feel you're like, well, actually, yes, I am. Because truly, a lot of times, specifically with women, because that's all I work with right now, they think that they have pushed to their limit and they're actually not there just yet. If those last two or three reps are not really effing hard, you have more in the tank for sure. So I would always say, like, how hard are you actually pushing yourself to get past that plateau that you might be in now? Are plateaus real? 100%. Absolutely. I've definitely been in them before. There's so many different ways to go about this. I would say for myself and a lot of my clients, we'll switch up variations. We might switch up the days of the week that they're working out, we might switch up some of the rep ranges, but the base, the exercises stay the same, really. Realistically, we're not invent reinventing the wheel when it comes to fitness, right? Of course, you can add in tempo. And there's definitely some program design and scientific science that we can put behind it. But like, a squat's a squat, a deadlift, a deadlift press is a press.

[B]

So always reinventing the wheel. The funny thing is, especially on social media, right, like, people, like, are trying to, like, be as gimmicky as possible. And the reality is the things that actually move the needle and work are the basics. Like the boring, boring basics. You know, when I look at the people who have the best bodies, it's because they're doing the push, the pull. You know what I mean? Like the. They're doing the basic, they're doing the squat, they're doing the push up, they're doing the pull up. You know what I mean? It's not like all these kooky gimmicks with these kooky things that gets you really, like, it just wastes a whole lot of time.

[A]

Yeah, but again, I always think, like, you know, people are just trying to. They see a lot. Social media is hard.

[B]

Like, it's very hard. I agree with you. It's very overwhelming. And if you don't know what you don't know. Yeah, but like, even me, right, who's been doing this for 150 years, right? Like I'm sc. I scroll social media and I'm like, oh, you know, like, oh, maybe I should try this because people could be great salespeople, right? Like, it's so convincing. 100, right? Like, you don't enter. You're like, oh, maybe, maybe this is the panacea that I didn't know about. Right? But it takes you down this whole path. But like, again, like, when I stick to the most boring, that's when I get the best results.

[A]

And really it's consistency more than anything else. And I think that's what people really have the hardest possible time with, is sticking to it.

[B]

Yeah, 100%.