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

Episode Date: March 21, 2025

Are hip thrusts better than squats for building glutes? Fitness coach Tara LaFerrara settles the age-old debate in this week's Fitness Friday episode on the Habits and Hustle Podcast. According to Tara, hip thrusts are indeed superior for glute development, with numerous studies backing this claim. But the real takeaway? The boring basics are what actually work. We discuss why compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses deliver better results than isolation exercises and debunk the myth of spot-toning abs. We also dive into how to determine if you're lifting heavy enough using the RPE scale, appropriate rep ranges for different fitness goals, and why consistent "boring basics" outperform flashy social media workout trends in delivering real results. Tara LaFerrara is a certified strength and mobility coach who transformed personal struggles with body image and unhealthy habits into a mission to help women approach fitness from a holistic perspective. With 13 years of industry experience, she advocates for sustainable, enjoyable movement rather than strict regimens, empowering clients through her app Broadzit and virtual training programs. Tara specializes in a well-rounded approach to fitness that combines strength training expertise with mindset coaching, emphasizing community support and individual needs.  What we discuss:  Hip thrusts vs. squats for glute development  The benefits of different compound exercises  "Waste of time" exercises  The truth about spot-toning and targeting belly fat  Women's common fears about lifting heavy weights How to know if you're lifting heavy enough (RPE scale) What progressive overload is and how to implement it Breaking through plateaus in your training The importance of consistency over flashy workout routines Thank you to our sponsor: AquaTru: Get 20% off any purifier at aquatru.com with code HUSTLE Therasage: Head over to therasage.com and use code Be Bold for 15% off  TruNiagen: Head over to truniagen.com and use code HUSTLE20 to get $20 off any purchase over $100. Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code Jen at checkout. BiOptimizers: Want to try Magnesium Breakthrough? Go to https://bioptimizers.com/jennifercohen and use promo code JC10 at checkout to save 10% off your purchase. Timeline Nutrition: Get 10% off your first order at timeline.com/cohen Air Doctor: Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code HUSTLE for up to $300 off and a 3-year warranty on air purifiers.  Bio.me: Link to daily prebiotic fiber here, code Jennifer20 for 20% off.  Momentous: Shop this link and use code Jen for 20% off To learn more about Tara LaFerrara:  Website: https://www.taralaferrara.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taralaferrara  Podcast: Broads: The Bold & Badass Fitness Podcast for Women Find more from Jen: Website: https://www.jennifercohen.com/ Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: https://www.jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: https://www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

Hi guys, it's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits and Hustle. Crush it. 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. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. 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's like just a user, but anyway. Um, it's tech. It's fine. 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. Cause me, we talk, I mean, my fitness friends, uh, talk about this all the time and I want to know your opinion. What is your opinion, hip thrust versus squats to build your glutes? This is hilarious, because I feel like I've been seeing it all over social media recently.

Really? 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. So are we talking back squat and are we talking high bar or low bar? Are we talking about front squats, goblet squats?

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. 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? I am absolutely not in that camp and love deadlifts. 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? 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.

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. There's so many different variations that you can get so much out of. Hip thrust is great, but 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. Totally agree.

I mean, the same way. I hate doing hip thrusts. This takes way too long to even get set up. Yeah. 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.

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? This is a question that's in unpopular opinion. I think a lot of isolation exercises are personally, especially if you are someone and I work with 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 squat, a hinge, a push, and a pull, you're getting a lot of those 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 lists. Yeah, you're speaking my language. What about abs? I get so many questions about abs, especially as you age, I should say.

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?

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 gonna 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, using your legs, but 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.

Yeah, you know, it's funny because like a lot of people think that like they're going to do the five 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 yeah, 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 researchers show that's how you change your body composition. 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? The women are fearful of lifting weights. Yeah, 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 they're not going to get that from me.

Yeah, I know. I see your stuff. I used to post a lot of stuff that was 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're 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 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.

Yeah. How do you know if you're lifting heavy enough? That's a great question. 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. If you have something that you do currently, that feels easy.

I mean, it can 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 one 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 weight lifting. So let's say you can lift bicep curls. I'm using this example, but let's use the 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 number in the middle. I

like to call that like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. 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. 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 can have a better understanding of how

it will feel in the gym. So how many reps should you be doing between eight and 10? It just depends on the person and depends on your goals. I personally, like I have an app called Broadset. We do a lot in the eight to 12 rep range, but that is to build strength. If we are on the lower rep side, we're building, 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 six to 12 rep range. So how do you know if you're a six, if you should be doing six reps or 12 reps? 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 rep range do I wanna 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 make sure that they fit and they work really well for us in order to see that progress Or you know, and 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 of 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. 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 exercises. Well, wait, wait, talk about that because I was going to ask you about progressive overload.

Yeah. Because I think people like, I always say the word, I can never pronounce the word. Oh, hypertrophy? Yeah, yeah, yes. I could say, I couldn't, my lips can't say it. Say it again. Hypertrophy? Yes, which is 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? 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 an aesthetic look, whereas progressive overload is just building strength over time. So try not to... 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'm gonna get too big and bulky. But really, progressive overload is just progressing what you're currently doing and getting better over time.

So let's go back to this whole about muscle confusion, though, because that's what I was like, initially, 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? Well, first I always ask like, are you actually in a plateau? Like, truly, are you there or do you not feel... Yeah. You're like, well, actually, yes, I am. 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 reinventing the wheel when it comes to fitness right? Of course you add in tempo, and there's definitely some program design

and science that we can put behind it, but like a squat's a squat, a deadlift's a deadlift, press is a press. So always know the facts there. And it's not reinventing the wheel. The funny thing is, especially on social media, right? Like people are trying to 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. 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? 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. Yeah, but again, I always think like, you know, people are just trying to... They see a lot. Social media is hard. 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 scroll social media and I'm like, oh, you know, like, oh, maybe I should try this because people can be great salespeople, right? Like it's so convincing. And you're right. Like you don't know. And you're like, well, 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 shit, that's when I get the best results.

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. Yeah. 100%. Music