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What's inside
Wondering how WBFF Bikini Pro Lauren Simpson built her famous lower body? Good news: she shared her whole routine.
In her interview with Simplyshredded, Lauren laid out her full training week, her glute secrets and what she ate while preparing for a competition. In this article, we’re covering all of it in her own words, then giving you a 4 day version that fits a normal life.
One thing to know up front: that interview is from 2016, and she was in contest prep at the time. So think of this as how she trained then, not necessarily what she does today.
Lauren Simpson at a glance
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Weight | 132 lb (60 kg) at the time of the interview |
| Known for | WBFF Bikini Pro, glute and lower body training |
| Training style | Heavy weights, minimal cardio |
How she got started
Lauren was sporty from the start. She played “athletics, netball and touch football competitively” growing up.
She started going to the gym about four years before the interview, but says she “really didn’t become passionate about training until two years ago.” That’s when she “made the switch from being a ‘cardio bunny’ to lifting heavy weights!” She got a coach, set her goals, and two years later she was a WBFF Bikini Pro.
Her training style
In her words: “A workout routine focusing primarily on weight training with minimal to no cardio works best for me. My style of training is a cross between powerlifting and bodybuilding.”
She also describes herself as an ectomorph, or someone who’s naturally slim and finds it hard to keep muscle on: “Lifting heavy has really helped to stimulate my overall muscle growth, particularly with my lower body.”
And for cardio? “Usually, I’ll go for a walk.”
Lauren Simpson’s full routine
This is her week exactly as she shared it, six training days with Sunday as active rest.
Monday: legs
| Exercise | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| Squats (superset with leg curls) | 5 x 5 |
| Lying leg curls | 5 x 5 |
| Split squats | 4 x 10 each leg |
| Machine glute kickbacks | 4 x 12 |
Tuesday: back and shoulders
| Exercise | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| Seated barbell press | 6 x 6-8 |
| Neutral grip pull-ups | 4 x 4-6 |
| Wide grip lat pulldowns | 4 x 12-15 |
| Seated Arnold press | 4 x 4-6 |
| Incline rear delt raises | 4 x 12-15 |
Wednesday: glutes and hamstrings
| Exercise | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| Sumo deadlifts | 4 x 10-12 |
| Barbell hip thrusts | 4 x 10-12 |
| Barbell stiff-legged deadlifts | 4 x 10-12 |
| Lying leg curls | 4 x 10-12 |
| Curtsy lunges | 4 x 12 |
| Cable kickbacks | 3 x 12-15 |
| Hip abductors | 3 x 25 |
Thursday: chest and arms
| Exercise | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| Bench press | 6 x 6-8 |
| Standing barbell curls | 4 x 6-8 |
| Incline hammer curls | 4 x 12-15 |
| Flat dumbbell extensions | 4 x 6-8 |
| Standing rope pushdowns | 4 x 12-15 |
Friday: quads and calves
| Exercise | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| Squats | 4 x 10-12 |
| Close stance leg press | 4 x 10-12 |
| Barbell lunges | 4 x 10-12 |
| Sissy squats (holding a weight plate) | 4 x 10-12 |
| Leg extensions | 4 x 10-12 |
| Walking dumbbell lunges | 3 x 10-12 |
| Standing calf raises | 3 x 12-15 |
| Seated calf raises | 3 x 12-15 |
Saturday: back and shoulders
| Exercise | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| Standing barbell press | 6 x 6-8 |
| Pull-ups | 4 x 6-8 |
| Neutral grip narrow pulldowns | 4 x 12-15 |
| Seated dumbbell lateral raises | 4 x 6-8 |
| Prone rear delt raises | 4 x 12-15 |
Sunday: active rest
Her secret to glute development
Lauren trains legs three times a week, and each day has a different job: “one session per week concentrating on strength training, so I do a lot of squats and deadlifts. On the other leg days, I like to incorporate smaller isolated exercises and focus on engaging and activating my muscles.”
Before those sessions, she does “a circuit of band exercises which really fires up my glutes.”
Her favorite booty building exercises? “Hip thrusts, step ups, kickbacks, sumo squats, pulses and curtsy lunges.”
Is three leg days a lot? It’s more about the total. Research on training frequency found that when weekly work is equal, how many days you split it across makes little difference to muscle growth. Three days just spreads that work out so each session is shorter and you can push harder.
What she ate
At the time of the interview, Lauren was “prepping for the WBFF European Championships,” so her diet was strict. She described a “blended approach between macros and clean eating,” with six meals:
| Meal | What she ate |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5 oz egg whites, 3 oz oats, 1 tablespoon honey |
| 2 | 1 scoop protein, 1 cup blueberries |
| 3 | 3.5 oz barramundi, 9 oz sweet potato |
| 4 | 2.5 oz chicken breast, 5 oz mixed vegetables, 1.5 oz walnuts |
| 5 | 3.5 oz ground turkey, 3.5 oz pumpkin, 1/4 cup baby spinach, 2 oz avocado |
| 6 | 1 scoop protein, 1/4 cup almonds |
Please don’t copy this as an everyday meal plan. Contest prep diets are built for a stage date, with a coach. For everyday eating, a solid target is about 0.6 to 0.9 g of protein per pound of bodyweight a day (1.4 to 2.0 g per kg), spread across your meals.
A 4 day version for real life
Six days a week is a lot. This is Exercise With Style’s version, built from Lauren’s structure and her favorite exercises, for anyone who can train four days. Sets and reps are ours.
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Legs, heavy: squat 4 x 6-8, Romanian deadlift 3 x 8-10, split squat 3 x 10 each leg, glute kickback 3 x 12 |
| Tuesday | Back and shoulders: overhead press 4 x 6-8, pull-up or lat pulldown 4 x 8-10, Arnold press 3 x 10, rear delt raise 3 x 12-15 |
| Thursday | Glutes and hamstrings: band circuit warm-up, hip thrust 4 x 10-12, sumo deadlift 3 x 10, curtsy lunge 3 x 12 each leg, hip abductor 3 x 20 |
| Friday | Chest, arms and quads: bench press 3 x 8, leg press 3 x 12, walking lunge 3 x 10 each leg, curls and pushdowns 2 x 12-15 each |
Start with the lower end of each set range for the first two weeks. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, go up a little in weight next session.
Questions people ask
Is this her exact routine?
The 6 day week, the exercises and the sets and reps are exactly what she shared in 2016. The 4 day version is ours.
Can a beginner do her routine?
Not the full 6 days. Start with a 3 day plan like the women’s full body gym workout, then try the 4 day version after a few months.
Does she really do minimal cardio?
In that interview, yes. She said weights with “minimal to no cardio” works best for her, plus walking.
What else trains glutes like this?
Take a look at the Amanda Elise Lee workout routine, the slim thick workout and the hourglass workout.
Happy lifting, and enjoy those leg days!
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a new training or nutrition plan, especially if you have an injury or a medical condition.
