Trainer Dion O'Brown shares glute, squat and full-body moves for summer tone-up

Fitness trainer Dion O'Brown joined a Daytime Live summer segment to show viewers how to firm the glutes, tighten the midsection and build a stronger overall physique with consistent gym work.

Host Shana Chin, who said she had been training for nearly three months, asked O'Brown for practical guidance after admitting she still wanted a flatter stomach and more defined lower body. O'Brown told viewers that muscle growth is slow and that three months is often only a start. She stressed staying the course—training three to four days a week, eating enough protein and showing up regularly rather than sporadically.

One of her preferred moves for the glutes and hamstrings is the Romanian deadlift, or RDL. With a soft bend in the knees, the hips hinge backward until a stretch is felt through the hamstrings, then the body rises while the glutes tighten at the top. Weights—barbells or dumbbells—should stay close to the body. A resistance band around the knees can add difficulty.

Next came the sumo squat: feet set wider than the shoulders, toes angled outward, and the load centred as the body lowers and returns up with a glute squeeze. For people whose knees complain on deep squats, O'Brown suggested a chair sit-to-stand instead. She warned against high-impact options such as jump squats and burpees when joints hurt, urging people to match exercises to what their bodies can handle.

Lunges also feature in her lower-body work for the glutes and quads, though she noted they can bother the knees. Safer glute options she listed include machine work, hip thrusts, floor glute bridges and cable kickbacks.

Asked whether spot training alone can deliver the look people want, O'Brown said she pushes full-body strength training, especially for women. A balanced hourglass shape, she argued, comes from building the upper body, lower body, core and glutes together—not from glute work in isolation. Push-ups rounded out the on-air demo as an upper-body and core staple.

O'Brown, who works as a personal trainer, left viewers with the same message she demonstrated on set: stay consistent, train safely, and shape the whole frame—not just one area.