6 Simple Solutions for a
Sexier Bottom By Joe Wilkes
From the Team Beachbody Club - Join Today and Workout to
Win!
 Too much junk in your trunk?
Need to reduce your caboose? Want a little less donk in your badonkadonk? A
better backseat is at the front of most people's fitness goals. But there's no
need to use machines or expensive weight sets to get a better pair of buns.
Some of the most effective exercises can be done with no equipment or a simple
set of dumbbells. (The exercises below are described using dumbbells, but they
can be done without dumbbells, as well.) For all of these exercises, start
slowly or you may find it difficult to walk, much less exercise. Work up to 25
or 30 reps before adding weight. When you do add resistance, make it enough to
induce failure around 12 to 15 reps. Now, read on for some exercises you can do
at home or on the road that will help you turn your glutes into beauts.
- Squats -
Squats are considered the most effective exercise for
targeting the glutes. I first discovered the power of the squat while traveling
in Italy. Many of the public restrooms were merely a hole in the ground with a
footprint on either side. Suffice it to say, by the end of my stay, my thighs
and glutes were in their best shape ever, and I had a new appreciation of why
Italy fields such a strong soccer team.
- Simply
hold a pair of dumbbells parallel to your shoulders or hanging down at your
sides.
- With
your feet planted on the floor, flat, and with your weight evenly distributed
from your heel to the balls of your feet, slowly lower yourself, keeping your
back straight, until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then return to
standing position.
- Step-ups -
This exercise requires a bench, a stool, or some other
flat platform that's about knee high.
- Holding
your dumbbells by your side, step up onto the bench with your right leg, and
use that leg to pull yourself up, so that you're standing with both feet on the
bench.
- Then,
dropping your left leg behind you, use your right leg to lower yourself to the
ground. Repeat the exercise with your left leg doing the heavy lifting. The
farther away you stand from the bench, the better the exercise is for your
glutes. The closer you stand, the better for your thighs.
-
Lunges -
Lunges target your quadriceps and hamstrings more than
the glutes, but they're all connected, so if you want sexy buns, you're going
to have to pay attention to your thighs as well.
- Stand
with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
- Step
forward with your right leg. Keeping your back straight, lean forward until
your left knee is almost touching the ground, then return to starting position.
Repeat the exercise, lunging with the opposite leg. You can make this exercise
harder by upping the weights, or by performing it on an uphill slope.
- Standing kickbacks -
The favorite exercise of Congress! (Just kidding; they
don't exercise.)
- Stand a
couple feet away from the back of a chair, and lean forward, holding on to the
chairback.
- Raise
your right leg up and back as far as you can without arching your back, flexing
your buttock when your leg is most extended, and hold it. Return to starting
position, and repeat with your left leg.
- Gluteal flexing -
This is something you can do whenever and wherever you
get a chance, although in some places, you may need more strength of character
than strength of buttock. Don't do it on a first date (unless it's going bad,
and you need an out). Simply squeeze and release your butt muscles repeatedly.
Do it in the office. Do it while watching TV. Do it to get your own seat on the
bus. All you need is your butt and a lack of shame. It doesn't get any simpler.
- Day-to-day activities -
Although most of us simply regard them collectively as
nature's seat cushion, the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus make up a huge
muscle group. And keeping them in shape doesn't just improve the view of the
people behind you; these large muscles help burn more calories everywhere. So
be good to your butt and your butt will be good to you. And there are plenty of
opportunities each day where you can give your booty a boost without the
benefit of a formal workout.
|
The simplest thing is to take the stairs.
Try taking the stairs two at a time, keeping your back straight, and without
dragging yourself by the handrail. You may be reported to the Ministry of Silly
Walks, but isn't it a small price to pay for a sleeker keester? Also, walk
more. Try and accomplish your nearby errands by walking with a brisk, long
stride, keeping your knees up. Hiking, bicycling, and rollerblading are also
terrific ways to work your butt, without it seeming like work. And sports such
as tennis, soccer, and racquetball are great exercise and social outlets . . .
especially now that you and your butt are friends again. |
