Tank Top Arms

Booty. Apple-bottom. Money maker. Glutes. All slang names for the simple butt.

I honestly can’t say that I know one single person that likes their own butt. We are all so critical of ourselves, me included. Do I have a perfect butt? No, though I am in a positive place now because of the work I’ve put into it. It’s NOT impossible to get a nice looking butt, trust me! You can do this too. Your glutes, or Gluteus Maximus,  are not one of the easiest muscle groups to transform, but you get so much more when you work towards that. I say this because when you work your glutes, you will also be working your Quadriceps and Hamstrings AKA your thigh muscles.

Look at these two photos.

Acquaint your self with the legs. There is much to be said about a sexy pair of strong legs on a woman. Forget about spot reducing. When I hear people ask me, “what can I do to get rid of this?” (as they point to a jiggly butt). I always give the same advice to each and everyone of them: You CANNOT spot reduce. In other words, you can’t just focus on thinning out one specific area of your body…unless of course you opt for surgery. That being said, write this down: DIET and EXERCISE will reduce the problem areas for you :) But have fun doing it!

So here, I have some tried and true exercises that will help lift up your, uuhh, spirits? Ok, Ok, lift up your BUTT!

Simple Squats: Stand with feet hip-width apart and squat, keeping back straight, abdominal muscles in and knees behind your toes. If you’d like, you can use a chair to lightly touch the chair with your butt and squeeze it to stand up. Keep your head upright looking straight ahead.

Lunges: Lunges are a challenging exercise because they work so many muscles at the same time. On the front leg, you’ll work the glutes and hamstrings and, on the back leg, you’ll work the quads and calves. Extend your leg back and slightly to the outside with your back foot flexed. Maintaining good posture, lower your body by flexing both knees 90 degrees. Return to the starting position.

Deadlifts: Deadlifts are great for your hamstrings, butt and lower back, but form is critical and you should skip this exercise if you have any back problems! These can be done with a barbell (the long bar with weights at each end) or with dumbbells like in the picture, with a weight in each hand. To do this move, take the left leg back just a bit, lightly resting on the toe. With the weights in front of the thighs, tip from the hips and lower the weights as low as your flexibility allows. Keep your back flat or with a natural arch and make sure you keep the abs contracted to protect the back. Squeeze the glutes of the working leg to raise back up.

These three exercises will give you amazing results! Try to do 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions of each exercise. Doing your part of cardio exercise/physical activity and weight training activities (like squats and deadlifts) can make a big difference in your backside and help you get those winning cheeks :)

So go and kick some butt!

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