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Women
of all shapes, sizes, and ages can benefit from butt workouts.
Not
only is a firm, toned butt sexy, it is also essential in
supporting your thighs and core in bodybuilding and athletic
performance and competition. The butt consists of three primary muscles: the
gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus.
Each of them are connected to the hips, facilitating movement in
the legs, lower back, and abdomen. Medical researchers of the study, “Gluteal
Muscle Activation During Common Therapeutic Exercises” in the “Journal of
Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy” found that squats,
deadlifts, lunges, side-lying hip abductions, and lateral band walks worked
butt muscles most effectively.
To get the toned butt you desire, always start
your training session with some light cardio.
Elliptical
machines, stairs (or StairMasters), and arc trainers are great exercises to
start training and toning your butt.
Ladies, it
is essential to attack your but
t and train it
with heavy weights. Although there are some genetically gifted
souls, for the rest of you, cardio alone isn’t going to get your booty
looking round and feeling firm and tight.
These are five of
the best butt workouts for women:
1.
The Old School Deadlift, Squat, and Lunge
Some female bodybuilders swear by old school techniques that
might bring back memories of high school gym class. Just ask Pauline
Nordin, trainer and diet coach for the Nordic version of “The Biggest Loser”
and star of “The Butt Bible,” a workout video by NBC/Universal. She said,
“Those exercises allow you to use the kind of weight necessary to build the
sort of muscle tissue that ultimately gives the glutes a nice, round shape.”
Pauline
also suggests that butt training should be part of your normal leg
routine, and that you need to top off your strength training with good
stretches to increase your flexibility and stimulate your muscles into reaching
a full range of motion. This is one of the butt workouts that Pauline
recommends:
·
Lying Down Straight Leg Raise: 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
·
Super-Wide Barbell Squat: 5 sets of 10 reps
·
Bridge (one leg at a time): 3 sets of 10 reps
·
Bridge (both legs): 2 sets pf 20 reps
·
Barbell Split Lunge: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
·
Sumo-Style Barbell Deadlift: 3 sets of 20 reps
·
Seated Abductor Machine: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
·
Super-Wide Barbell Squat: 3 sets of 10 reps
2.
Hip and Leg Raises and Extensions
If
you simply cannot bear the thought of squats and deadlifts, there are plenty of
alternative butt workouts designed for women like you. Hip and
leg raises may not sound very intense, but they’re exactly the kind of
movements your butt needs to get toned.
“Women’s Health Magazine” suggests starting with a hip
raise that involves lying on your back with your keens bent and your feet flat
on the floor.
·
Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from
shoulders to knees.
·
Lift one knee to your chest, then lower back to the start.
·
Lift the other knee to your chest, and continue alternating.
You can also do single-leg hip raises by extending one leg until
it’s in line with your opposite thigh, and pushing your hips upward. One great
variation to these exercises is to use an inflatable exercise ball under your
feet, calves, or knees.
3.
Kettlebells and Barbells
Don’t be intimated by all the heavy equipment at the gym; it’s
only there to help you achieve your fitness potential! Kettlebell swings are
intense, fast-paced, and work your whole body.
Your butt, however, initiates and dominates the bottom half of
the bodily motion. Try this kettlebell workout, but first watch this video to
understand proper form:
·
Start in a low, wide squat position with a kettlebell in between
your feet.
·
With your chest puffed out, abs tight, and lower back pinched,
powerfully contract your glutes and swing the kettlebell upwards with two hands
until it’s in-line with your face.
·
Under control, lower the weight back to the ground, stick out
your butt, and immediately complete the next rep.
Watch this video – Kettle Bell Swing
Although barbell squats aren’t anything new, they are incredibly
effective in working your backside at the gym. They also build leg strength and
help improve your ability to balance.
Try this barbell workout after you watch this video to safely
execute the moves:
·
Stand shoulder-width apart with a barbell across your traps.
·
Stick out your butt, maintain a flat back, and lower down until
your thighs are parallel with the floor.
·
Drive up through your heels, and return up back to start.
Watch this video - Fitness Tips with
Chrissy Zmijewski: The Barbell Squat
4.
At-Home Floor Work
To achieve a shapely behind, you’re going to need to take your
workout beyond the gym and incorporate butt-shaping moves into your daily
routine. Here’s a few at-home exercises that you can do comfortably in your own
living room:
·
Side-lying leg lift: Lie on your side with your legs extended
out straight. Your lower arm can rest under your head, your top arm on your
hip. Lift the top leg up while keeping your hips steady and facing forward – do
not rotate backward. Lower down and repeat. For an added challenge, wear an
ankle weight.
·
Clam Shell: Lie on your left side on the floor with your hips
and knees bent 45-degrees. Your right leg should be on top of your left leg,
heels together. Keeping your feet in contact with each other, raise your right
knee as high as you can without moving your pelvis. Pause, then return to the
starting position. Don’t allow your left leg to move off the floor.
·
Toe taps: Lie on the floor with your arms on your sides. Lift
your feet, bending both knees to 90-degrees so your thighs are perpendicular to
the floor. Slowly and quietly tap your left toes to the floor, then your right.
Alternate tapping feet for one minute. If you feel any lower back pain, don’t
bring your toes all the way down.
5.
Yoga and Pilates
Yoga has seemingly endless health benefits, so it should come as
no surprise that a toned butt is one of them. These are a few yoga poses ideal
for toning the butt:
·
Warrior 1 and 2
·
Chair pose
·
Bridge pose
·
Locust pose
·
Upward-facing plank pose
·
Single-legged plank pose
One
common Pilates move involves lying on your side and reaching one leg behind
your body. This works your butt, and can also be done while
lying over an exercise ball or standing upright. Always execute Pilates-style
leg extensions with slow, controlled movements while keeping the torso stable
and the glutes squeezed. Try doing three sets of 15 repetitions for leg and hip
extensions, and then switch legs
Summary
The best way to attack your booty from all angles and avoid
workout boredom is to incorporate all five of these butt workouts for women
into your fitness routine. They all complement each other nicely by working
your butt in different ways at varying levels of intensity.
Another popular butt workout that you can access online at home
is Vitality Advocate’s “Bubble
Butt Workout for Women.”
Always make sure to warm-up with some light cardio, then
stretch your hip flexors before training your glutes, because hip
flexors get overworked during all the time you spend sitting down And remember
– a better butt is just one part of a toned and healthy body.
Eating
a healthy plant-based diet and strengthening
the other muscles in your body are equally important to complement your
fabulous fanny!
To get more ideas about butt workouts for women, watch this
video - 10 MIN BOOTY BURN // No Equipment |
Pamela Reif
Author
Bio:
Chris
Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.
V3
Vegetarian Bodybuilding System is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with optimal diet and
exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians only.
A
lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of
professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising
its progressiveness and efficiency.
The
program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your
potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this
system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any
carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in
your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of
proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Instead
of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and
bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian
Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for
athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”
To
find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding –
Butt Workouts for Women
