Backside Boosters, No Gym Required
A stronger, leaner rear-end doesn't mean you have to hit the Stairmaster. Try these simple exercises to tone your bottom at home and while you work
Money is tight, but your rear end isn't.
That's problematic if you are planning to invest in a few new pieces for your wardrobe. The latest fashions offer little in the way of camouflage. Pencil skirts, cropped jackets and fitted, high-waist pants do nothing, in fact, to disguise droopy or overly padded buns.
But you can tighten those assets in no time without spending a penny on health club dues or exercise equipment.
"The butt is one of those areas that everyone wants to focus on, so I teach clients a simple combination of exercises that build up the gluteus muscles with quick results," says personal fitness trainer Daphne Johnson, Philadelphia. "It's designed to be simple so they can do it at home without any special equipment."
And why make things complicated? When the American Council on Exercise (ACE), San Diego, Calif., commissioned research to determine the best butt-toning exercises, only one of the four movements that proved most effective required the use of a machine.
Bear in mind that Johnson's routine will make flabby buns shapelier, but they won't make a fat bottom smaller. That's because it's possible to target and build specific muscles, but not to spot-reduce fat off specific body parts, says Cedric X. Bryant, ACE's chief exercise physiologist.
If excess poundage is a problem, supplement the following exercises with aerobic activity, and you'll have a pared-down derriere in a matter of weeks.
Unless otherwise specified, do two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions for each exercise.
Stair climbs. Ascend a flight of stairs, taking two steps at a time. Push off on your heel to target the gluteus. Repeat two or three times. (No need to skip steps on the way down.) No stairs? Try step-ups: Place a sturdy chair against the wall and step up onto it, leading with the right leg. Focus on bearing your weight on your heel. Do eight to 10 repetitions, then switch and lead with your left leg.
Basic squats. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. With stomach muscles flexed and chin pointed forward, press your pelvis back as though you were sitting down in a chair. Focus on pressing the hips back instead of bending at the knees. Lower your rear until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then stand back up, pressing through the heels and squeezing your gluteus on the way up.
Bridging. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Pressing with the heels, raise your rear off the floor until your knees, hips and shoulders are in alignment. Hold for two seconds and then lower, but don't let your bottom touch the floor. Repeat.
Donkey kick. On your hands and knees, contract your abdominals to stabilize your torso. Lift one leg up, keeping the foot flexed and the knee bent at 90 degrees. Lift the leg until the bottom of your foot is pointing toward the ceiling and the leg is in line with your spine. Repeat on the same side for eight to 12 reps, then change legs.
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