Let’s face it. We all have at least one body part that we don’t exactly love. Mine has been following me around for years. Whatever you call it: butt, booty, bedunadunk, or derriere, it’s fueled my fear of 3-way mirrors and bikini bottoms! Growing up, there wasn’t a pair of jeans I owned that weren’t taken in at the waist to compensate for my full behind. And, never once did I get up from my lounge chair at the swimming pool without a towel securely wrapped around me.
Over the years, I’ve learned to live with it. Thanks in no small part to spandex in jean fabric and stars like JLo and Beyonce, a bigger bottom is now acceptable. However, it needs to be toned and fit so I’ve learned a lot about lower body exercises.
Every trainer has a favorite routine, but not every trainer has personal experience with “booty blasting", so these are the exercises that work best for me!!!
Squat-a squat is a body resistance exercise that works the leg muscles. Specifically, the squat targets the quadriceps and the hamstring muscles. Bar none, this is one of the best exercises you can do for your entire lower body. There are many ways to perform a squat, even using a low chair or exercise ball. I prefer to use a stance that is at least shoulder width apart (or wider) with my toes pointed out at an angle. A wider stance also activates the gluteus maximus muscles better than a narrower stance. Since weak glutes increase stress on the knees and back, you want to strengthen this area to both look good and protect yourself from injury. I often use variations such as the plie’ and sissy squat on a regular basis as well. Although there are many variations of this exercise, for demonstrations of how to execute a basic squat properly, click on one of the following links:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/squat/MM00724
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/animations.asp
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/video.asp
Lunge-Lunges can be done forward, backward, side to side, at an angle, walking or stationary. The lunge targets the quadriceps and the hamstring muscles in the thigh, the gluteal muscles in the buttocks, and to a lesser extent, the lower leg muscle. The drop-knee version is the most basic lunge. Start by stepping forward in a split stance, with feet about 3 feet apart. You want both knees to be at about 90-degree angles at the bottom of the movement, so adjust accordingly. Bend the knees and lower the back knee toward the floor, keeping the front heel down and the knee directly over the center of the foot. Keep the torso straight and abs in as you push through the front heel and back to starting position. Many women find it easier to do a backward lunge where you begin by stepping backward rather than forward. Again, there are quite a few additional variations that you can learn from a trainer. To view a demonstration of the basic forward and backward lunge, click on the links:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lunge/MM00723
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/animations.asp
http://www.physicalfitnet.com/exercise_video/backward_lunge.aspx
Deadlift- I used to avoid this exercise for fear of hurting my back, but deadlifts can be done a number of different ways (straight-legged or bent knee). Hold either two dumbbells or a barbell in front of you. Stand straight with a slight bend in your knees. Keeping your back straight and your abdominals engaged (very important so you don’t injure your back), push your butt back and bend forward, back arched and eyes forward. Lower the weight to about knee to mid shin, then contract your hamstrings and glutes as you straighten from your hips to standing (use them to pull you up). You can also do this one leg at a time which is even easier on your lower back. Demos and animations of this exercise:
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/animations.asp
http://www.issaonline.com/personal-training-resources/hyperstrike/index.cfm
Step ups-Although Step ups seem easy at first, they really do work the glutes and the hamstrings hard. The trick is to make sure you're stepping up onto a platform that's high enough to really activate those muscle fibers but no more than a 90 degree bend as you step up. Stand behind a platform or step, with or without weights in your hand. Place the right foot on the step, transfer the weight to the heel and push into the heel to come onto the step. Concentrate on only using the right leg, keeping the left leg active only for balance. Slowly step back down and repeat all reps on the right leg before switching to the left. (10 or 12 per side should work).
http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/animations.asp
I change my leg routine regularly, but I keep coming back to variations of these four types. Concentrated cardio, like spinning, kickboxing and stair climbing help speed up your progress as well. Remember though, your rear view will still be a “Wide Load” if you don’t watch what you’re eating.
