| From BODi
Fitness & Health by
Joe
Wilkes
 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. |
