A complete buttock workout for women at home

The Workout

The following workout requires minimal equipment and can be done in the comfort of your own home. Or, take this sheet with you when you travel and you’ll be sure to stay fit no matter where you find yourself.

The Muscles: An Overview

The buttocks are formed by the masses of the gluteal muscles or 'glutes' (the gluteus maximus and the gluteus medius) superimposed by a layer of fat.

Your bum…your rear…that junk in your trunk, so many ways to describe your glute muscles. When really all you want to hear is “gorgeous.” Unfortunately the female body carries a lot of fat deposits in this area and because the female body is designed for childbirth, getting rid of this fat is not always easy. But, there is hope. This workout is designed to kick your butt and give you those gorgeous glutes we all want.


Warm Up

Before you start any type of muscle-building routine be sure to warm up. Warm muscles respond better to exercise and a warm up will also help prevent any injuries. Spend about 5-10 minutes jumping rope, climbing the stairs, doing star jumps or jogging in place. Or if you’re feeling frisky, turn on some music and get moving.

Now that you’re warm, let’s get started

Step Ups

• Place one foot on a step or platform and push through the heel onto the step.

• Lower down gently, barely touching the toes of the other leg to the ground.

• Continue alternating legs until fatigued (you cannot perform a full repetition with good form).

TIP: Be sure you use a step or platform that is high enough and make sure your knee is bent to 90 degrees or less to keep it safe.

Walking Hop-Lunges

• Stand upright with your feet together.

• Take a step forward with your right leg, dropping your left knee toward the floor. As you bring that leg up to meet the rest of your body, hop up on your right leg as high as possible. Be sure to clear out a long space so you don't have an excuse to rest between jumps, and continue to move forward.

• Continue alternating legs until fatigued (you cannot perform a full repetition with good form).

TIP: Lunge slowly and deliberately to maintain control and balance. If you wobble as you drop downward, stop and stabilize yourself before bringing your back leg up into the hop. Make sure your forward foot is firmly planted, as you generate power from that leg to lift your body upward.

Hip Extensions

• Get on your hands and knees and keep your abs tight as you lift one leg up with your knee at a 90-degree angle throughout the movement.

• Keep lifting the leg until the bottom of the foot faces the ceiling and the hip, thigh and knee are all in alignment and parallel to the floor. Don't arch the back and keep the neck straight.

• Lower your leg back down and repeat until fatigued (you cannot perform one full repetition with good form); then switch legs.

One-legged squat

• Stand on a step or small platform.

• Lift left leg out in front of step (or behind you!) and bend the right leg while bring the hips back behind you.

• Push into the heel to come up

• Repeat until fatigued (you cannot perform one full repetition with good form); then switch legs.

The Lunge

• Position your feet about shoulder width apart, with your feet pointing straight ahead. Pick up a pair of hand weights.

• Step your left foot forward, keeping your leg centered over your ankle. Make sure your knee doesn't go beyond your toes or you'll place extreme tension on the tendons of your knee.

• Bend your knee until it is at a 90-degree angle. Pushing off with your heel (not your knees), straighten your leg.

• Repeat until fatigued (when you cannot perform a full repetition with good form), then switch legs.

TIP: Stay focused on your front leg even if you feel tension in your back leg. Think of your back leg as the balancer and your front leg muscles as the primary mover. Work one leg at a time rather than alternating between one leg and the other.

Work towards completing 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise. Don’t rush through the movements; make sure you are doing them with good form. Remember, speed doesn’t count, form does!

Stretching

After you’ve worked your muscles, it’s important to stretch them. Stretching after strength training is imperative to help prevent injury and for the muscles to recover quicker. Plus, it feels good.

Stretch #1

• Lie on your back, lift legs in the air and bend the right leg to place the right ankle on the opposite knee.

• Use the flexed leg to push the crossed leg back until you feel a stretch in your buttocks.

• Hold stretch and breathe deeply; switch legs.

Stretch #2

• Lie down on the floor with your right leg straight.

• Bend your left leg and lower it across your body, holding the knee down toward the floor with your right hand.

• Place your left arm comfortably beside you and turn your head to the left. Imagine you have a weight tied to your tailbone. Let your tailbone fall back toward the floor as your chest reaches in the opposite direction to stretch your lower back.

• Hold stretch and breathe deeply; switch legs.

By doing these exercises on a regular basis with at least 24 hours of rest time in between workouts, you will help to tone your glutes to give you a tight, shapely bottom.

Remember to consistently improve muscle strength and the impact of your workouts, you need to keep things fresh: frequently add some variety to your routine and don’t be afraid to shake things up by trying new things. One of the easiest ways to do that is to change the order of your routine. That simple modification can make a big difference in your results.