Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for your hips, butt
and thighs and they're also a functional exercise, helping us build
strength for a variety of daily activities.
How to:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and, for added intensity, hold weights at shoulder level or at your sides.
- Bend the knees, and lower into a squat, keeping the knees behind the
toes. Imagine that you're sticking your butt out behind you, but keep
the torso upright and contracted.
- Press into the heels to stand up.
- Repeat for 2-3 sets of 8-16 reps
Lunges are a challenging exercise because they work so many muscles
at the same time. On the front leg, you'll work the glutes and
hamstrings and, on the back leg, you'll work the quads and calves.
What's nice about lunges is that there are a variety to choose from such
as:
You can also elevate the back foot
on a step or platform to really challenge both legs. This is a great
move for the glutes and thighs, but please avoid this move if it
aggravates any knees problems.
If you have problems with lunges, try an alternative to lunges.
Step ups are another great exercise for the glutes. For step ups,
place one foot on a step or platform and push through the heel to lift
the body up. This is an excellent exercise for the glutes, providing you
use a step that's high enough, although you may need to work up to a
higher step if you're a beginner. You eventually want a height were your
knee is at about a 90-degree angle.
The other key is to concentrate all your weight on the stepping leg.
In other words, lower down gently, barely touching the toes of the other
leg to the ground. You'll really feel this when you take it slow and
concentrate on the working leg.
While I'm fond of more compound moves (like the squats, lunges and
step ups listed above) since they work more muscle groups, the hip
extension is an exercise that specificially targets the largest muscle
in the body...the gluteus maximus.
For this move, you can hold a dumbbell behind the knee or use ankle weights for added intensity.
Deadlifts are great for your hamstrings, butt and lower back, but
this one-legged version is a great way to add intensity to the exercise
and engage your stabilizer muscles to keep your body balanced. Form is
critical and you should skip this exercise if you have any back
problems.
To do this move, take the left leg back just a bit, lightly resting
on the toe. With the weights in front of the thighs, tip from the hips
and lower the weights as low as your flexibility allows. Keep your back
flat or with a natural arch and make sure you keep the abs contracted to
protect the back. Squeeze the glutes of the working leg to raise back
up. Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Now the exercises listed above aren't the only strength moves for the
glutes, but we often forget that there are cardio activities that will
also engage the backside.
Hiking is one of those activities and it also burns tons of calories
because you're typically going up steep mountains and maybe even getting
into thin air, which requires lots of energy. Also, walking up an
incline automatically gets your glutes more involved and, if you're
wearing a backpack, you're really getting a workout. Plus, you get to
see nature at its best. A 140-lb person burns about 390 calories in
about an hour.
If you live in a flat area, try raising the incline on your treadmill to mimic hiking up a hill.
Riding a bike is great for your heart and it also targets almost
every muscle in your hips, thighs and butt. On a stationary bike,
alternate 3 minutes at 70-80 RPM with 2 minutes at 100-110 RPM for a
calorie-blasting 30 minute workout. You can also try Spinning at the gym
or riding outside. Increase your resistance and stand up to really work
your glutes. A 140-lb person burns 335 calories in 45 minutes
Running, like walking is accessible, easy to learn, reduces stress,
helps in weight loss, and it makes you feel good. Plus, it really works
your butt, especially when you add a few hills to your regular running
route. Sprints are another option for folks wanting to both burn more
calories and tighten up the tush. A 140-lb person burns 475 calories
during a 45 minute jog.
Kickboxing is an excellent workout for the entire body, including the
hips glutes and thighs. Controlled front kicks, roundhouses, side kicks
and back kicks work your hips, thighs and butt while complex
combinations that include punches will target your abs to make them
stronger. A 140-lb woman will burn up to 500 calories with 45 minutes of
kickboxing.
Walking is easy: you can do it anywhere, anytime with no special
equipment. There's no learning curve and it's something you can
incorporate all day long. If you walk up hills, you can really target
your glutes and, if you pick up the intensity, you'll burn more
calories, which can help if you're trying to lose body fat. A 140-lb
person burns about 300 calories an hour during a brisk walk.
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