A firm butt is not only pleasing to the eye, but also important to support good mobility. The buttocks help stabilize the body and protect you from the risk of injury during daily activities. Sitting too much can cause your glutes to become weak, but proper exercise and a balanced diet can help you achieve that toned buttocks of your dreams.
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Part 1 of 4: Training with Weights
Step 1. Do squats regularly
You won't develop better glutes just by doing squats, but you can't just ignore them. Squats are considered the most effective exercise for shaping the lower body.
- Stand with your feet at shoulder level and slightly outward. Try to keep your back straight and your eyes looking forward. To help with concentration, you can focus on a point on the wall in front of you. Look at this point during your squat.
- Inhale and begin to bend at the hips, pushing your buttocks back. As your knees begin to bend, continue to push your hips back.
- A good squat should make you feel like you're sitting on your heels. Try to keep your knees in line with your toes.
- To do a proper squat, make sure your hip joints are lower than your knees. Once you're comfortable doing squats, try lowering yourself down for a more intense workout.
- Exhale and place your feet on the floor to raise your body to its original position. Tighten your glutes and push your hips forward until you return to the starting position.
- If you're just starting out with weight training, try working with a cane to get workout ideas. You can even do squats with body weight alone. This exercise is called the “air squat” and is perfect for warming up.
- Once you start using weights, choose a weight that you can lift to do 5 full reps. Each time you do a squat and return to the starting position, it counts as one full rep.
Step 2. Perform lunges with weights
Like when doing squats, try to keep your back straight and find a point in front of you to focus on. Relax your shoulders. Spread your legs shoulder width apart. Choose a weight that is most comfortable to hold in each hand.
- Step one leg forward until your knee forms a 90-degree angle. Try to keep this front knee in line with your ankle. The knee of the back leg should also bend at a 90-degree angle, but don't let it touch the floor.
- Pushing the heel of the front foot, return to the starting position and repeat the same movement with the other leg.
- Try a backward lunge. Take the starting position as if you were going to do a lunge. Instead of stepping forward, step back. Keep your back straight as if you were doing a forward lunge. This exercise requires greater balance than the forward lunge. Make sure you have good body control before doing the backward lunge.
- Lunges are an excellent lower body exercise, but they can put a lot of stress on the knees. If you feel pain in your knee, take smaller steps. You can always practice to increase the range of motion.
Step 3. Perform step-ups with weights
Look for steps or a small bench. Holding a barbell in each hand, and standing straight, place one foot on the step. When pushing with your front foot, lift your whole body up the steps.
- As you lift your whole body up the steps, exhale.
- Place the front foot back on the floor. Lower yourself from the steps until you return to the starting position. Just like the lunge, you should do each rep with a different leg in turn.
Step 4. Try the deadlift
The deadlift is a mixed exercise. This exercise targets muscle groups in the lower body, and also helps strengthen your core and back muscles.
- Take an upright standing position in front of the dumbbells. The feet should be placed at shoulder level and the dumbbells should be centered over the feet.
- While keeping your back straight and hips in position, lower your body and reach for the dumbbell bar. The position of the hands should be wider than the position of the feet. Once you have a good grip on the bar, lower your hips and bend your knees slightly.
- To lift dumbbells, place your feet on the floor and pull the dumbbell bar up until you're standing straight. Inhale as you lift the dumbbells.
- Tighten the muscles as you lift the dumbbells. Contract your glutes, tighten your core, and don't lean back.
- Once you've successfully lifted the dumbbell off the floor, don't drop it immediately. To put the dumbbell back on the floor, do the opposite of the movement used to lift it. While still tightening your muscles, push your hips back and begin to bend your knees. Concentrate on one point in front of you and lower your whole body in one motion. Don't lean forward and don't arch your back.
Part 2 of 4: Practice Without Weights
Step 1. Add exercise to your routine
Some exercises that are usually done with weights can also be done without including weights. If you don't have time to go to the gym, you can do gymnastics almost anywhere.
- To perform an air squat, assume the same position as if you were in front of a squat rack at the gym. Spread your legs slightly wider than your shoulders, with your toes facing out. Performing the same movement as when performing a squat with weights, lower your hips and push your buttocks back. To help maintain balance, stretch your arms out in front of you as you lower your body.
- Lunges without weights can also be done very easily. The movements are exactly the same, with or without weights.
- To do a kickback, get into the same position you would do a push-up, but stay on your knees. Lift one leg until the thigh is parallel to the floor. Try to keep your shins perpendicular to the floor and push your feet up. Lower the leg slowly and repeat with the other leg.
Step 2. Try the bridge exercise
To do the short bridge, lie on your back with your buttocks and feet flat on the floor, your knees forming an angle of about 45 degrees. Keep your shoulders and arms flat on the floor. Push your body up against your heels and lift your hips as high as you can. Hold this position for 2 seconds. Lower your body slowly back to the floor.
- Once you've mastered the short bridge, try doing a straight bridge. The straight bridge is very similar to the reverse push up. Sit with your legs stretched out straight in front of you, placing your hands near your hips. Push your body up and tighten your glutes. Hold this position for a few seconds before returning to the starting position.
- To do the full bridge move, lie on your back. Bend your knees and place your hands on your head. Lift your whole body off the floor and arch your back. Push your hips up and contract your leg, buttocks and core muscles. Take a deep breath and make sure you stretch all the muscles well. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds, then lower your body to the starting position.
Step 3. Do a leg raise
Lie on your side and place your head on the arms that are down. Place the other arm in front of the body with the palm on the floor. Try to keep both legs straight and lift the leg above about 30 cm from the leg below. Lift the leg below until it meets the leg above. Slowly lower both legs back to the floor.
You can do another variation by lying on your back on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you. Slowly lift your feet off the floor until they form a 90-degree angle. Hold for 1 second, then lower your legs, but try not to touch the floor
Step 4. Do running exercises
Running is a great way to tone your legs and butt. Any type of running will be beneficial for improving your lower body, but sprints are considered the best.
- For a slightly more difficult exercise, run on an uphill path. Running fast uphill will improve your glutes by putting more stress on your hip flexors.
- Running is a high-impact exercise and may not be very good for the joints. If running isn't for you, try using an elliptical machine or a stationary bike.
Step 5. Try another type of exercise
There are many exercises that target the buttocks and lower body. Do your research and find new exercises to incorporate into your routine. Some people find that adding new exercises helps motivate them to keep practicing.
- Try exercises like hip thrusts that are slightly different.
- You can also participate in yoga classes. Yoga can be a powerful way to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and tone the body.
Part 3 of 4: Adopting the Right Diet
Step 1. Watch what you eat
Your efforts to get better buttocks, and a more ideal body overall, are heavily influenced by diet. If you don't combine exercise and a healthy diet, you won't get great results.
For best results, calculate the recommended calorie intake. You need calories to do exercise. Consume fewer calories if you want to lose weight. Conversely, if you want to gain weight, consume more calories. In either case, make sure you match your exercise training to your calorie intake
Step 2. Eat a balanced diet
To build muscle, you need protein, and to get energy, you need carbohydrates. Don't focus exclusively on one or the other. To get the most out of your diet, be sure to know what you need.
- About 15% of your daily calorie intake should come from protein, and about 55% should come from carbohydrates.
- Lean protein, such as chicken or fish, is better than red meat. Do not forget to include vegetarian food 2-3 times a week as a variation.
- Consume whole grains, sweet potatoes, and whole grain breads as good sources of energy.
Step 3. Eat good fats
In order to stay healthy, you need to eat some healthy fats. Good fats are generally liquid at room temperature. Fats such as olive oil, flaxseed oil and saffron oil are good choices. If the fat is solid at room temperature, such as butter, it should be avoided.
Step 4. Drink plenty of water
Water keeps the body from becoming dehydrated. Consume a glass of water for every 20 minutes of exercise.
Part 4 of 4: Understanding the Buttocks
Step 1. Build the right muscles
While you're looking for ways to get better butt muscles, remember that the buttocks are made up of three muscles. So, consider each muscle when creating an exercise program.
- The gluteus maximus muscle is the largest muscle in the buttocks, as well as the largest muscle in the body. When you get up from a squat position, or when you stretch your thighs, it's these muscles that you use.
- The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles have a similar function. When you run, it's these muscles that stabilize the foot when it hits the ground. These muscles also aid in the rotation of the thigh.
Step 2. Find your true body shape
Don't be too obsessed with getting a certain butt shape. Just like the rest of your body, genetics plays an important role here.
Whether you have large or very small buttocks, chances are it's heredity. You can still work your glutes and make them stronger, but you may not be able to change their shape
Step 3. Combine several types of exercises
The best way to build better butt muscles is to work the three muscles above with a variety of exercises. Don't just rely on squats to build your butt.
- The glutes respond well to strength and resistance training. Some of these muscles are called “fast-twitch”, which means they respond to short, intense movements. Types of exercises such as squats target these muscles.
- The buttocks are also formed by “slow-twitch” muscles (muscles that contract more slowly, but last longer), which respond to aerobic exercise and running.
Tips
- Do heavy weight training only once or twice a week to give your glutes time to heal.
- Tighten your glutes when you get up from a squat position, or when doing leg exercises or stretching using body weight.
- Don't forget to stretch before doing the exercises to build your glutes, especially if you're going to be using weights.
Warning
- Alternately perform different types of exercise to avoid fatigue of certain muscles.
- When doing exercises with heavy weights, use a squat bracket or rack with a safety bar. This move allows you to lift heavier weights without risking injury if you can't complete the exercise.
- Be careful when doing exercises that put stress on the joints and back. If you have experienced an injury, consult your doctor before starting a regular exercise program.
- Warm up for a few minutes with light cardiovascular exercise, such as walking or cycling, before doing strength training. It's a good idea to do static stretching (maintaining the stretch for more than a few seconds) after strength training.
