Building the Booty of Your Dreams

Our derriere is defined by 3 muscles known as the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.  The right combination of strength training, metabolic conditioning and nutrition will build the booty of your dreams.  Most women are always on the quest for a better bottom and with bathing suit season approaching there’s not much room for reasoning with this.

Those that are genetically predisposed to the J Lo backside often want to shape it smaller and those with a “flat” butt envy them and want to make it more bubble like.

Are we ever satisfied?  Probably not but whatever backside we are given we can always make it better.  Personally I was cursed/blessed with ample booty and more closely resemble the J Lo type.  No matter your genetics here’s the booty scoop. . .

Strength Training

You can design the best booty possible by performing these strength moves to develop a higher, tighter and more rounded look.  You can perform these movements with bodyweight only but you will eventually need to add resistance to optimize your results.                                                              

Squats

Without an irrevocable doubt this is the #1 movement.  When done properly it directly engages the glutes and additionally raises the heart rate to rev up the metabolism.

Set up: 

• shoulder width stance
• full extension at hips and knees

Execution: 

• weight on heels
• lumbar curve maintained
• chest up, head is neutral
• butt travels down and back
• bottom of squat is below parallel
• knees track parallel to feet
• return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete the move

Deadlifts

Best overall exercise for development of the posterior chain (lower back, glutes and hamstrings) not to mention strength.

Set up:

• stance — between hip and shoulder width
• weight in heels
• lumbar curve locked in
• bar in contact with the shins
• arms locked straight
• symmetrical grip outside the knees

Execution:

• drive through the heels
• extend legs while hips and shoulder rise at the same rate
• once the bar passes the knees the hip opens all the way up
• bar maintains contact with the legs
• head neutral
• on the return push hips back and shoulders forward slightly; delay the knee bend
• once the bar descends below the knees return the bard down to the set up position

Variations:  stiff leg deadlift, sumo deadlift

Assistance Exercises

Lunge

Works the backside, quads, hamstring and calves.  It will also burn calories.

Set up:

• standing
• full extension of hips and knees

Execution:

• take a big stride forward so that your lunging thigh is parallel and your knee directly over your ankle (shin vertical)
• back thigh perpendicular to the floor
• upright torso
• graze the ground with the knee of the trail leg
• Press through the heel of the lunging leg and stepping back while returning to upright position

Variations/Tips:  walking or stationary, doesn’t matter but do them right.  Use barbells, dumbbells, weighted vest or bodyweight. If one of your legs is more difficult than the other which we sometimes find in working with single leg strength do that leg first.

Step Ups

Set up:

• Full extension of knees and hips
• use a box/step that places your knee at a 90 degree angle

Execution:

• Step up on your right leg (heel on box/step)
• Step up left leg (to full hip extension)
• Step down on the left, down on the right (that is one rep)
• Repeat for desired number of reps on the right
• Repeat process for the other leg

Variations/Tips:  use barbells, dumbbells, weight vest or bodyweight. If one of your legs is more difficult than the other which we sometimes find in working with single leg strength do that leg first.

Glute-Ham Raises

This particular exercise targets both the hamstrings and the glutes and makes for a lovely posterior tie in.

If you have a glute ham developer http://vimeo.com/5704186

If you don’t but you will need a partner http://vimeo.com/26938671

Metabolic Conditioning

Sprint

Without a doubt the #1 exercise you can do is to sprint.  Have you ever seen a better derriere than on a sprinter?

Distances:  a variety of 50, 100, 200 and 400’s with adequate recovery between.

Variations:  hills, stairs and prowler pushes.

While some of us can’t “sprint” by running we can “sprint” on a. . . bike, rower, versa climber etc.  Short all out bursts followed by adequate recovery.

Distances:  10, 15, 30, 45 and 60 s intervals with adequate recovery between; 6 — 10 times.

Nutrition

No matter how strong, fast and well shaped the machine is if you put more fuel in it than you need and burn, it will have a fluffy and dimpled layer of fat covering your efforts.  Eat the right amounts of the right types of food for your activity and body type if you want to actually see that shapely derriere.

Fitness is not only a look but a healthy lifestyle.