It may have just been the year of the butt, but we're not ready to let go of our booty appreciation just yet.
A fit butt is also a strong butt, which is sculpted through various exercises of the core, glutes and legs. Toronto fitness expert and owner of Brass Vixens Pole Dancing & Fitness Studio Shannon Crane says to master a good butt, you should be working out your legs and glutes at least three times a week.
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"Avoid over-training. It may seem like a good idea to do butt moves every single day to get results, but the body, mainly muscle, needs time to repair and grow," she says.
If going to the gym or finding time to dedicate to your butt doesn't seem to work with your schedule, Crane says you can also fit in butt exercises with your everyday routine like taking the stairs or doing squats while you're at work, texting or watching TV.
"Do under-the-radar, kegel-inspired butt crunches while you sit — nobody will notice." If this is too risky, try squeezing your glutes the next time you have to hit the printer at the office.
Check out all four moves, as well as other butt and thigh exercises in the gallery below.
Plié Sumo Squat
Take a wide leg stance — the further feet are apart, the more you will work the inner thighs and butt. Keep toes slightly turned out, and the feet flat. Keep your arms bent and elbows at side for balance (no hands on hips). Shoulders down and back, lift the arches of feet and engage core as you inhale and lower down to squat. Keep back straight and eyes up, take squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. For an intense burn, hold for five to 10 seconds. As you exhale, squeeze your glutes and come all the way up to starting position. Make sure knees are tracking over middle toes for proper posture. Do one to three sets of 10.
Step UPS!
This butt building move can be done using a sturdy, non-padded chair, weight bench or a set of stairs. Start stepping up and down, while bringing your feet together on each step. Make sure to step all the way up, and all the way down, and make sure your stepping foot is centred – not hanging off any edge. As you take each step, squeeze those glutes to lift you up. To add strength to this movement, you can add ankle weights. Beginner move: start off with ten reps on each side. Work up to three sets of 10.
Bent Leg Donkey Kicks
In tabletop position or on all fours, draw the navel into the spine and lift your leg up and back, keeping the knee at 90 degrees.The foot should be flexed — just imagine you are planting the sole of your foot on the ceiling. The key to this move is squeezing the glutes as you lift the leg up and back. Do one to three sets of 10 on each side. If this move is hard on the wrists, you can come down onto the elbows Kick modificationIn table top position, take the leg out to the side, like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant. Lift leg to side as high as it will go and keep hips square with the floor.
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Advanced Bridge
Keep one foot on floor and lift the other leg high, it's OK to flex the foot here. Imagine trying to reach the ceiling with the lifted leg when your hips thrust you up into top of bridge mode. Make sure to stack your lifted leg over your hips and don't let it swing out. Keep control. Do three sets of five.
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