The glutes are the body’s largest and most powerful muscle group. They contract to move your hips in every direction, powering you up, down, forward, backward and sideways. And since they’re huge, working them can increase your metabolic rate.
It’s time to wake up your glutes before people start wondering how your pants stay up. Not sure which moves or techniques are best for building the perfect booty? We’ve got you covered.
Step-Up
The Step-Up is an improved version of walking up a set of steps. You’ll get a higher range of motion, which helps activate the glutes and get you that butt that you want:
- Stand in front of a stepping box / platform;
- Keep your chest up and tighten your core;
- You can place your hands on your hips or, for an added challenge, hold a pair of light dumbbells;
- Bring your right foot up and place it on the stepping platform;
- Focus all of the tension in your right leg and step all the way up;
- Don’t let your left foot touch the box;
- Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position;
- Finish 8-12 reps then switch the leg.
Check out this video of how to perform the Step-Up here.
Explosive Lunge
Also called the Alternating Jumping Lunge, this move is as intense as it sounds. However, when performed correctly, you’ll be activating several key muscle groups that will help to build and lift your butt including, hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, hip flexors and calves.
Here’s how to perform the movement:
- Start by standing tall with your chest up and your core braced;
- Now, step forward with your right leg, keeping the left foot on the ground;
- Bend at the left knee but do not let it touch the ground;
- Place your hands on your hips or above your head and kick off the ground;
- In midair, switch your legs so that you land with your left foot in front and your right foot behind;
- Repeat this back and forth jumping pattern for at least 20-30 times on each leg.
Check out this video of how to perform the Explosive Lunge here.
Squat
Considered the king of all exercises, the squat is the perfect move to perform if you want to build a great butt. It’s a compound movement, which means it’s hitting several major muscle groups simultaneously, but the one on which the squat really focuses on is your glutes! If you ask us which is the one exercise that is guaranteed to shape-up your butt, the answer is this one:
- Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, hips stacked over knees, and knees over ankles;
- Roll the shoulders back and down away from the ears. Note: it’s important to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement to avoid unnecessary stress on the lower back;
- Extend arms out straight so they are parallel with the ground, palms facing down. Or, if it’s more comfortable, pull elbows close to the body, palms facing each other and thumbs pointing up;
- Initiate the movement by inhaling and unlocking the hips, slightly bringing them back. Keep sending hips backward as the knees begin to bend;
- While the butt starts to stick out, make sure the chest and shoulders stay upright, and the back stays straight. Keep the head facing forward with eyes straight ahead for a neutral spine;
- The best squats are the deepest ones your mobility allows. Optimal squat depth would be your hips sinking below the knees (if you have the flexibility to do so comfortably). Pro tip: squatting onto a box until the butt gently taps it will be a reminder to squat low;
- Engage core and, with bodyweight in the heels, explode back up to standing, driving through heels. Imagine the feet are spreading the floor (left foot to the left, right foot to the right) without actually moving the feet;
- Do 15-20 reps initially, and then increase to 20-30, until you can do 40-50 squats.
Check out this video of how to perform the Squat here.
The next step will be adding weights to your butt building exercises. Enjoy!
