Your butt, or gluteus maximus, muscles extend your hip backward and are the largest muscle in your body. Keeping your glutes strong is important for appearance and health. Your glutes are strongly recruited in lifting objects from the floor, and having a strong butt minimizes the work that has to be done by your lower back. A sedentary lifestyle and spending long periods of time sitting can make your glutes become weak and lose tone. There are a number of exercises you can perform at home for your butt.
Lying Hip Bridges
Lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Pull your feet in close to your butt and place your hands on the floor by your sides. Pushing down through your heels, raise your hips up toward the ceiling. Hold this position and squeeze your glutes for a second or two before lowering your butt back to the floor and repeating. To make this exercise more challenging, perform it using one leg at a time or placing and holding a weight across your hips.
Squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands by your sides. Push your hips backward and bend your knees. Keep your body more or less upright and bend down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Push through your heels, extend your knees and hips to return to the starting position. Repeat until your set is completed. Make this exercise more challenging by holding weights in your hands.
Reverse Lunges
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands by your sides. Keep your body upright and take a large step backward. Bend both knees and lower your rear knee to within 1 inch of the floor. Push off the rear leg and return to the starting position before repeating the exercise but leading with your other leg. Continue alternating leading legs until your set is completed.
Step-ups
Stand at the bottom of a flight of stairs with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands by your sides. Leading with your left leg, step up onto the second step. Step up with your right leg so that you are stood on the step with both feet. Step down to the floor with your left leg and then bring your right foot down to the floor. Repeat the exercise but lead with the right leg and continue alternating legs until your set is completed. Make this exercise more challenging by holding weights in your hands.
Quadruped Hip Extensions
Kneel on the floor on all fours. Make sure your hands are directly beneath your shoulders and your knees are below your hips to form a box shape. Extend your left leg so that it is parallel to the floor. Bend your knee to point the sole of your left foot up to the ceiling. From this position, extend your hip and push your heel toward the ceiling, ensuring that your lower back remains fixed in place. Lower your leg back to the thigh-parallel-to-the-floor position. Perform the desired number of reps before changing legs and repeating. This exercise can be made more demanding by wearing ankle weights.
References
- "Stronger Legs and Lower Body"; Keli Roberts and Linda Shelton; 2002
- "The Complete Book of Butt and Legs"; Kurt Brungardt, Mike Brungardt and Brett Brungardt; 1995
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