The hips and buttocks are problem areas for many people, women in particular. While there is no such thing as spot reducing, exercising these particular areas will strengthen the muscles there and not only help you avoid injury but firm up the areas and change the shape of your body.
Buttocks Exercises
The major muscle of the buttocks is the gluteus maximus. Above it are the medius and minimus, muscles that contribute to the dimple just beneath the hip bone. Exercising these muscles requires contraction, which can be achieved in exercises such as leg kickbacks, where you keep one foot on the floor while kicking back with a straight or bent leg, and lying hip extensions, in which you lie with your weight on your shoulders and feet and lift your hips off the floor. Effectiveness lies in how deep and firm of a contraction of the gluteal muscles you achieve. You want your butt to be burning by the end of your set.
Hip Exercises
The hips utilize the flexors and abductors for movement. Good exercises to work these muscles include the lying leg lift, in which you lie on your side on the floor, braced on one elbow, while you lift your top leg as high as you can. Another effective exercise is the seated hip abduction, which is performed on a machine. Resistance is added to make it challenging to push your legs apart.
Compound Exercises
There are several exercises that require the use of muscles in the buttocks and hips. These exercises are therefore the most efficient, since you're working both areas at once. Squats and lunges are two popular exercises. Both of these can be done with and without weights. Side-stepping squats also heavily target the hips while working the buttocks. Barbell good mornings, in which you support a barbell on your shoulders while bending at the waist, is another compound exercise that can be customized for difficulty.
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