Losing fat from your buttocks often means cutting back on calories and increasing your aerobic activity. However, adding squats or other gluteal strengthening exercises to an aerobic workout can increase muscle mass. Because muscle uses more fuel than fat does, and your thigh and buttock muscles are the largest in your body, strengthening your buttock muscles can turn your overall fat burn up another notch. Finding the time for both aerobics and strengthening exercises might even make you smile the next time you check your rear view in those new jeans.
Aerobic Conditioning
Any continuous exercise that gets your large muscles moving for a sustained period is aerobic, and it's the type that burns calories. The intensity of the exercise you choose and your weight determines how many calories you use per hour. Rowing, for instance, burns 637 calories if you weigh 200 pounds. If you want to use your workout time to focus on your buttock muscles, you can burn up 1,229 calories by running for an hour. Stair stepping, treadmill incline workouts, cross-country skiing and hiking are other aerobic activities that target buttock and thigh muscles.
Focused Strength Training
Lunges, squats, leg raises and hip lifts all work when it comes to strengthening your buttocks and can easily be done at home, according to "Fitness" magazine. Squats and lunges can stress knees if performed incorrectly, however, so use appropriate technique and keep your knees aligned squarely over your ankles during the exercise.
Another simple exercise to try at home is the toe tap. Lie on your back with your arms at your side and your knees bent. Lift your legs, keeping your knees bent at 90-degree angles, until your thighs are perpendicular to the floor. From this position, alternately lower your legs and tap the floor with your toes. Perform this one slowly and smoothly for 1 minute. Stop if you feel any lower back pain.
Strength Training With Machines and Assistance
Many exercise machines at your local gym, such as the leg press, effectively work your gluteal muscles. Appropriate form is a necessity when it comes to avoiding injury, however, and a few minutes with a qualified gym employee for a training session on the machines you plan to use is likely well worth the time.
As you become fitter, you may find your initial workout too easy. Using resistance bands, dumbbells and exercise balls can help increase the intensity of your exercise routine. For instance, holding a weight in each hand during a lunge makes your muscles work harder to perform the movement against gravity.
Warning
Always talk with your doctor before beginning an exercise program, especially if you have heart disease or another serious medical condition. If exercise is new for you or you like extra encouragement as you sweat, you may find working with a class, a personal trainer or a sports medicine professional helpful. These experts can also design a workout schedule tailored to your needs and train you regarding the right form and technique for performing strengthening exercises.
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