What Type Of Cross Training To Strengthen The Hips & Butt?

Several types of exercises offer ways to strengthen your hips and butt. Combining different activities allows you to take advantage of the benefits of cross training. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010" recommends strength training at least twice a week, with an emphasis on total body workouts. Cross training which targets your lower body focuses on several major muscle groups.

Targeted Muscle Groups

Cross training will target muscle groups that are not fully exercised by other forms of exercise you regularly do. The primary muscles you are concerned with include the glutes and muscles of the hip such as the psoas major and minor and hip flexors. Several hip muscles attach to the femur or thigh bone and support its movement.

Training Combinations

If you run as your primary aerobic exercise, bicycling offers a complementary activity which will place added demands on your glutes. Since the thigh is involved, you will be also working the muscles that originate at the hip. Using an elliptical offers a similar advantage which will also engage your upper body. Working major muscle groups will result in a higher calorie burn to bring definition to your hips. You can approach cross training for strengthening your hips and butt with this approach of using combinations of weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing workouts. A swimmer or cyclist may want to consider running or brisk walking or vice versa.

Yoga

Another option you can consider is yoga. The advantage of yoga as a cross training activity is that it offers other health benefits which can round out your fitness program. It will improve your exercise performance through poses which target your hip flexor muscles such as full boat pose or the locust pose for targeting your buttocks. During these exercises, your hips and butt muscles are active the entire time. While these yoga exercises don't have a high calorie burn, they are effective for strengthening muscles and increasing your flexibility.

Training Schedule

Your cross training schedule will include workouts on your off days for your primary exercise. In this way, cross training offers a type of active rest which can speed hip and buttocks muscle recovery after strenuous workouts. This can help you prevent injury and maintain the momentum of being active. Alternatively, you can incorporate cross training in a single exercise session by doing short sessions of different types of exercise. You can run for a short period, then bike and complete your workout with a yoga session. This latter approach is a good option for those who have limited time to devote to exercise. In any case, you will find regular cross training will strengthen your hips and butt for improved performance.