Your buttocks work with other muscles in your hips and legs to produce force and move your hip joints in different directions, such as hip rotation, flexion and extension. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends that you tone your buttocks by incorporating them with other muscle groups, which increases caloric expenditure and full-body strength.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts can increase the size and strength of your buttocks while improving stabilization strength in your spine and abdominals. It is a fundamental movement pattern that helps you improve lifting techniques and daily activities to protect you from developing lower back and knee pain, says physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Athletic Body in Balance." You can use a kettlebell, barbell or dumbbell for this exercise. To do a basic deadlift, bend your torso forward at your waist without rounding your spine, and bend your legs slightly. Once you have grabbed the weight firmly with one or both hands, shift your weight toward your heels, exhale and push your hips forward. This movement brings your torso upright and the weight off the ground without using your shoulders or arms to lift the weight.
Squats
Squats work on all muscles in your hip and legs while improving stabilization strengthen in your torso. You can perform squats with your own body weight, a barbell held over your shoulders or in front of your collarbone, or a dumbbell in each hand over your shoulders. When you squat, keep your torso upright and your knees and feet pointing forward. Then exhale and stand straight up without leaning forward by engaging your buttocks to produce force. Avoid excessive leaning forward of your torso since this can strain your lower back and shoulders.
Posture
Your posture plays a major role in how your buttocks appear by its tilt because the position of your pelvis influences how your spine and legs are positioned, says fitness professional Anthony Carey, author of "Pain-Free Program." A posterior pelvic tilt, in which the pelvis tilted backward and the tailbone is tucked beneath your body, reduces the natural extension of the lower spine, causing your buttocks to appear flat. An anterior pelvic tilt, however, exaggerates the shape of the buttocks, in which the pelvis is tilted forward, hyper-extending the lower spine and shortening the hip flexors. Both of these posture deviations can cause low back and shoulder pain, weak abdominal and hip stability and improper gait patterns that can cause ankle and knee pain.
Corrective exercise training can improve your posture by addressing poor movement patterns and anatomical misalignments, Carey says. If you have any postural deviations, perform corrective exercises daily before and after your workout to prevent the deviation from worsening.
Expert Insight
Physical therapist Chris Frederick, co-author of "Stretch to Win," recommends that you perform stretches in your hips and legs to maintain mobility to prevent stiffness and trigger points that can inhibit your ability to move. A sample hip stretch that can open the muscles in your buttocks is the tabletop hip stretch. Stand in front of a table or similar platform that is as high as your hip, and put your outer left thigh and lower leg on top of it. As you keep your posture upright, you should feel some stretching in your left buttock. Hold the stretch for five to six deep breaths. Increase the stretch by leaning your torso forward slightly with every exhalation.
References
- "Stretch to Win"; Ann and Chris Frederick; 2006
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
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