It started with Sir Mix a Lot celebrating ladies’ backsides, and has gained popularity ever since: big butts are amazing and something to flaunt. But even those gifted by nature with gorgeous curves will notice that things start to droop and sag as the result of years and bad habits. There is good news, however. With the right training program, you can have a banging behind at any age. If you need any proof, just watch 50-year-old J. Lo’s and 43-year-old Shakira’s jaw dropping performances at the Superbowl.
What’s the Secret?
I talked to Staci LaRue, owner and trainer at In2itive Fitness, a boutique training studio in Leesburg, Virginia about the best ways to give your backside a lift. She gave me her three favorite glute exercises that you can do at home, in a hotel, or literally anywhere.
Squat, Squat, and more Squats
The basic squat is the king of all glute exercises. Start with your feet just outside your hips, then push your butt back and down as though you are going to sit on a stool. You should go as deep as possible, but if you have any knee issues and going down to far hurts, just go down to the level that is comfortable. Finish by standing back up while pushing your hips forward. As you get better at these, you can add weights like a dumbbell or kettlebell held in front of your chest to make the move more difficult.
Safety tip: In this and the following exercises, make sure your knees are tracking over your middle toes, not falling in towards each other or going way outside your toes.
Lunge
The next move LaRue recommends is the lunge. Stand up straight with your chest tall and step forward with one leg and bend your knee to about a 90-degree angle while the knee behind you goes to the floor. Beginners may not be able to get the back knee to the floor, so just go to your level of comfort distance. Then stand back up again. You can do the lunges stationary or walking, depending on the space you have available. To add difficulty, you can also do this move holding dumbbells.
Glute Bridge
For this move, lie on the ground with your legs bent, feet hip-distance apart. Your hands should be on the floor by your side. Next squeeze your glutes to lift your hips up and down. To make this exercise more advanced you should hold a dumbbell right on your hips and move your glutes up and down. If you are loyal to these three moves, you will start to see results within weeks. Remember, hips don’t lie.
