Butt Shaping Exercises

Shaping your butt muscles is high on the wish list when women start with a personal trainer. Every woman wants a nice firm butt. The butt area is however also the so called problem area for a lot of women. Women carry a lot of fat deposits in this area because it serves them during their childbearing years. Female bodies are not very willing to give up these fat cells, so women really need to need to choose the right exercises and workouts to trim and tone the gluteus maximus!

A shapely bottom is a wonder to behold. Usually it is only seen on a few privileged women. Well not anymore! Are you ready to transform your sagging behind? Here are the top five exercises to kick start your exercise program and literally get your butt in gear. You will be bouncing quarters off it in no time!

The Squat 

The squat is the single best exercise for strengthening, toning and shaping the thighs and butt. Not only does it tighten and tone your rear but its the #1 overall exercise for building lean quality muscle!

Stand holding a barbell resting across your upper traps and shoulders, hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, feet angled slightly outward. Pull your shoulders back slightly, contract your lower-back muscles, take a deep breath and hold it. Looking straight ahead, slowly bend at the knees, inclining your torso forward slightly and descending under control until your thighs are just above parallel to the ground. Don't bounce at the bottom, but don't stop either. Push through your heels to drive yourself back up, contracting your gluteus muscles (buttocks) strongly and exhaling as you pass the halfway point. Take a deep breath and repeat.

The Lunge 

The lunge is another very popular exercise for toning and firming leg and butt muscles. Position your feet about shoulder width apart, with your feet pointing straight ahead. Pick up a pair of dumbbells or a barbell(you may want to do a set without dumbbells first to learn the movement), bending at your knees to make sure you don't strain your back. To begin the exercise, step your left foot forward, keeping your forward leg centered over your ankle. Make sure your knee doesn't go beyond your toes or you'll place extreme tension on the tendons of your knee. To help maintain balance, remember to push off with your heels and not your toes. When coming back to the starting position, focus on straightening your knee and hip. Stay focused on your front leg even if you feel tension in your back leg. Think of your back leg as the balancer and your front leg muscles as the primary mover. Work one leg at a time rather than alternating between one leg and the other.

One-Legged Cable Kickback 

Hook a leather cuff to a low cable pulley and then attach the cuff to your ankle. Face the weight stack from a distance of about two feet, grasping its steel frame for support. Keeping your knees and hips bent slightly and your abs tight, contract your glutes (buttocks) to slowly "kick" the working leg back in a semicircular arc as high as it will comfortably go. At full extension, squeeze your glutes for peak contraction. Bring your working leg forward, resisting the pull of the cable until you reach the starting position. After completing the desired number of reps, complete an identical number using the opposite leg.

Gluteus Kickback
Get on your hands and knees on the floor, knees bent at 90 degrees so thighs are perpendicular to the floor. Keeping your head up, lift your right leg back and up, maintaining your 90 degree knee bend, until your foot is higher than your head or your thigh is horizontally in line with your torso. Squeeze your right gluteus and slowly lower your leg back to start position. Perform the same with your left leg, and repeat.

Hamstring Curl 

This is a great exercise for toning and firming the hamstring and gluteus muscles. Lie face-down on a leg-curl machine and position your Achilles' tendons below the padded lever with your knees off the edge of the pad. To begin the exercise, keep your back flat as you raise your feet toward your glutes (butt) in a deliberate motion. Squeeze the muscles and lower your feet with a controlled speed. Repeat.

Source: www.shapefit.com