Building Better Glutes!

Building Better Glutes!

Everyone dreams of having a backside admired by others. Men and women both desire to have a tight and shapely backside. Unless you are born with great genetics, you are going to have to do the proper exercises that will achieve the look you are longing for. By adding in simple exercises you can do at home, you can easily achieve this look.

Cardio is not only for weight loss, it can be done in a way to help build muscle and shape your body. Start with sprints, doing sprints will increase your speed but also helps to develop your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. By adding in hills to your sprints, you are shifting more emphasis to your hamstrings and glute muscles. If you unable to find any hills around your house, you can also use a treadmill or elliptical and increase the incline. When using cardio equipment, it is important not to use the handles, power through the moves to force your muscles to work harder. If you are feeling that you need to lose some inches off your backside, ramp up your cardio and it will help blast body fat!

Next you will want to learn the squat! Squats are often referred to as the king of exercises. Squats can be varied with just changing your stance. When doing a squat, be sure to not let your knees go over your toes, do not bend at your back, push your hips back, and keep your head up. There is a variety of different types of squats you can do to change the emphasis of the muscle group you are working.  Also you can vary it by adding in weights or suspending one leg off the ground. The squat can be combined with a simple move like the jump which will increase your heart rate while working the major muscle groups of the leg. Squats are great for building, if you want to increase your muscle size or shape your backside, this exercise is for you!

One of my most favorite exercises to do is the lunge. This is another exercise that gives you many different options when performing. You need to watch your form to make sure you are doing this exercise right to get the most benefit. Just like with the squat, make sure your front knee is not going over your toe, and the back leg is the one that is dropping towards the floor. Make sure your footing is about shoulder width apart to help with balance. The most popular ones that we do at our gym would be the stationary lunge, walking lunges, and one-legged lunges. The lunge really targets your hips, thighs, and glutes. When women come in complaining of losing muscle tone as they age, this is the first exercise I recommend to them.  It is important to add in weight bearing exercise to increase muscle tone.

Another great glute builder, stair climbing! When going to work, instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Your backside will appreciate it! During your workouts, try to incorporate a set of stairs. By doing a few sets of stairs it will help to focus on your glute muscles. When in the gym, find a flat bench and you can do step ups. You can also add in variety with this exercise by adding weights and jumps.  As with any exercise be sure you are doing proper form to prevent injury.

These are simple moves to learn to get the desired shape you are looking for.  Learning to shape your glutes does not have to be a big investment in a fancy gym. Simply take these moves and do them in the convenience of your home, outside in your yard, or your local park. You can reach your goal by doing these exercises in a sequence of 12-15 reps and doing 2-3 sets of each one. If you are not sure you have the correct form or possibly scared you could injure yourself, hire a personal trainer to assist you in learning the technique for these exercises.

-Cindy Lane Ross