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Exercises -  6 Steps To Building A Better Backside Continued

3. Bridges. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Slowly peel your spine off the floor from the bottom, one vertebra at a time, tightening the glutes and hamstrings (backs of the thighs) until you've created a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees. Return to the floor slowly, one vertebra at a time.

Olson likes the one-legged bridge: Hold the knees tightly together and extend one leg at knee level while in the bridge position. Do all repetitions on one side, then switch.

To take it to the next level, try the bridge on a stability ball. With the head and tops of shoulders balanced on the ball, lift the hips into a tabletop position, level with the shoulders, then lower slightly and repeat.
Advancing from there, lift into the bridge position on the ball, then take two baby steps to your left, changing the line of gravity so you're off-center, then drop and lift the hips. "The left glute should work a bit harder than the right," Ross says. This move, he emphasizes, requires good core balance and takes only a very small shift (2-4 inches) in lower body position. Do all the repetitions on one side, then switch.

4. Step-ups. Using a weights bench (a step would work, too), step one foot on top, then push through the top leg and glute to lift the bottom leg up and tap the bench. Lower and repeat using the same leg. Add hand weights or a knee lift with the tapping leg for a greater challenge, suggests Olson.

5. Leg/hip extensions. Reaching a leg behind your body is a great way to work the glutes. In Pilates, it's done while lying on your side, but you can also do it while lying over a stability ball or standing. Using a slow, controlled motion, extend the leg behind the body while squeezing the glutes and keeping the torso stable. Do three sets of 15 repetitions, then switch legs.

Up the ante with a single-leg dead lift, a Durkin favorite. While standing, extend one leg back and hinge from the hip. At the same time, lower the torso to parallel with the floor. Keep the abs tight and return to standing, lowering the back leg.

6. Skater plyos. Feeling like Drew Brees? Try this plyometric side step, a Durkin staple. Standing with feet under hips, take a lateral (sideways) hop to the left on your left foot while coming down to touch your right hand to the floor. Alternate sides and try to complete three sets of 20. Ouch! "This is great for strength, power, agility and toning up," says Durkin.

The Butt Workout: Getting Results

Whatever butt workout you choose, the experts suggest following a few rules for best results:

1. Set goals. Having a goal in mind will help you to stay committed to your workouts and enable you to chart your results. Weight loss seems an obvious one, but Durkin says this should only be part of a goal, not an end in itself. Better goals would be losing inches or body fat, training for an upcoming event (like a 5K), increasing endurance, or lowering resting heart rate.

2. Surround yourself with positive people. "I'm a big believer in the mind-set," Durkin says. Even the NFL athletes Durkin trains aren't always motivated to exercise hard. That's why they enlist the help of a trainer -- accountability.

"Read motivating books, attend a class, get a trainer, get a coach, get an accountability partner," says Durkin. This will help keep you honest and on track with your fitness goals.

3. Stay consistent, say Olson and Durkin. Anything worth having is worth working for, and a sculpted butt is no exception. Experts say that if you work the glutes three days a week, you can expect to see changes in about three weeks. "You should actually be able to see that they are a little tighter and more lifted up," says Olson.

4. Use good form. Galliano recommends watching yourself in a mirror to ensure proper technique. Work slowly to execute each move correctly, adds Olson. This way, you don't risk injury and you get the most out of each set.

5. Fit movement into your daily life -- "when you brush your teeth, when you boil water," says Galliano. And she practices what she preaches. "I do a lot of Pilates standing footwork while I'm waiting ... waiting at the bank, the post office, at the airport, at Lowe's; even just watching the sunset the other night." This involves wrapping your legs together in a turned-out position, and pushing through all the balls, arches, and heels of the feet while bending the knees slightly.

6. Stretch the opposing muscles. The hip flexors are often overworked because we spend so much time sitting (in flexion), says Ross. Before working the glutes, it's a great idea to stretch the hip flexors so you can activate the glutes more easily




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