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.
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