I am going to let you in on a little secret. Working your glutes, not only gets you a nice looking backside it can actually make you faster, improve power and overall sports performance. A strong, sculpted butt can even help prevent injuries. How and why do you ask? The gluteus maximus, minimus and medius are the largest and strongest muscles in our entire bodies. These three important muscles extend down and around your hips framing a whole support system so you want to make sure that you target the butt to make it strong and help you be more powerful. It also doesn’t hurt that you will look great in your favorite pair of jeans!

Simply put you need to mix in booty-targeted exercises if you want to get to the next level. A good place to start is squats. Squats are one of the best butt exercises for getting that booty stronger but you have to get low. Squat as low as you can go and if you really want to take it up a notch add in a barbell, slam ball or start jumping on the rise. There are several variations of squats out there, but a favorite at my gym is to squat with an added curtsy motion. Overall squats can help improve knee stability and increase your range of motion.

Lunges are another way to target the backside. I find a lot of people do not know why lunges are effective, some may even think they are only good for stretching, which simply isn’t true. Lunges are very beneficial to strengthen the butt to increase balance and mobility. If you are a beginner regular old lunges are a good place to start but if you are looking to raise the degree of difficulty, think about adding in a box, bench or steps.  

At the gym you can also utilize several machines to fire up that booty. One machine you want to give a try is the leg press. You can target your glutes by adjusting your feet placement with a higher, wider stance. Once in position you will want to come down nice and slow to feel the butt burn. Donkey kicks using the glute kickback machine can target both sides of the butt one at a time and by increasing the weight over time it can help shape and round the butt. Hip thrusts added with weight can be highly effective in getting the glute stronger. Make sure to position yourself with your back along a weight bench and rest a barbell across your lap. Both feet should be flat to the floor and a band can be used to help keep the legs supported. Use your hands to hold the barbell steady as you thrust your hips upwards and lower them. There are many free-weight exercises as well that you can use to target the glutes, such as deadlifts. The key is that you have to challenge yourself by progressing the weight. Aim to increase the weight slowly over time to grow those muscles. 

If you are looking to get into better shape, increase your stamina, run faster for longer, jump higher, the list could go on and on then you have to put in that booty work. 

Ish Fitness is a personal trainer in La Vista, NE. helping Omaha area clients of all ages and fitness backgrounds reach their personal fitness goals. Over 10 years of personal training experience in a private appointment only gym, 7 days a week. Client base ranges from youth athletes to fitness competitors to retirees managing their health with everyone in between.