Great Butt Shaping Exercises

Great butt-shaping exercises can give you buns of steel --- a worthy goal, and not just because they look good. Having a great butt --- or, in fitness terms, strong gluteal muscles --- will serve you well in life and all your fitness endeavors.

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The glutes are some of the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. Glutes strengthened by great butt-shaping exercises will prevent sagging and keep the junk where it belongs ... in the trunk. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Lunge
Lunges are a top-notch butt-shaping exercise. There are various forms of lunges, including the walking lunge, the step lunge and the one-leg lunge. The walking lunge is executed by taking a long step forward with your right leg, lowering your left knee to the ground, pausing, then straightening the left leg and bringing it forward to meet the right. Alternate legs and perform three sets of 10 repetitions per leg. Hold weights and lunge uphill for added intensity. The step lunge is performed by lunging forward onto a step in front of you, then pushing back strong to the starting position. The height of the step can be about 6 to 12 inches --- and the higher, the more difficult. The one-leg lunge starts with you standing about 3 feet in front of a bench. Stretch your left leg out behind you, balancing the top of your left foot on the bench. Bend your right knee to lower yourself as low as possible, pause and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times on the same leg, then switch. If balance is a problem, hold onto a wall or something sturdy. Whenever lunging, to protect your knees, make sure your front knee stays above your ankle, never going beyond your toes.

Climb the Stairs
Climbing stairs, whether real stairs or a stair machine, is a great butt-shaping exercise. Regularly training on a quality stair machine can transform those buns into steel. Vary your workouts by changing up the intensity of your stepping pattern. Push through your heels, not your toes or the balls of your feet. If you take long, slow, deep steps, pushing through each step until your leg is straight up and down, you can increase gluteal involvement. Your own stairs will work if you don't have a stair machine. Take them two at a time each time you use them. Running stadium stairs or bleachers is another good butt-blaster. Make sure to feel those glutes working as you push off of each step. Depending on the height, take two at a time for variety.

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TRX Suspension Training
Great butt shaping exercises can be performed by using TRX Suspension Training straps. These straps allow the body to move into greater ranges of motion, which enhances the shape of the butt. By using the straps and your own body weight, you can get deeper muscle-fiber recruitment. At the same time, the straps keep you safe from injury by placing the load on many joints, instead of just one. For instance, the support of the TRX straps allows you to safely lunge deeper than you can without them and reduces the load on the knees by activating the deep gluteal muscles.

Squats
Squats are performed by standing with feet parallel and shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend your knees and lower your hips, as if you were about to sit down on a chair. Make sure your knees do not go past your toes. Holding weights will add intensity and get those glutes working hard. Performing squats using a ball can help keep your back and knees safe. Stand with your back to a wall and put an exercise ball between your low back and the wall. Your feet should be parallel and shoulder-width apart. Lean into the ball, keep your head and shoulders back and slowly squat down until your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Pause and stand back up straight. Repeat for 10 reps.