Want to firm and tone up your butt? The butt is an area which can carry stubborn body fat and is therefore an area of the body which females often want to target for fat reduction. Below is a workout which targets the muscles of butt, as well as advice on how to lose body fat to increase firmness, and create desirable toned appearance.
The butt workout exercises
The following exercises directly target the muscles which compose the butt. Performing these exercises will not spot reduce fat from the butt, but they will stimulate the muscles of the butt which will lead to muscle hypotrophy, aiding in firmness and the toned appearance if supplemented with fat loss.
Stiff leg dead lift
The stiff leg dead lift is a great exercise for stimulating the hamstrings, back and butt. The exercise can be performed with a set of dumbbells at home. Form is vital with this exercise for maximum effectiveness and to ensure injury prevention.
- Grasp a set of dumbbells and stand erect with a slight bend in the knees.
- Whilst ensuring the legs remain stiff with a slight bend at the knee, bend at the hips to bring the dumbbells towards the floor. Maintain sound posture, with a straight back throughout the exercise.
- Reverse the movement once the torso is bent to close to ninety degrees, contracting the muscles of the butt and hamstrings.
A great exercise for targeting the butt and lower back. Seek advice from a personal trainer if you are unsure on the form of the exercise.
Ball Bridge
The bridge exercise recruits the muscles of the butt, as well as the core muscles which are important for overall functionality. This exercise requires a bench (although an edge of a bed or sofa may work) and a stability ball.
- Lie with the shoulders and upper back supported by the bench, with the feet supported by a stability ball located a few feet away from the bench. The knees should be bent significantly.
- Whilst keeping the feet planted on the stability ball, press the hips forwards towards the ceiling whilst contracting the butt muscles.
- The hips should be brought to the same level as the chest before descending to the starting position.
The ball bridge recruits the butt and core muscles. Essential for ensuring core strength.
Dumbbell squat
Targeting the thighs, hamstrings and the butt, the dumbbell squat is highly effective at stressing the muscles of the legs. Sound posture should be maintained throughout the exercise to ensure injury prevention.
- Grasp a set of dumbbells and stand erect with a slight bend in the knees.
- Squat down whilst ensuring the back remains straight and the knees do not advance forward further than the level of the feet (so the lower legs remain at ninety degrees to the floor).
- Stop when the thighs become parallel to the floor, and then ascend back up to the starting position.
Squatting is the king of lower body exercises.
Fat loss for toning and defining the butt
No amount of direct butt exercises will tone or define the butt. Fat loss is essential, and this is achieved by a dietary plan and cardiovascular routine. The dietary approach should ensure optimal levels of nutrients, whilst being structured and composed of food choices which enable weight loss. Cardiovascular exercise will expend calories which accelerates overall fat loss when following a suitable diet.
See this meal plan for a female aiming for weight loss. The meal plan is merely a sample, and any meal plan should not be stuck to – ensure a varied diet is followed to maximise nutrient consumption. Cardiovascular exercise can be performed three to four times per week minimal, with each session lasting between thirty and sixty minutes.
Following a cardiovascular routine and dietary plan will aid greatly with fat loss. Fat loss, plus direct exercises which stress the muscles of the butt, will set you well on the way for achieving a firm and defined butt!
