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The Deadlift
Deadlifts are often thought to be a lower back exercise. It is true that deadlifts are great for your back, but if you change the exercise just a bit, deadlifts are great for your hamstrings and your gluteal muscles. In a deadlift, you are tipping forward from your hips and keeping your legs straight or a little bent rather than squatting. This puts pressure on your back, which is why keeping your back flat is critical for this exercise to work without causing pain or injury. At the bottom of the movement you should tighten your butt and hamstrings as you pull your torso back to starting position. One variation is to prop your toes on plates or on a board to really trigger the gluteal muscles.
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Form Pointers: Stand with feet wide or together.
Keeping back straight Do this exercise 1 or 2 times per week, 2-3 sets of 12
to 16 reps with medium |
For all of these exercises, form is critical. Always remember to go slow and keep your knees in line with your toes, otherwise you could put strain on your knees and cause injury. You should also remember to use your abs and your back muscles to stabilize your body, especially if you're using weights. Never swing or use momentum to get the weights up and, if you feel any pain, stop!
One important thing to remember is that weight training alone will not get rid of body fat. Doing cardiovascular exercise will help reduce bodyfat while toning up the lower body as well. Some great exercises that target the backside are hiking/walking up an incline, the stair stepper, and cycling. In their December, 1999 issue, Fitness Magazine discussed the different types of butts (i.e., flat, bubble, pear-shaped, 'relaxed,' and the heart-shaped backside). Each body type responds to different exercises. For example, a person with a flat backside would definitely want to add squats to his or her routine to increase muscle mass. If you have a heart-shaped behind you want to do activities like walking and kickboxing to tone up and then add some squats and leg lifts. Genes play a big role in how your body responds to exercise and it is important to understand that, while you can firm up your tush, you can't always change the shape.
