The Perfect Butt
There are many myths and misconceptions about exercise and most of them center around weight training. One of the most popular myths in exercise today is that doing certain exercises will help you get rid of trouble spots. Despite evidence that spot training does not work, you might see people frantically doing crunches to get rid of a tummy pooch, or doing leg lifts to get rid of saddle bags.
While it is true that these exercises will strengthen and tone muscles, they don't do much about the overlying layer of fat. The only way to truly get rid of fat is to burn more calories than you take in or, as the American Council on Exercise points out in their Personal Trainer Manual, "[f]at is burned through prolonged exercise (aerobic activity)..." Still, that doesn't stop us from trying anything and everything to tone up one of the worst trouble spots on the human body: the butt.
For people looking to firm and tone their backsides, there are some exercises that are more effective than others in targeting the muscles of the butt. We've tried leg lifts, butt squeezes and the infamous 'fire hydrant' exercises from Jane Fonda's heyday, but is there an exercise that works the best? Ask any personal trainer and they'll probably agree that the squat is the best exercise you can do for your butt.
Jeff O'Connell of Men's Fitness agrees. He says that "[t]he squat is the single most effective exercise there is, period...[n]othing else even comes close in terms of effectiveness, variety or metabolism-boosting ability." If that isn't enough to convince you, let's just talk about what a squat actually does. A squat is considered a compound or multi-joint exercise which is the basis for just about any weight training program no matter what your goal is. Compound exercises work more than one muscle group which means you can use more weight. Using heavier weight is how you build lean body tissue. The more lean body tissue you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you burn on a regular basis. Plus, you're targeting every major muscle in your upper leg, up to and including your quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh), and gluteal muscles (the muscles in your fanny).
The Squat
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Form Pointers: Stand with feet shoulder-width
apart. Slowly lower Do this exercise 1 or 2 times per week, 2-3 sets of 12
to 16 reps with medium |
The Lunge
Next to squats, lunges are the next best thing for your butt and thighs. This is also a compound movement so, like squats, when you do them you get more bang for your buck. There are many ways to do lunges. There are static lunges (shown in the example below) holding dumbbells or a barbell. An advanced version of the lunge would be to start with your feet together and then step forward into a lunge, then back to starting position (front lunges). Dips or reverse lunges also start with feet together and then you step back with one leg into a lunge position and then back to starting position.
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Form Pointers: Stand with feet together holding
a medium to heavy weight. Do this exercise 1 or 2 times per week, 2-3 sets of 12
to 16 reps with light |
The Plié Squat
Another great exercise is the plié squat, which targets the inner thighs, quadriceps, as well as the glutes. This move, which you may recognize as a ballet-type exercise, is a great addition to both squats and lunges and, like these other exercise, is a compound movement. Form is critical with this exercise as it is with squats and lunges. With your toes at an angle, it is very easy for your knee to twist out of alignment. Remember, your toes and knees should be pointing in the same direction.
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Form Pointers: Stand with feet wider than
shoulder-width apart, toes out Do this exercise 1 or 2 times per week, 2-3 sets of 12
to 16 reps with medium |
NEXT: More Great Exercises for Your Butt! > Page 1 > 2
