Now that summer is here there are lots of bum’s hitting the beach including yours. How would you like to lift that butt of yours into a sleek and sexy toned bottom?
Top rated Butt exercises are:
Squats
With your legs comfortably apart (usually shoulder width, and your arms folded or extended in front (this is for balance so do what is best for you). Stick your butt out behind you a bit and raise your head while sticking your chest out.
If you are new to this it might be a good idea to put a sturdy chair under your butt. This is good for two reasons – 1. it will catch you if your legs tire, 2. gives you a place to aim your bum.
Tighten your glute muscles and thigh muscles as you slowly lower yourself to the chair. Just as you are about to touch, reverse the direction, keeping your thigh and glutes tight and slowly straighten up to standing.
If you find it difficult to raise after you lower, that’s ok – take a seat! Then stand up and lower again. Doing it this way will increase the strength ans stamina in your legs quickly and in no time at all you’ll be able to do a full rep.
Deadlifts
When I first started exercising this was a very awkward movement for me – but, as with all things everything gets easier with practice. Use a light weight bar or dumbbell or cans or whatever suits you and with your feet about 10 – 16 inches apart (depending on how tall you are) with the weight in your hands, bend at your hips and make a movement as though you are touching your toes. Keep your knees soft – not bent.
As with the squats you want your butt and thigh muscles to be tight on the way down and especially on the way back up. Be certain to use your glutes and thighs because this is NOT a back exercise and you should concentrate on not using your back to do the lifts.
The bar should pass lightly in front of your legs but not brushing against you as your decent and ascend.
It is also very important that when doing weighted exercises that you always keep your core tight, tight, tight.
Lunges
There are several ways to lunge – forward, backward, walking, sideways. With and without weights. Stationary and alternate.
Lunges
Your basic stationary lunge is where you start in a standing position and with your core tight and chest up you step forward with on of your legs in an exaggerated stride. It takes a few tries to fine the comfortable stride length. If your step is too short your knee will extend past your foot when you lower, and too long a stride – you’ll fall over 
Once you have stepped forward, keeping your chest up, lower your body to the floor in a straight path, stop when your thigh is parallel to the floor. Check your posture in the mirror, your knee should not be over your toes and you should be poker posture only slightly leaning forward so the weight is on your front thigh.
When you raise up don’t give into the temptation to use your toes to bounce yourself up, tighten that front thigh and use your butt to assist while you push yourself, shifting your weight back into the starting position.
Stationary lunge is when you stay in the same position with the same foot forward for your series of reps.
Alternate lunge is when you stand up with both legs together, switching legs with each rep.
A reverse lunge is where you do the same moment but step backwards. This is essentially the same exercise, but the stepping back can help to target your muscles better.
A walking lunge is just as its described. You step forward, drop into a lunge, as you raise yourself you shift your weight forward and then step forward with the other leg and drop again. Keep doing this for several steps. WARNING – this exercise can be really bad for your knees!
Exercise ball Hamstring
This is a great bum burner and works your core (abdominal’s) too!
Lay on your back and put your feet on the ball. When you are first beginning you may need to have your feet a little wider and a little higher on the ball. As you get stronger at this you can move your feet closer together and farther from the centre.
Hands at your sides on the floor for stability (as you get better at this you can fold them across your chest) – tighten your core, glutes and use your thigh and butt muscles to straighten out your body by raising your butt in the air. Hold this for a few seconds with your bum in the air then slowly lower.
