Booty, butt, glutes however you want to refer to your derrière, these 5 simple at home strengthening exercises will give you that backside you’ve always wanted!
BODY WEIGHT SQUATS
Squats are a great way to work your glutes and your entire body! You don’t need any props and this can be done anywhere .
1.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips. Your toes should be pointed slightly outward – about 5 to 20 degrees outward.
Look straight ahead and pick a spot on the wall in front of you. You’ll want to look at this spot the entire time you squat, not looking down at the floor or up at the ceiling.
Keep your spine in a neutral position. This simply means not to round your back, but also don’t hyper extend and over accentuate the natural arch of your back.
Your weight on your feet should be on the heels and the balls of your feet as if you were pasted to the ground. You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire movement.
You will break at your hip and push your butt back. Keep sending your hips backwards as your knees begin to bend. It’s important that you start with your hips back, and not by bending your knees.
Keep your back straight, with your neutral spine, and your chest and shoulders up. Keep looking straight ahead at that spot on the wall.
As you squat down, focus on keeping your knees in line with your feet. When your knees start to come inside the toes, push them out (but not wider than your feet). Make sure your knees are out!
Squat down until your hip joint is lower than your knees at a parallel position. We are looking at your hip joint here, not at your thighs.
Keeping everything engaged and drive through your heels (keep the balls of your feet on the ground as well).
Drive your knees out the same way you did on the way down, and squeeze your butt at the top to make sure you’re using your glutes!
HIP THRUSTS
Hip thrusts are great for improving glute strength, increasing glute size (bubble butt ;), and it reduces overall risk of injury, as strong glutes can help take stress off the lower back and also positively affect the mechanics of the hips, knees, ankles, and feet!
- You can use your couch or even lie on the floor. If you use a couch, start with your shoulder blades against the couch and your arms spread across it for stability. If your shoulders don’t reach the couch you may need to start with your butt slightly off the floor. Bend your knees to about 90 degrees, and make sure your feet are flat on the floor.
- Engage your core. Squeeze your glutes, use your exhale to begin lifting up your hips, and hold a second or two. It’s very important that you don’t hyperextend your lower back at the top.
- Repeat as many reps desired.
