While I’ve never been one to keep up with the Kardashians, I must applaud the effect they’ve had on ‘Body Positivity’, in particular the pride in a strong, well-shaped Gluteus Maximus aka the booty.
When I first started working in a gym 25 years ago most females were spending countless hours on the treadmill trying desperately to trim down their lower half, in particular their butt and thighs.
Nowadays it’s a totally different story. The treadmill is used for a quick warm up before the real work begins. When I go into the free weight section it’s hard to find an empty squat rack as the females are pumping out the essential core lifts including heavy: Squats, Lunges, Bulgarian Split squats, and here’s the new one (heavily weighted) Barbell Hip Thrusts.
I used to get frustrated when I would see very dedicated females doing hundreds or inner and outer thigh raises’ expecting that this localised fatigue and mild burn will miraculously change the shape of their hips and thighs.
While these exercises do have their place, and are important for engaging and stabilising, they do very little to actually elicit any changes in terms of butt trimming, sculpting or strengthening.
All of the aforementioned essential lifts are excellent…Wait, that’s too weak a word…The big bang exercises done well and progressively overloaded are the PERFECT lifts for both strengthening and shaping your butt area.
SO! If you too want a strong butt that will provide plenty of support for your lower back, burn fat while you eat & sleep, then I encourage you to do this 30-Day Peachy Keen Booty Challenge.
It is a short 3-5 minute routine that can be done in your own home, ideally before you start your busy day. It combines the essential butt sculpting moves that require no fancy equipment.
There are 4 levels, start at level 1 and progress to the next level once mastery has been achieved with ALL of the exercises in that level.
Level 1
- 1 x Plank – Knees
- 30 secs x Glute & Hip Flexor Stretch – Each Side
- 30 secs x Glute Activation – Laying on Floor – Each Side
- 30 secs x Lunge with Hip Stretch – Alternate Sides
- 30 secs x Squat
Level 2
- 1 x Plank – Toes
- 20 secs x Glute Stretch – Each Side
- 30 secs x Hip Raises – Single Leg – Each Side
- 30 secs x Lunge – Static – Each Side
- 30 secs x Squat – Functional
Level 3
- 1 x Plank with External Rotation – Alternate Sides
- 30 secs x Lower Body Twist – Stretch – Each Side
- 30 secs x Hip Raises with Knee Hug – Each Side
- 30 secs x Squat – Jump
LEVEL 4
- 1 x Plank – Superman – Alternate Sides
- 30 secs x Knee Pull Ups – Alternate Sides
- 30 secs x Side Plank with Glute Activation – Advanced – Each Side
- 30 secs x Lunge – Elevated on Bench with DB’s* – Each Side
- 1 x Squat to Lunge – Alternate Legs
*Start with a light weight and if you can do 30 seconds comfortably add more weight the next time you lunge.
FINAL TIP:
Too many women I work with still have the fear that their butt is going to get too big if they lift heavy weights.
The truth is, those woman with the seemingly big butt actually have a smaller butt when you get a tape measure to it. The butt can appear bigger, but that is only because the women that lift heavy & often have much less body fat. This means that their waist is so much smaller than their hips, giving the appearance that the butt is big.
I can assure you that building up your butt muscles will lead to a firmer butt and an all-round curvier physique! Happy lifting, and remember ‘Strong is the New Skinny’.
