Build A Stronger Butt In 10 Minutes
Having strong glutes (butt muscles) can get you far in life. Sure, some people just like to have a big booty but there are several advantages of strengthening those muscles. Having strong glutes allow us to take advantage of our full mobility, to power through all kinds of activities like walking, biking and running, and are a fundamental component in being able to train other areas of our body effectively. Your glutes are made up of three muscles, the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. They externally rotate your hip, extend your hip, abduct your hip, and posteriorly tilt your pelvis. That’s why people with poor hip flexibility often have weak glute muscles. It’s important to show all these muscles some love so that you don’t widen or create imbalances that can come back to kick you in the butt.
Let’s face it, getting to a gym is a lot easier said than done when you’re busy with your career, as a parent, or just lack the motivation. Luckily, the glutes are also some of the easiest muscles to train without the need for a gym or any equipment. There are several bodyweight exercises you can perform from home or the office if you have about 10 minutes to spare. Resistance bands can also come in handy. They allow you to add some extra resistance and are easy to carry around with you or conveniently leave in your desk at work. There are many glute exercises out there to try but let’s start with the following four exercises.
4 Exercises For A Better Booty
The Glute Bridge
The glute bridge is probably the best bodyweight exercise you could do to isolate these muscles. There are several variations to the glute bridge. If you’re a beginner, try starting with both legs at the same time and move your way up to one leg if you’re more advanced.
- Lie down face up on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, shoulder width apart. Keep your arms at your side with your hands on the floor palms down, or use your elbows for support.
- Lift your hips off the ground. Squeeze your glutes hard and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise.
- Hold your “bridge” for a couple of seconds before easing back down.
- Stay on the same side and perform 2 or 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
Lateral raises and kick backs
Also known as “fire hydrants” and “donkey kicks”. Just the tip of silly names we’ve made up in the fitness world! These exercises are pretty straightforward exercises that are easy to perform anywhere and a resistance band could be used to increase the intensity. For lateral raises, wrap the band around your knees. For kick backs, try wrapping a lightweight band around your feet.
- Get on all fours and line up your hands directly under your shoulders. Keep your hips aligned with the rest of your body and attempt not to lean on one side as you perform the exercises.
- Stay on the same side and perform 2 or 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
Squat
As we covered in our article on how to squat, the squat is the most fundamental exercise in strength training. However, we left it for last on our list because it’s not for everyone. In order to benefit from the squat, you must have some fundamental strength and flexibility to perform it properly first. Once you’ve mastered your squat, the sky is the limit in being able to reach your training goals. If you’re a beginner, try starting with a chair, sofa, or a bench behind you and squatting down until your butt hits the surface. You can also use a ball placed behind your back on a wall to allow you to bring your squat lower and keep your posture intact. Contact personal trainer Toronto for advice on how safely peform these exercises.
- Your knees should be a little wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes pointing slightly outwards. Take a big breath, hold it and squat down. Push your knees out while moving your hips back. Keep your spine (lower back) completely neutral. Keep your feel flat but place the brunt of the weight on your heels.
- Break parallel and squat down until your hips are below your knees. (Picture yourself sitting down in a chair). Bringing your thighs parallel to the ground isn’t low enough to fully activate your glutes.
- Perform 2 or 3 sets with anywhere to 8-15 reps depending on your goals and level of strength.
Remember to allow your body the strength training recovery period it needs in order to repair and build muscle. If you’re new to strength training, then try performing these exercises once or twice a week to start and work your way up. Feel free to reach out to the Busy Bee Fitness Experts with your questions to help you work on a getting a better and stronger butt.