Get a Toned Butt

A toned butt will not only improve your pants size but also will help you to fight the effects of gravity that come along with aging. These articles include series of lunges, squats, exercise ball moves and yoga poses so that you can inject your workout with variety and keep your muscles consistently challenged.

Steps

Perform Lunges

Lunges tone your butt and thighs, challenge your balance and work your core muscles. You can perform lunges with dumbbells or with a medicine ball to add additional resistance.

  1. Do-a-Front-Lunge-Exercise. When you perform lunges, make sure that your knee stays centered above your foot. If you don’t have any dumbbells, then wear a backpack filled with 1 or 2 heavy books while you perform the exercise. Make sure that the backpack is snugly connected to your shoulders.
  2. Do-a-Reverse-Lunge. If you have problems with your knees, the reverse lunge places less stress on them than a front lunge exercise. Keep your torso upright to further reduce the stress on your knees. If you can’t lunge too deeply at first, don’t worry. The more you perform the exercise, the deeper you will lunge and the more effectively you will work your glutes.
  3. Do-Walking-Lunges. Walking lunges are a series of forward lunges done with alternating legs. You will need a large space so that you have plenty of room to move. Think of lowering your hips toward the floor as you lunge, and bend you knees almost at 90-degree angles. If the exercise is too hard to perform while holding light weights, then place your hands on your hips instead.
  4. Do-a-Medicine-Ball-Lunge-With-Twist. This lunge is a forward lunge with an added twist. When your knees are bent, you twist your waist before pushing yourself back into an upright position. When you hold the medicine ball, you can extend it out in front of your chest. However, be careful not to lock your elbows.

Perform Squats

Squats focus on your glutes as you lower your hips toward the ground. Focus on working your glutes, rather than your quads, as you perform the squat.

  1. Do-Squats-With-a-Resistance-Band. This exercise shows you how to perform squats while getting extra resistance from a resistance band. However, you can also hold dumbbells while performing the exercise, or you can hold a barbell behind your shoulders. Make sure to equally distribute your weight on your heels and on the balls of your feet as you squat. This will place less stress on your knees.
  2. Do-a-Single-Leg-Squat. Start performing single leg squats without weights until you have mastered the form of the exercise. To increase the challenge, stand on a bench and lower one leg to the ground while bending your other leg to support your weight. Barely allow your heels to touch the ground before using your bent leg to push yourself back into an upright position. This new angle will significantly strengthen your legs.

Use an Exercise Ball

Working out with an exercise ball gives you the added benefit of working your core muscles while toning your glutes.

  1. Do-a-Bridge-Exercise-With-an-Exercise-Ball. Throughout this exercise, keep your abdominal muscles engaged and avoid pushing your hips up too high. This will prevent your lower back from arching and becoming vulnerable to injury. Support your body weight with your arms.
  2. Do-a-Pelvic-Thrust-on-an-Exercise-Ball. This exercise is similar to the bridge exercise except that you start with your knees bent and roll the ball away from yourself as you straighten your body. As you lower your body back to the floor, you roll the ball back toward yourself.
  3. Do-Swimming-Kicks-With-an-Exercise-Ball. Swimming kicks will challenge both your glutes and your core as you try to maintain your balance on top of the ball. For more of a challenge, only place one hand on the floor. Alternate hands so that you work your obliques equally.

Perform Yoga Poses

These yoga poses will strengthen your glutes, working the muscles in large groups for a different angle and better toning. Yoga also has additional benefits, which include improved concentration and better stress management.

  1. Do-the-Upward-Facing-Dog-Pose. The upward facing dog pose will strengthen your glutes and will also open up your chest. Keep your wrist joint in a straight line with your shoulder to avoid over-arching your back. Also, be sure to push down through your hands and lift the top of your head to avoid compressing your neck vertebrae.
  2. Do-a-Chair-Pose-in-Yoga. This exercise will strengthen both your glutes and legs while stretching your shoulders and chest. If you have flat feet, this exercise can also strengthen your arches. Make sure to tuck your tailbone in as you lower your body. This will keep your back long and straight.
  3. Do-the-Crescent-Moon-Pose-in-Yoga. The crescent moon pose tones your glutes as well as strengthening your chest and arms. Place a pillow or rolled towel beneath the knee that is touching the ground if you find that your knee is uncomfortable. If you have an injured back, then don’t lean back as far when you extend your arms.



Tips

  • Don't quit after day one. It takes some time for visible results.
  • When you are in the lowest position during squats and lunges, try holding the position instead of pushing yourself back into an upright position immediately. This will work deep into your gluteal muscles and will enhance the toning.
  • Perform the exercises while imagining that you are underwater. This will slow your movements and make them more fluid. In addition, your muscles will more fully contract, enhancing the potential of each move.

Things You'll Need

  • Dumbbells
  • Resistance band
  • Medicine ball
  • Exercise ball
  • Yoga mat
  • Patience

Sources and Citations

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