How to Get a Better Behind with a “Booty” Camp Home Workout

Okay, so you haven’t exercised in quite a while and you’ve noticed that your behind (among other body parts) is looking a bit—well…out of shape. You’re envious of all those women with their tight butts and wish that your 40-something butt could be that way again. Will you obtain that Brazilian beach derrière? That depends on your genes as well as your body type. However, if you add these exercises to your fitness program, you’ll at least look good in your jeans!

First, Meet Gluteus Maximus and His Siblings

Your rear end’s shape is characterized by the fat that lies over the muscles called gluteus medius, gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus. Exercises such as running, walking and climbing will help work those butt muscles, but specific strength training exercises for the glutes will assist with that rounder, tighter look you’re going for. So if you want to see some changes, try expanding your home workout to include a few—or all—of these bum-lifting moves.

The Squat

This is the best exercise you can perform to instantly work your glutes. If you add dumbbells, you can develop larger glute muscles. Maintain a shoulder-width stance and keep your back straight and abs tight. Gradually bend your knees as if you’re going to sit in a chair. Do not lower yourself to the point that you push your knees out past your toes. In other words, if you can’t see the tips of your toes in the squat position, you’ve lowered yourself too much. Slowly return to your standing position, squeezing your behind on the way up. Perform 10 of these to start; as the squats get easier, you can increase the amount you do.

Forward Lunge

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, back straight, abs tight and then take a large step to the front. Slowly drop your body being sure that you don’t bend both knees any more than 90 degrees. Don’t let your front knee push out over your front ankle and keep your back knee from touching the floor. Then gradually raise yourself to the standing position, squeezing your thighs and butt as you rise. Don’t forget to exercise the other leg! Perform 10 of these for each leg. This exercise is a wonderful fat-burner and tones not only the rear but calves and thighs too.

Side Lunge

These are great for the inner thighs, hips, and, oh yeah, your glutes! Placing your feet shoulder-width apart, bend only one knee and be sure to maintain that 90 degree angle like in the forward lunge. When you bend that knee, you’ll automatically lean forward a little; to avoid injuring yourself, make sure your shoulders don’t go out over your knees. Place your hands wherever they’ll assist your balance best. Return to the wide-stance position and do the same exercise with the other leg. Do 10 side lunges for each leg.

Backward Lunge

Your glutes will work a bit harder with this exercise and this lunge will provide better body alignment as well as flex your hips. You basically perform this lunge the same as you do the forward lunge, except you step backward. Remember to keep that nice 90 degree angle in your legs and don’t let that knee touch the floor! Complete 10 lunges for each leg.

Dirty Dog

Get down on the floor on all fours. Your elbows should be straight with your hands placed right under your shoulders and your legs should be at a 90 degree angle, hip-width apart with your knees directly under your hips. Be sure to spread your fingers to avoid wrist injury. Maintain a straight back—no arching or sagging—and tighten your abs. Maintaining a bent knee, slowly lift your knee off the floor and out to the side as high as you can go without moving the rest of your body. Keep those elbows locked! Then slowly lower your bent leg to the starting position. Perform this exercise 10 times with each leg.

Side Leg Lifts

Lay on your side on the floor, legs straight out, knees facing forward, back straight and abs tight. Lift your top leg until your foot’s about one or two inches above your hip—you don’t need to raise it any higher than that—and then slowly lower it back down to the start position. It’s important to keep your torso stable and if you raise your leg higher than a few inches above hip level, your spine will move, thus defeating the purpose of this exercise which is to work the butt, hips and outer thighs. Perform 20 or 30 leg lifts then roll over and do 20 or 30 leg lifts with the other leg.

Inner Leg Lifts

These lifts are great for your inner thighs as well as your behind and hips. Lie down on your side with your legs stretched out and you can either stretch your arm out and place your head on it or prop your head up in your hand; do whatever is most comfy for you. Now, bend your top leg at a 90 degree angle and cross it over so that your knee is on the floor or you can place a pillow under your knee if you have trouble getting it to reach the floor. It’s important not to roll your hip forward, always keep it stacked on top of your other hip to maintain a good posture and avoid injury. Next, lift your bottom leg a couple of inches and squeeze your thigh muscle as you raise it; then lower it back to the floor. Be sure that you’re only moving your legs and that your torso remains steady. Do 20 or 30 of these exercises for each leg.

Walking Those Hills

We all know walking is great exercise and it’s definitely a good bum workout—especially if you walk up some hills! That’s a wonderful way to burn up a few extra calories. If you’d rather do your walking on a treadmill, use an incline of 5% to 7% as this will produce the same effect as walking up a hill. No matter which you choose, you should walk for at least 30 minutes, five days a week.

Mountain Climber

Begin by getting into the plank position; check that your hands are under your shoulders and spread your fingers which will guard your wrists from an injury. To provide support for your lower back, tighten your abs. Maintain a stable upper body, then bend your knee and raise it toward your chest; you can allow your toes to rest on the floor during each move if you’d like. Then place your leg back in the starting plank position and do the same for the other leg. This exercise should be done for 30 seconds to 1 minute, as fast as you can—sort of like you’re running up a mountain—to get the most bang for your calorie-burn. This is a great exercise for your legs, abs, hips, arms, shoulders and butt. There are various forms to this exercise. For example, you can perform the mountain climber on all fours which is a little easier on your stomach muscles or for a more challenging core workout, move your knees one at a time up toward your chest but also in towards your opposite shoulder. If you have a bad back or lack the ability to move properly, try modifying the mountain climber a bit by placing your hands on a bench instead of the floor.

Aerobics and Cardio

There are some people who are blessed—or cursed, depending on how you see it—with genes that will bulk up their muscles. If that’s not what you’re looking for, then perhaps an aerobics class would be a better fit for you. These classes will help you tone up your body without bulking up. When you’re doing those fanny-shaping exercises, omit the weights; likewise, don’t increase the resistance too much when you use the exercise machines. Speaking of exercise machines, they’re a terrific way to get your heart pumping as well as help firm up your glutes. Arc trainers, stair climbers and elliptical machines are all great machines to use to achieve that effect; in addition, cycling and inline skating are great activities to take on too.

Of course, fitness routines will assist with firming up your rear end but might not give you a smaller tush. This is why a balanced diet is essential to go along with any exercise program. If you burn extra calories, keep an eye on your food intake and lose some weight, that will help in getting rid of the fat that covers the glutes and will gradually reward you with that trim, toned butt you used to have.