Butt Toning Exercises - Firming Toning & Tightening Your Glutes

Everyone desires a tighter tush with more firm rounded edges versus saddlebags and rear sag. The key is consistency in diet and training which has to be a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. Small efforts like the program below will help you on your way to that goal.

There are a few great exercises to help harden and form your glutes and here are 3 which are useful and can be done anywhere! If you concentrate on this area for a month you can see some obvious results.

During these exercises you want to ensure you pull your belly button into your lower back in order to engage those transverse abdominals. I always suggest this for most exercises done for the body.

This is a speedy workout which can be done 3 days per week for a month to see some instant firming to your butt. It should not take more than 15-20 mins. You can find all these exercises in the ShapeFit Exercise Guides, right at your finger tips.

Start with the Elastic Band Kickbacks. Perform these exercises with a moderate speed making sure to engage those Abs. Complete 4 sets with reps per set going 20/25/30/40, resting 30 seconds in between each set then do the other leg. Stretch your glutes for 10 seconds per side and on to the next exercise.

Glute Kickbacks are second and again I want you to engage before you begin. Make sure you keep a mat under your knees and do not touch mat between reps. Do a set on the left leg, then the right and so on without rest. For added resistance you can use ankle weights. Also ensure you flex your foot. Perform 4 sets of 40 per leg then stretch for 15 seconds per side before you get to the last exercise.

Exercise Ball Butt Raises are the last exercise and can be with feet on a bed or chair if you do not have a ball but I suggest a ball as it makes the exercise more effective. Balls are easy to find for purchase and are very affordable. Once you engage and have your palms down to stabilize your body, begin with the hip raises but do not rest butt on ground in between reps, only between sets. 4 sets of 40 will be sufficient and you can add weight to your hips if you do use a chair, your hands can then support the weight at your hip area giving you a harder workout. I also suggest you work to rise above bridge level, and do not drop to far down, smaller movement working above the bridge will enhance the contraction. Ensure you clench at the top!

In addition to these exercises, cardio work would enhance the effect especially if you jog, do stairs or skip rope for 15-20 mins 3-5 times per week. You do not have to go very hard unless you have a higher amount of body fat to lose in which case I would work on leaning down to really show the glute training results. But you cannot go on exercise alone to expect tone. Eating a low fat, moderate carb diet utilizing good fats and complex carbs such as brown rice, yams and oats along with protein every 2-3 hours will help tone any area. Sugars need to be kept for once per week treats. Once the month is up you can change your program to focus on other areas.

By Linda Cusmano