Which Toning Exercises Will Help Reduce My Big Butt?

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question-icon-newI have a bigger butt than most girls my age. My butt is way too big for my age and height. How can I reduce my butt size as fast as possible? Should I do weight training exercises or focus more on cardio workouts to slim and tone up my booty?

answer-icon-newTo reduce the size of your butt, I recommend both resistance training and cardio exercise to really tone, tighten and firm up your glutes. The first thing you want to do is to incorporate high rep strength training movements into your fitness plan. Shoot for 15-20 reps per set and use lighter weights since you’re more focused on toning and shaping your booty. Below are the best butt toning exercises that are both safe and effective. You can do all these exercises as bodyweight movements or add resistance with a barbell, dumbbells and even kettlebells!

Squats
tighten-butt-legsThe squat is the king of all exercises. Without a doubt, squats are one of the best butt toning exercises. The squat utilizes the glutes, a.k.a. the butt, to a great degree. This is important because the gluteus maximus is the largest single muscle of the body and you need to stimulate it effectively in order to promote muscle growth and fat loss. Also, squats strengthen the lower back and core. Here’s how to perform a bodyweight squat:

  1. Stand with a shoulder width stance.
  2. Hold your hands straight in front of you.
  3. Drive your hips back and bend your legs 90 degrees.
  4. Push through your heels and extend your legs.
  5. Repeat the movement 15-20 times.

Tips:

  1. Keep your spine neutral by looking straight ahead.
  2. Keep your core tight by sucking in your belly.
  3. Remember to always drive through your heels to ensure you’re using your glutes.
  4. Rest about 1 to 2 minutes between sets.
  5. Make sure to warm up before doing this exercise.
  6. Shoes with a flat sole are optimal for this movement as it allows to transfer power from your glutes more efficiently.

Lunges
Lunges are great for toning your butt and quads. It also strengthens the hamstrings and reinforces the core. Done correctly, lunges are extremely safe and effective. To perform a lunge:

  1. Stand with your feet close to each other.
  2. Keep your head and chest up.
  3. Keep your hands to your sides.
  4. Take a large step forward with one leg. Stop when your knee at a 90 degree angle.
  5. Using your front leg, push through your heels and rise until your legs are extended.
  6. Repeat the movement 15-20 times.

Tips:

  1. Always stretch out your hamstrings before beginning this movement.
  2. Execute the movement slowly and steadily.
  3. Keep your core tight to maintain your stability.
  4. Make sure to wear sports shoes to avoid slipping.
  5. Rest about 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

tighten-butt-legs-lunges

Deadlifts
Last but not least, the deadlift. Deadlifts, like the squats involve the whole body. However, unlike squats and lunges, you do need some weights (either a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell) to perform the deadlift. Here’s how to perform a deadlift using a kettlebell.

  1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Hold the kettlebell with both hands.
  3. Bend your knees and lower your body until the kettlebell passes between your knees.
  4. Stand up slowly, driving through your heels while keeping your abs tight.
  5. Pause at the top of the movement.
  6. Repeat the movement 15-20 times.

Tips:

  1. As this is a complex movement, take your time and perform it slowly in the beginning.
  2. Stretch out your lower back and hamstrings before performing this exercise.

These are three of the best butt toning exercises that you can use in your daily exercise routine. Perform these exercises frequently and you’ll be flaunting your toned, well-defined butt in no time. Feel free to experiment with other butt exercises that are not mentioned above.

Along with strength training exercises, it’s also highly recommended to include cardio workouts like a running program to really tone and shape your legs and butt. Start off with very short distances and shoot for 1/2 mile when you first begin at about a 10 minute mile pace. Every week try to increase your distance 1/2 mile and try to decrease your running time. After your run, you might want to 4-5 short sprints of about 40-50 yards. These sprints are great for explosive movements and for getting that really lean look. You might also want to incorporate a whole body cardio exercise like jumping rope into your plan. This is one of the best overall body workouts you can do to burn major calories and tone up your entire body. Along with strength training and cardio, you need to really watch your diet and overall calories when trying to lose body fat. The foods you eat is the most important factor when your goal is to slim down and tighten up your physique, so focus on nutrient dense whole foods as the main source of your calories each day.

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5 Comments

  1. You don’t “tone” and “shape” with light weight and high reps, instead you just waste a lot of time. Do heavy weight for 8 reps and 30 minutes of cardio. This is the best way, coming from someone who used to have a huge butt and thunder thighs. I now wear a size 3.

    • Hi Anon – It’s really specific to each person when it comes to what type of training method works best for them. It’s great that using heavy weight worked for you, but there are women out there who grow quickly from resistance training and can add additional size to their butt and legs when doing heavy sets with lower reps.

      • I’m replying to both people above. I am concerned with this precisely as I am small boned on top and very “hippy” (like 45″) and a size 12. I’m 5’7″ and weigh 160 pounds. My body is capable of getting down to a size 6 (about 135-140 pounds) as I did in my 20s. I am now in my mid-40s and have a desk job where I usually sit for around 12 hours a day! So, I have a very larger than normal butt and hips for a small boned person and I feel that I look very awkward. I do not want to bulk up so I am just running on the treadmill, speed walking and working out my arms. Do you have any other tips for me! Thanks!

        • Hi Becca – Along with your current cardio routine, make sure your diet is spot-on. Try to avoid consuming too many starchy carbs later in the day and always eat a lean protein with every meal. You can still train your lower body with weights but focus on using lighter weight and higher reps to help tone your butt and thighs. You might want to add the StepMaster or step mill machines into your overall cardio routine to help tone your lower body also.

    • I’m a 48yr old mom of 4. I have been menopasal for a few years. I want to lose some weight and inches and most importantly flatten my belly. I also want to have a booty. My butt has always been flat.

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