This may seem odd, but I need a bigger booty.

You ladies with ba-donk-a-donks are luuuuucky!

Since this post, it has grown a good amount!  Even my mom commented on how it’s looking better. 😉  However, we still have lots of room for progress.

While these exercises may not exactly double your derrière, they will help!

For those who want their booty to firm rather than grow, don’t shy away from these.  Exercise builds muscle, which burns fat.  This leads to a shapely, muscular arse.

No shame in admiring hard-earned progress!

For each of the following exercises, do 3 sets of 10-12.  For more advanced rears, try going 4 sets of 15.

1. Floor Jack

Lie on the floor or a mat with your face down.  Spread your arms out over your head and your legs wide behind you to form an “X.”  Move your legs and arms in and out, much like a jumping jack.

Throughout the exercise, keep your arms and knees straight and off the floor.  Think about engaging and squeezing the glutes as you move your legs together and apart.  This keeps the focus on the upper and side glute muscle.

Note: If this bothers your lower back, try moving your arms and chest lower (or even all the way to the floor), focusing solely on the leg movement.  Once you gain strength, add in the upper body.

2. Lunge jump

Stand with your feet together, elbows bent 90 degrees.  Lunge forward with your right foot (A).  Jump straight up as you thrust your arms forward, elbows still bent (B).

Switch legs in midair, like a scissor, and land in a lunge with your left leg forward (C).  Repeat, switching legs again.  That’s completes 1 rep.

This move hits the whole lower body, engaging the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.  The added bonus is that it also engages the core and hips!

Need a challenge?  Make it harder by holding weights in each hand.

Note: This can be hard on your knees – if you have knee trouble do a regular single legged lunge.

3. Abductor 

I love to call these machine the “yes” and “no” machines.  You can see why…

The exercise pictured hits the inner thighs and bum muscles.  Sit in the machine and grip the handles on each side.  Slowly press against the machine with your legs to move them towards each other while exhaling.  Be sure your upper body remains stationary throughout the exercise to prevent injury.

Hold the contraction for 2-3 seconds and return your legs back to the starting position in a controlled manner.

These machines are often 2-in-1, or have a neighboring machine where you do the same thing, only you start with your legs together and move them away from each other (i.e. the “yes” machine).  This works the outer thighs and glutes.

For a real challenge, apply the 24s method to this one!

4. Fire Hydrants

While these may feel… awkward… to do, they do work.  Be confident and rock them out.  And make sure your bottoms are providing full coverage to avoid peep shows. 😉

Get on the floor on your hands and knees.  Lift one knee up and out to hip-level (or as close to it as you can).  Keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle, ankle flexed.  As you raise your leg, take care to not let your weight shift over to your support side.  Slowly lower your leg to the starting position for one rep.

Do 10-12 reps on one side, and repeat with the opposite leg for one set.  In addition to targeting the outer glutes, fire hydrants engage your core when you take care to keep your tummy tight and your back straight.

Note: Fire hydrants are also great for strengthening the hips.  If you have to sit all day at work… do these!

5. Single Leg Ball Squat

You know that bottom part of your bum that gets all saggy and wrinkly?  Single leg squats with a Swiss ball will blast that problem area, as the assistance of the ball allows you to engage the glutes even more exclusively than even a “regular” squat.

Place the Swiss ball against the wall, and lean your back against it.  Stand on your left leg while pressing your back into the ball with your lower back.  Stretch your right leg out in front of you in a horizontal position parallel to the floor.  If that’s not yet possible, just raise your leg as much as you can.

Squat down to a sitting position using the Swiss ball as your support.  Be very careful to keep the knee of the supporting leg behind the toes to avoid knee injury.  Stop when the leg is bent to 90 degrees, then slowly press back up to the starting position.

Need a challenge?  Raise your toes off the floor for an even more targeted hit to your thighs, hamstrings, and glutes.

Note: I struggle with balance and find that stretch my arms in front of me and focusing on a point straight ahead helps!

***

I think I’ve officially posted about butts more than another other part in my Work It Out series.  This is funny because what I really want to do is work out chest and biceps.  Every.  Day.  Balance…

Bare it all: What are your thought on your bum?  Good?  Needs work?  Big?  Small?

Has anyone tried the leg workout without touching the floor?  This is oddly one of my favorites.