Weight Loss Spotlight

Firm Butt

Shaping your butt muscles is high on the wish list when women start with a personal trainer. Every woman wants a nice firm butt.

The butt area is however also the so called problem area for a lot of women. The female body carries a lot of fat deposits in this area and because we are meant to have children at some point in our lives, our bodies are not very wiling to give these fat cells up or letting go of them.

It is not an impossible mission though to shape your butt and hip area. It just takes a lot longer then you expect and patience is rewarded.

To be able to shape the butt area, you need to focus on two different types of training. First you need to build up the muscle, strengthen it and force it respond to weight and resistance training. Secondly you need to burn off the fat on top of the muscles with cardio vascular exercise and aerobics.

The best butt exercise has always been and will always be the walking lounges. This exercise targets the whole hip, butt and thigh area all at once. It's an excellent leg and butt shaper and can be done in so many different ways depending on the level of difficulty.

For the beginner a regular walking lounge with one leg at the time is sufficient to start with. Do one set of fifteen repetitions on one leg then switch leg.

For the intermediate walking lounges with alternate legs can be the next step up to eventually be able to perform a real walking lounge without any rest and step in between just walking big lounging steps.

Finally you have worked your way up to the advanced walking lounge performed with extra weights in your hands such as a pair of dumbbells. The weight can vary from 5lbs dumbbells up to whatever is offered at the gym.

One set of walking lounges can include as many as 40-50 walking lounging steps. Then take a break, turn around and walk back the same way. Complete this full circle of lounges three or four times and your legs will definitely shape up.

Another great exercise for your butt is a free squat with our without weights preferably performed in front of a mirror so you can watch your form through the whole exercise. Stand with your feet parallel, shoulder wide apart and come down into a squatting position, sticking your butt out, keeping your back straight, and stop when you joints are aligned in a 90 degree angle between your hip, knee and angle.

Then using your butt and hamstring muscle, slowly come back up to a standing position. Repeat 15-20 times in a set and perform 3-4 sets of 15-20 repetitions. For more resistance weights in form of dumbbells can be added and placed on your shoulders held in place with your hands. If you have a problem getting deep down place a 5lbs weight plate under each heal.

Stiff-legged Deadlifts are another killer exercise for your butt muscles. Stand with your feet shoulder wide apart again parallel to one another with your side to the mirror to be able to watch your form and with a pair of 5lbs dumbbells in your hands. Bend your upper body from your hips, with almost straight legs and the dumbbells hanging down by your sides. Keep bending forward until you come to a horizontal level with your upper body.

At this point you should feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings, right below your butt muscles. Then reverse the exercise and come up slowly using only your hamstrings and your butt muscles not your back muscles. Repeat 15 times and a total of 4 sets of 15 repetitions. Make sure you keep an eye on yourself in the mirror to avoid using the back muscles.

Butt lift machines are popular machines at most gyms. The exercise in itself can be performed just as good without any machines and just by using dumbbells on the floor. Position yourself on all four on your knees and hands. Come down on your elbows with your upper body. Lift one leg up, keeping it bent in the same angle as if it was on the floor still. Then use your butt muscle to lift your leg from parallel to the floor position to as high as you can go without arching your lower back. Keep your hips parallel and stabile so you don't fall over to the side. Do 15-20 leg lifts or butt lifts on each side before you switch. Repeat three to four times on each side.

To increase the resistance one degree, place a 2.5 lbs or a 5 lbs dumbbells between you knee and lock it between your calf and hamstring as you curl to contract your butt muscle firm.