Do you dread the summer months knowing that you are going to have to, sooner or later, start on your butt exercises regime, so you can bare your butt in those new shorts or the new swimwear you’ve just purchased? Don’t forget winter – when a toned butt always looks great in jeans.

Exercises for Butt

Biking

Riding a bike is great for your heart and it also targets almost every muscle in your hips, thighs and butt. On a stationary bike, alternate 3 minutes at 70-80 RPM with 2 minutes at 100-110 RPM for a calorie-blasting 30 minute workout. You can also try Spinning at the gym or riding outside. Increase your resistance and stand up to really work your glutes. A 140-lb person burns 335 calories in 45 minutes.

Kickboxing

Kickboxing is an excellent workout for the entire body, including the hips glutes and thighs.  Controlled front kicks, roundhouses, side kicks and back kicks work your hips, thighs and butt while complex combinations that include punches will target your abs to make them stronger. A 140-lb woman will burn up to 500 calories with 45 minutes of kickboxing.

Hiking

Now the exercises listed above aren’t the only strength moves for the glutes, but we often forget that there are cardio activities that will also engage the backside. Hiking is one of those activities and it also burns tons of calories because you’re typically going up steep mountains and maybe even getting into thin air, which requires lots of energy. Also, walking up an incline automatically gets your glutes more involved and, if you’re wearing a backpack, you’re really getting a workout. Plus, you get to see nature at its best. A 140-lb person burns about 390 calories in about an hour!.

Running

Running, like walking is accessible, easy to learn, reduces stress, helps in weight loss, and it makes you feel good. Plus, it really works your butt, especially when you add a few hills to your regular running route. Sprints are another option for folks wanting to both burn more calories and tighten up the tush. A 140-lb person burns 475 calories during a 45 minute jog.

Hip Extensions

While I’m fond of more compound moves (like the squats, lunges and step ups listed above) since they work more muscle groups, the hip extension is an exercise that specificially targets the largest muscle in the body…the gluteus maximus.

Step Ups

Step ups are another great exercise for the glutes.  For step ups, place one foot on a step or platform and push through the heel to lift the body up. This is an excellent exercise for the glutes, providing you use a step that’s high enough, although you may need to work up to a higher step if you’re a beginner.  You eventually want a height were your knee is at about a 90-degree angle.

The other key is to concentrate all your weight on the stepping leg. In other words, lower down gently, barely touching the toes of the other leg to the ground. You’ll really feel this when you take it slow and concentrate on the working leg.