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Who doesn't want a toned butt? Improving your backside is really rather simple. The butt is basically just another muscle, so those can be targeted and strengthened. A few key exercises will tone your butt fast – that is, as long as you also clean up your diet. Try these steps, and you will be well on your way to a shapely butt.
Steps
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Try bridges. Bridge exercises are among those that will target your butt and, if you do them consistently, you should tone your butt fast. [1] X Expert Source Laila Ajani
Fitness Trainer Expert Interview. 31 October 2019. Sometimes these are called hip lifts. You should strive for at least 15 reps of each exercise twice a day.- One variation of this exercise is to lie on your back with your knees bent. Keep your feet anchored firmly on the floor. Now, press your hips upward and squeeze your butt. Then lower your hips back to the floor. Do this as many times as you can.
- Lie with your back on the floor with your left knee bent, and keep your right leg straight. Now, lift your right leg until it lines up with your left thigh. Push your hips up, while keeping your right leg elevated. Then, lower your body and put your leg back down. Repeat. Switch and do the same exercise with your other leg. [2] X Research source
- For an advanced version, extend one leg into the air during each hip lift. Elevate your hips first, then extend your leg. Hold for 10 seconds, then bring your leg back down to its original position before lowering your hips. Repeat.
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Use dumbbells. Butt toning exercises that involve using a pair of dumbbells will show you results fast. Remember, the glutes are a muscle, so at least some strength training is important. You can either buy your own or use the dumbbells at a workout center.
- Bend down at your knees and pick up the dumbbells. You should hold them with an overhand grip. An overhand grip means that you keep your palms facing downward toward the dumbbells as you hold them.
- Now, stand up with the dumbbells and then lower them back down. Repeat. This is a simple exercise that basically just involves you bending your knees while holding weights, which will help you see faster results.
- Another dumbbell exercise you can do to tone your butt involves using a light pair of dumbbells. Stand on one foot, and then lift your other foot behind you, while bending your knee. Bend forward, and lower your body as far as you can. Go back to starting position, repeat, and then switch to your other leg.
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Try squats. Squats are one of the easiest ways to tone your butt, and they are an exercise that doesn't require equipment. Such toning exercises are the most common ways to tone your butt fast. Remember to keep your knees safe by lining them up directly above your feet. Don't let your knees extend forward.
- To do a squat, stand with your feet spread apart at hip width and squat down at a 90-degree angle. Then, stand back up. The key to doing a proper squat is to make sure you are pressing back on your heels, not forward on your toes. Keep your feet firmly planted on the floor. Again, doing 15 reps 2 times is a good goal when you are starting out, but you can increase the reps as you get stronger.
- Another variation of this exercise is called the squat hold and pulse. In this exercise, again stand with your feet hip width apart. Squat down at a 90-degree angle, but when you are in the squat position, move up and down slightly. This is called pulsing. [3] X Research source
- Perform a jump squat. Once you squat down, simply swing your arms overhead. Jump as high as possible. [4] X Research source
- You can also do squats while holding onto dumbbells or a barbell for added weight and resistance. [5]
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Expert Source
Laila Ajani
Fitness Trainer Expert Interview. 31 October 2019.
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Do lunges and plies. As with squats, lunges and plies are other butt targeting exercises that are easy to learn and quickly effective.
- To perform a lunge, stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Your feet should point straight ahead. Step forward, while keeping your knee from going past your toes. Push off with your heels so you keep your balance. Then, straighten back up. Now, switch to your other leg.
- To do a plié, remember this move isn't just for ballerinas; it's also a great butt-toning exercise! Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing outward. Keeping your back straight and your arms held out in front of you, lower yourself into a squatting position, and then use your glutes to bring yourself back to standing position. Repeat this move for one to two minutes.
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Try yoga or pilates . Yoga and pilates poses will relax you and improve flexibility, but many of them also target your butt. So, if you add yoga or pilates into your daily routine, you will see results quickly.
- Try the downward facing dog pose, and then a three-legged dog pose. Put both hands and both feet on the floor, and keep your back straight while hinging forward at the hips. For the three-legged dog pose, lift your right leg in the air while keeping your left foot and both hands pressed to the floor. Now switch legs.
- Hold each pose for five breaths.
- The warrior pose also tones your butt. To do this pose, put both hands straight over your head and look up to the sky. Step forward with your right foot and lunge, while keeping your left leg straight behind you and both feet anchored into the ground. Now switch legs.
- Reader Poll: We asked 122 wikiHow readers which type of fitness class they would be most interested in trying, and 57% of them said yoga or pilates . [Take Poll] These are both great options for building strength and toning your muscles!
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Add weights to your exercises. If you add even 5 or 10 pound weights to basic butt exercises, like squats or lunges, you will quickly improve your results.
- Hold the weights at shoulder or hip level. If you hold a position for at least 30 seconds, you will get more out of the maneuver.
- Experts recommend that you choose the heaviest weights you can lift, even if it means you will end up doing fewer reps of an exercise. It's a quicker way to see results. [6]
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Expert Source
Laila Ajani
Fitness Trainer Expert Interview. 31 October 2019.
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Do a circuit training workout most days of the week. Circuit training is great for your butt because many of the exercises in a typical circuit exercise target the glutes from different angles. Circuit training involves different types of exercise, which means your butt will get a thorough work out.
- The key to getting a better butt is to build muscle. You aren't going to have a toned butt with a lot of flab. Circuit training usually involves some kind of resistance and strength training. [7] X Research source
- Circuit training also involves some cardio exercises. This is the perfect balance. If you only do toning exercises (like squats and lunges), you are unlikely to reduce fat. To tone your butt, you need to get rid of unwanted fat and this means you need some cardio. Other options for cardio are running, walking, and cycling. [8] X Research source
- Most circuit training workouts have at least three separate exercises (or circuits). Each typically involves doing 10 to 15 reps of each exercise. You rest in between each circuit, and then move to the next. [9] X Research source
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Stop eating junk food completely. It's unlikely that you will be able to tone your butt fast with exercise alone. If you are eating a bad diet, exercise won't be enough to counteract the food's effects. Junk food needs to go.
- The problem with fast food is that it contains a lot of fat and calories, but it also contains lots of sodium. Sodium makes you retain water, so this will make your butt look bigger, and it will make cellulite look worse.
- The sodium in fast food will also make you feel tired, which makes it harder to find the energy for exercising, so fast-food consumption is a double whammy.
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Avoid simple carbohydrates. The problem with simple carbs is that the body will turn them into fat stores if you don't burn them off right away. So stay away from eating lots of simple carbs, which have just 1 or 2 sugar molecules, so the body burns them off very fast.
- Examples of simple carbs to avoid include foods with molasses, corn syrup, and honey. Candy, soft drinks, jellies or jams, and fruit juices are examples of foods that have simple carbs in them.
- Don't eat anything white. This is a good rule of thumb. White bread and refined sugar need to go. They don't offer much nutritional value. And the fat will go right to your butt (and abdomen and hips). That means no white pasta, either.
- Do eat good, complex carbohydrates, such as fresh, green vegetables, oatmeal, and brown rice. These will have some carbs, but not many and not the kind that pack the fat on your backside. Complex carbohydrates take the body longer to digest.
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Eat a balanced, healthy diet. This means you shouldn't starve yourself (remember, again, that the glutes are a muscle. That means they need calories and protein). You should try to eat natural foods (not things that come in a can or box), and you should have a good balance of them.
- Try to eat lean meats like fish and poultry. Other choices that work include tuna fish, and whole eggs. These are good sources of protein. [10] X Research source
- Don't fall into the trap of eating shakes and protein bars. You might be shocked what you see on the ingredient label. Instead, get the majority of your calories from whole foods you find in the produce section. Avoid diet foods with artificial sweeteners, too.
- Vegetables, nuts, fruit, and whole grains are good choices. Buy only what you will eat that day. This will help you keep the focus on perishable, whole foods.
- Only eat a limited amount of dairy. Don't drink sugary fruit juices or sodas. And read food labels. You'd be surprised to learn that extra sugars have been creeping into your bread, salad dressings, cooking sauces, and fruit juice!
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Drink a lot of water. Keeping your body hydrated all day long will make your butt look better (and your skin, too).
- For example, if you have cellulite, it won't be as obvious if you guzzle H20. You should drink as much water as you can all day long.
- This means that caffeine and alcohol are not good beverage choices because they cause dehydration. So cut out that glass of wine you have each night and the cups of coffee in the morning if you want a better looking butt.
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Tone your butt all day long. If you don't have a lot of time for working out, you can still work on those glutes. Be active throughout the day. Having a sedentary lifestyle is extremely detrimental to your health, and it forces your body to store extra fat.
- If you work a desk job, be sure to get up and walk around during your breaks or lunch.
- Tone your butt while you walk by consciously contracting your glutes. To do this, keep your heel on the ground as long as you can and when you do lift it, roll through to your foot and push off with your toes. Squeeze your butt all day long! Be conscious of it.
- You could use an exercise ball for an office chair. You might as well work those muscles while you're sitting at your desk, taking phone calls or working on the computer! This will also improve your core, but it helps the butt.
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Stand more. Your glutes can actually atrophy if you sit all day long. Little things matter, but one of the biggest killers on your butt is the amount of time that people sit at a desk before plopping down on the sofa in front of the television at night.
- Get rid of your office chair altogether. Ask your boss to give you a desk you can stand at. You might as well exercise while you are on your job by simply standing.
- Take the stairs, not the elevator. Park farther away so you have to walk more. Bike to work. Small steps like this can add up if you do them every day. Consistency is key. Walk up hills as much as possible.
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Track your progress. Don't try to guess what you weigh, and don't hide your butt in baggy clothes. You need to actively measure progress.
- Take progress photos each week. When you're having a bad day look back at your starting photo to remind yourself why you want to change!
- Keep a food diary. Many experts believe that charting out what you eat every day will help you be honest about what you're putting in your body.
- Weigh yourself almost every day. If you stop weighing yourself, you may be tempted to let little things slip.
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How Do You Build Glutes?
Sample Exercises
Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat exercises work best to help me strengthen my glutes?Laila Ajani is a Fitness Trainer and founder of Push Personal Fitness, a personal training organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 13 years as a trainer and exercise specialist, Laila has expertise in competitive athletics (gymnastics, powerlifting, and tennis), personal training, distance running, and Olympic lifting. Laila is certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), and USA Powerlifting (USAPL), and she is a Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES).You should try doing bridges or attempt doing deadlifts with dumbbells or a barbell.
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QuestionShould you tense your butt when you're sitting down to help tone it?Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.Yes, that is a great way to keep those back side muscles engaged. You can do quick squeezes, long held squeezes, one sided squeezes and pulsing exercises, all from a seated position. Remember to sit up straight and tall when you do these.
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QuestionDo squats tone your bum?Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.Yes, when performed correctly, squats work the bum muscles and the front of the thighs.
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Tips
- Many gyms have toning classes that focus on specific body parts like abs, legs, or arms. If you are a member of a gym, take advantage of these classes.Thanks
- Don't only do only one exercise for your butt every day. You need to mix up your workouts with a variety of exercises so you attack your butt muscles from different angles.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Check with your doctor before doing new exercises or changing your diet. This way, you'll avoid injuries or unexpected allergic reactions.
- Work your way up to doing 60 squats a day: 30 in the morning and 30 after school/work. You should see results within a few weeks!
- If you're not familiar with butt toning exercises, look for free workout videos on Youtube.
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Warnings
- Always wear proper exercise shoes when running, walking, or biking.Thanks
- Use caution when lifting weights or using other heavy exercise equipment.Thanks
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References
- ↑ Laila Ajani. Fitness Trainer. Expert Interview. 31 October 2019.
- ↑ https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/best-butt-exercises
- ↑ https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/how-to/a18506/full-butt-workout/
- ↑ https://www.bodyrock.tv/fitness/complete-guide-bigger-butt-diet-workouts-included/
- ↑ Laila Ajani. Fitness Trainer. Expert Interview. 31 October 2019.
- ↑ Laila Ajani. Fitness Trainer. Expert Interview. 31 October 2019.
- ↑ https://www.prevention.com/fitness/5-moves-seriously-lift-your-butt
- ↑ https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw79.htm
- ↑ https://www.prevention.com/fitness/strength-training/leg-exercises-and-butt-exercises-how-lose-cellulite-and-fat
- ↑ https://blackdoctor.org/214080/ten-tips-for-great-glutes/
- Videos provided by womensworkoutchannel
About This Article
Article Summary
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While there's no fast way to tone your butt, you can definitely create a shapely rear by doing the right exercises and eating a healthy diet. To target your glutes, try doing bridge exercises by laying on your back with your knees bent as you push your hips up and squeeze your bum. You can also do squats for another easy way to tone your butt. As you get stronger, try adding variations, like pulsing at the bottom of the squat, holding weights, or jumping as you come up, for even better results. Along with exercise, eat a diet rich in lean proteins, like fish, legumes, fruits and vegetables, to help you lose fat and gain muscle. For more tips from our Personal Trainer co-author, including how to use circuit training to tone your butt, keep reading!
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