Sculpting a nice behind is more than just looking good in your favorite pair of pants. Our glute muscles are connected to our pelvis and hips so keeping them conditioned is important for our physical health. Strong glutes will help prevent back and knee pain and injury. Whether it be in a car or at a desk, many of us spend way too much time sitting. That deactivation of our glute muscles means we have to spend more time strengthening them during workouts.
For this glute workout I used a box, but you can use any elevated sturdy surface like a bench or step. Adding in a new prop to your workout can up the ante on basic exercises and spice up your usual routine. I’ve also included some high intensity moves so you’re keeping your heart rate up and burning fat while building your butt!
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- Toe Taps- Warm up your body with this cardio move. Jump in place while doing alternating toe taps on the box. Use your core to lift each knee up with control. Do this for two minutes.
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- Romanian Lunges– Stand with one leg on the ground and one foot on the top of the box. Test your distance from the box by bending the front leg. Your back leg should be able to bend freely, and your weight should be mostly over the front heel. Lunge down on the front leg making sure your knee stays directly over your front foot. Press up from the front heel and squeeze your glutes to straighten the leg back up. Do three sets of 15 on each leg.
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- Glute Bridges– Sit on the ground with your legs bent, feet on the floor. Sit far enough away from the box so that you can lean back and place your head on the top of the box. Interlace your fingers and put your hands behind your head. Depending on the height of your box/bench and your flexibility, you may feel your thoracic spine opening up and a stretch in your chest. As long as there is no pain in your back, this is okay. Pull your abs in and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips up as high as you can to the ceiling without arching your back. Do two sets of 20
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- Squat Jumps– Straddle your box or bench in a squat position with one hand on your hip and one hand touching the top of the box. Make sure your weight is on your heels. Jump up as you reach the arm on top of the box to the sky. Land in your squat position and repeat. Do 20 and then another set of 20 with the other arm.
- Side Leg Raises– Get down on all fours on the box with your shoulders in line with your wrists and your hips in line with your knees. Keep your core tight to prevent sinking in your back. Straighten one leg out to the side in parallel with your foot lightly touching the ground. Lift that leg up to hip height doing your best not to shift your weight or alignment. Slowly lower the leg back down and repeat. Do 2 sets of 15 on each side. For more of a challenge, straighten the opposing arm out to the side while doing the leg lifts.
Working out our butt muscles goes beyond the superficial. How often do you work your glutes out?
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Video: Crystal Chin
