4 Exercises for a Nicer Bum: PART I

Let's get one thing clear.....I don't want to come off as some sort of pervert here with this post. I thought of this when I saw a few middle-aged women training at the gym the other day. They spent roughly a half hour doing what they called "toning" exercises for their butts and legs. Instead, they looked like a bunched of beached seals, gasping for water!


* ARRRRAHHHH (seal noise)

I so wanted to tell them to stop wasting their time, moving their legs up and down and round n' round and actually do exercises that get them stronger, stimulate new bone formation, crush fat, and build muscle in all the right places (the hamstrings and tooshie).

Here's a sample of the horror:


* Good thing she's good looking! HAHA! Is that a lollipop in her hand?!

This is going to be a multiple part series. Part 1 will focus on the FIRST progression of each exercise, then the following parts will show you how to make each exercise more difficult.


1) KB or DB Sumo Deadlift
(Great for hamstrings, glutes, adductors or inner thigh)

Sets/Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps



- Start with your feet 3-4 feet apart, toes pointed out a 45 degree angle.
- Hold a KB or DB with two hands between your legs.
- Keeping your shoulders back/chest tall/chin tucked, initiate the movement by pushing your hips back.
- Keeping your shins verticle, push your hips back until the weight reaches knee level, then sit so weight reaches floor.
- Drive through your heels to stand, and squeeze your butt at top.


2) Split Squat
(Great for quads, hamstrings, glutes and single leg strength/stability)

Sets/Reps: 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps each leg



* If you haven't done a split squat before, start with just your body-weight.
- Get into the split stance, toes forward, you will have to play around with the distance of your feet.
- Keeping your chest tall, hips forward, and stomach tight initiate by slowly droping your back knee STRAIGHT DOWN until you barely touch the floor. (Don't go forward)
- At the bottom position make sure your front shin is completely vertical.
- Return to the starting position by driving through your front heel.
* Do not allow front knee to travel in, keep it inline with same foot and hip.

3) 1 DB Stiff-Legged Deadlift
(Great for glutes, hamstrings and single leg strength/stability)

Sets/Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps each leg



- Hold 1 DB in the hand opposite your post leg or same leg that goes back.
- Start with a slight knee bend in the post leg and do not allow that slight knee bend to change.
- Keeping your chest tall/shoulders back/ stomach tight hinge at the hips so your chest goes forward at the same rate your leg goes back, until your parallel to the floor, feeling a slight hammy stretch.
- Follow the same path back to the starting position and squeeze your butt.
* Do not leg post leg's knee to travel in.

4) Shoulders Elevated 1-Leg Hip Lift
(Great for glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors)

Sets/Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps each leg



- Do not add weight. Body weight only
- Lay with your shoulders only a bench.
- Sit all the way down so your butt in on the ground. Place on heel into the ground.
- You'll need to play around with the distance that allows you to feel this in your butt.
- Initiate by drawing your stomach in and pushing heel into the ground to extend your hips to parallel. Squeeze butt a top.
- Think about lifting with butt ONLY, NOT back.
* If you experience cramping in your hamstrings, start with 2 legs instead of 1.


Good luck, train hard, train smart! (And ditch the lollipop!)