Josef Brandenburg, special to wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Let’s not hide the fact that most people, guy or girl, want a great butt. Unfortunately most people think great buns are a result of genetics. I’ve got good news for you: everyone can build something they’re proud of.
Here’s what you can do to create the booty you want:
Step 1: Get your rear in gear
This is about un-doing a day of sitting and/or wearing heels, which tightens up the muscles in the front of your hips, shutting down the muscles in the back of your hips (your tush). All of this also weakens your core.
Getting your rear in gear only takes 10 minutes, total. Demonstrations for these exercises are in the videos below.
Start with five minutes of foam rolling (use the list in my previous article to maximize your return on time invested).
Then, move on to the pretzel stretch (hold for 30 seconds on each side), a bridge (hold the top for five seconds), the kettlebell halo (three each way on each leg), the inchworm (five repetitions; hold the end for five seconds) and five repetitions of the squat-to-stand exercise.
The pretzel stretch:
The bridge:
The kettlebell halo:
The inchworm:
The squat-to-stand:
Step 2: Smart strength training
You can’t build a great butt with isolation exercises. One hundred leg raises will mostly just eat up your time.
The key to a great butt — and a great body, overall — is to focus on the big, compound movements, such as deadlifts, squats and lunge variations. These fundamental movements will work your inner thigh, outer thigh, butt and core, all at once.
Strength training needs to be done a minimum of twice a week, but usually not more than three days a week. And remember: if it does not challenge you, it will not change you.
Step 3: Eating right
You can’t out-train a bad diet. If you sculpt yourself a nice butt, but your waist is almost the same size, then you can’t see your good work (not to mention that sort of hip-to-waist ratio is very unhealthy). Eating right is quite simple — not easy, but simple.
- Carbs should come from veggies, then some fruit
- Protein should be part of every meal
- Eat real, whole foods, not processed foods
- Drink more water
There are more details to be sure, but the above list will get you great results to start.
Step 4: Recovery and stress management
Results only happen between workouts, not during. You’ve got to allow your body to work its magic. For specifics on how to properly recover from a workout, read my previous WTOP article.
Editor’s Note: Josef Brandenburg is a D.C.area fitness expert with 14 years of experience and co-author of the international best-selling book “Results Fitness.” In 2004, he started The Body You Want personal training program, which specializes in helping you get the body you want in the available time you have. You can check out his blog, follow him on Twitter, or check out his fitness videos on YouTube.
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