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Butt-ology Guide to Strengthening

the Booty

ocial media has people

craving big bootys. You

can hear anything from
music lyrics, to seeing
advertisements, to
reading on social media,
and listening on the T.V. or
radio about womens
buttocks.
The Controversy
Our society has become
so obsessed with the
aesthetic that some
people are willing to
undergo injections and
transplants to enhance
ones buttocks. What has
caught my attention is the
large number of stories
out there of treatments
gone wrong and one in
particular that resulted in
a womans death.
Back to the basics
First and foremost you
dont need to make your
body look like anything or
anyone. It is your choice
and hopefully not that of
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societys social culture

that gives you the desire
to want to focus on or
work on your body. And
you definitely dont need
to do medical treatments
or enhancements, if you
so choose, to make your
booty more curvaceous.
Its really just as simple as
adding some strength
training and exercises to
work on the butt lift and
shape.
Its in your Genes
Genetically we cant all
look like Kim Kardashian
or Jennifer Lopez. But
even the super stars have
to work out to get the lift
and tone. Genetics play a
role in your body. Every
girl needs to consider that
no matter what their size
or body shapes when you
exercise you are going to
look like yourself and no
one else. No matter how
hard you try to have look
like the girl in a magazine
you will only look like you.

We all have to consider

many factors like muscle
to fat or hip to butt ratios.
That doesnt mean you
cant build, change your
body fat, or toning. It just
means that once you have
hit those personal goals
when you look in the
mirror you should be
happy with the You, that
you have worked on!
Hard Work! Is it worth
it?
Now, lets get back to the
training. No one seems to
be bragging about their
booty workouts! Well of
course not because it
works! Who wants to
share that secret? Not
only does it work but if it
was so easy everyone
would do it. Its not easy
being committed and
dedicated to building your
body. Once again
everyone has different
goals in their lives as far
as fitness but like
anything in life that you

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want to excel in it takes
practice. I dont care if its
playing the piano,
cooking, or chess. The will
to do, desire to keep at it,
and not quit is what
makes the best the best.
Its what separates the
successful from the
unproductive. If you make
it a habit to practice or in
this case workout certain
muscle groups at some
point you will see results.
It never gets easy in life or
fitness you just grow from
experience and get
stronger.

My Story

I come from a family

where our buttock
endowment is minimal.
Basically we have very flat
shaped buttocks. I see it
in pictures from previous
generations. I see it now.
Its just what runs in our

I am proud
to say that I
have been fully
committed to
making my
gluteus
maximus,
gluteus medius,
and gluteus
minimus
stronger! Those
family.

are the three major butt

muscles that we have. I
have been working those
glutes several days a
week for a while now! Not
only have I increased my
glute strength but there is
a tiny lift in my buttocks
that I am ecstatic about. I
am also super excited that
my glutes actually
activate in movements.
There was a time when I
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could barely get my glutes

to squeeze or activate.
Butt-ology Guide
So lets get down to the
nitty gritty! I would like to
provide you with a small
list of my favorite
exercises. Anyone can do
them from the comfort of
their home to help
strengthen the glutes.
This is just a Mini Buttology Guide, there are
many more exercises,
progressions, and
regressions that exist out
there. So, choose a few
that you think you will
have fun with and get
your workout on! All you
need is yourself. And if
you want to step things up
a notch add the resistance
bands or weights! For your
convenience you may
want a yoga mat to do
some of the floor work.
My explanations are not
text book so dont you
worry about all of the
technical jargon. You will
get the hang of it after
some practice. You learn
by doing!
1. Forward Lunges

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*Step it up: Add the bar
on your back or add the
bar with some weight.
*Step it up: Instead of
staying in one place
(static) move forward and
get some distance with
those lunges.

The main thing to

remember with your
lunges is that you are not
walking a tight rope! You
will lose your balance
quickly. Of course the
farther apart you have
your feet the more you
will work your muscles but
I usually try to stay hip
width or imagine train
tracks in-between my
feet. Keep your upper
torso straight and do not
fall forward. Also make
sure that once you step
into your lunge that your
forward thigh is horizontal
to the floor as well as that
back leg. You still want to
focus on pressing off with
your heel and activating
those glutes. Feel the burn
baby!

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* Step it up: Add dumb

bells. Hold them to the
side of your body.

need to go higher than

horizontal alignment of
your knee and hip. Focus
on the raise without the
momentum or swing. This
way you can really isolate
the muscles worked.
3. Floor Bridges A.K.A.
Pelvic Raises/ Hip
raises/ Hip extension

2. Fire hydrants A.K.A.

Lateral thigh raises

Just go ahead and get on

all fours with hands and
knees to the ground. Do
not hunch your back in
this position. Your back
should be flat. Arms are
straight and hands should
be underneath your
shoulders. Your leg will
raise and should be bent
as it is raised. There is no

There is nothing better

than an exercise you can
do lying down so, get
those bodies flat on the
ground with the palms
facing down. Have your
legs hip width apart and
bent with the heels as
close to the glutes as
possible. Push those
glutes up in the air. Your
hips should be fully
extended upwards and
your glutes should be
squeezed. I would pause

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at the top and then come
down.

4. Singe leg pelvic

raises

that my whole foot steps

onto the box so that I do
not slip or fall. You can
begin with the right leg or
alternate right/left legs.
*Step it up: Add dumb bell
weights in your hands and
hold to the side.
6. Standing hip
extension

You will do the same as in

the Floor bridges except
you will modify to one leg
instead of have a double
leg stance. The second
leg can be straight or
slightly bent while the
other is glued to the
ground doing the actual
pushing movement.
5. Step ups
You can use a bench, box,
or anything that is sturdy
enough to hold your
weight as you step up. I
prefer a 20-24 inch box or
bench so that I can have a
high step up. I make sure
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This one I would do

holding on to a rail or
something sturdy like a
chair. Standing tall and
straight extend one leg
back. You should extend
as far as possible until you
feel that hip stretch and
glute tighten.

7. Lying on the Floor

hip extensions A.K.A.
prone hip extensions
The same concept of the
standing hip extension we
can take this exercise to
the floor. Lie down on the
floor on your belly also
known as the prone
position. Your quadriceps
and legs are also on the
floor. Have your hands
through your forearms
placed on the floor. Almost
as if you are going to just
watch T.V. with that torso
and shoulders above the
elbows. There should be a
slight arch in the back.
Then just raise your right
leg and then your left leg.
I would alternate. The leg
that is raised when you
bring it down do not let it
touch the floor. This will
really activate those
muscles and make you
squeeze more.
8. Floor hip extensions
with bent knee

*Step it up: Add a mini

resistance band to
increase the work load.

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*Step it up: Take it to the
floor and add the
resistance band!
10. Air squat

*Step it up: Add a mini

resistance band.

Just think about the part

of abduction where it has
the word abduct. I
always remember that
this is something being
taken away. Well with that
same concept you will
take your leg away. Stand
straight and put your
weight on one leg and
then raise the other
laterally. Raise the leg as
high as possible and then
lower it. Basically you are
abducting the right leg
from the left or vice versa.
Do not use your
momentum on this. Go
nice and slow so that you
can really force the
muscle to move the leg
and not the momentum
from a swing.

9. Standing hip
abduction

*Step it up: Add a mini

resistance band

This exercise you will go

ahead and get on your
hands and knees. Some
people like to get lower
and be on their forearms. I
will let you choose which
you prefer extended arms
or forearms. Raise one leg
up in the air. When you
do this your knee is still
bent so your leg will look
like the capital letter L.
Bring your knee in as
close to the chest as
possible and then raise it
again.
*Step it up: You can do
this same exercise with
the leg fully extended.

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Go ahead and get your

legs about hip width
apart. Sit back like you
would if you were sitting
in a chair. Push the weight
into your heels and feel
your glutes do the work.
Once you have bent your
body to the hip crease or
90 degrees then you can
come back up. Be sure to
put the weight in your
heels throughout the
movement. We dont want
anyone hurting their
knees.

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Erica Hernandez
Writer
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