The ideal rear view is muscular, shapely, and strong—and essential to your total-body workout results.
Much of your power and strength comes from the biggest muscle group in your body, your glutes, but if you can’t fire those muscles while you’re working out, then you’re likely to overuse your hamstrings and hip flexors instead, which can compromise your results and lead to injury.
Ask any personal trainer and he/she would say the same when giving you fitness tips.
Perform two sets of this three-move routine as a warm-up to your usual cardio workout three times a week.
For a supercharged ass-kicking, try 30 to 60 minutes of cardio in the form of hill sprints (go full speed up a short incline, use the jog/walk back downhill as your recovery period, and repeat). By working your glutes from every angle, this routine will make you stronger, and help shape a better-looking booty, in a shorter amount of time.
KNEELING GLUTE KICKBACK
Start on all fours, with hands under shoulders, knees under hips, and a resistance band wrapped around the bottom of your left foot, holding the ends of the band under each hand.
Lift your left leg up behind you, with your knee bent so your calf is perpendicular to the floor, hamstring in line with hips. Extend your leg behind you, and then bring your bent knee in toward your chest. Squeeze your glutes and push-kick your leg back behind you, keeping your foot flexed (as shown).
Fitness Tips: Do 15 reps; switch legs and repeat.
SQUAT WITH SIDE LEG RAISE
Stand on top of a resistance band, with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the ends of the band so it crisscrosses in front of you (as shown).
Squat, keeping your elbows bent by your sides, bending both knees 90 degrees. As you rise up out of the squat, lift your left leg up and out to the side, pushing against the band (as shown). Squat again, this time lifting your right leg as you stand up.
Fitness tips: Alternate sides for 15 to 20 reps.
SINGLE-LEG BRIDGE
Lie face-up, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, arms by sides. Wrap a resistance band around the bottom of your right foot, holding one end of the band in each hand, and extend your right leg toward the ceiling.
Slowly lift your hips, pressing your right leg toward the ceiling, until you’ve created a diagonal line from the top of your left knee to your shoulders (as shown). Hold for a few seconds, contracting your glutes, then slowly return to start.
Fitness tips: Do 15 reps; switch legs and repeat.
