You’ve got crunches for your abs, tricep and bicep curls for your arms, but what about your butt? A flabby bum isn’t good for anyone’s sense of wellbeing, but how do you get your butt wellness – yes, that’s a thing – into shape? Luckily, we’ve recruited fitness expert and certified personal trainer Nicole Nichols, who has designed an equipment-free workout to help you use your own body weight to target and tone your butt from every angle in just a few minutes per day. Try to limit how much you rest between exercises and do the full circuit at least once, but up to three more times.
1. Donkey Kicks: Nichols instructs, ‘Begin on hands and knees, wrists directly under shoulders, arms straight but not locked, knees directly under hips, and spine neutral. Engage your abs by pulling your belly button toward the spine (but without moving your back). Keeping hips level with one another, and both knees bent at 90 degrees, lift your left thigh up until parallel to the floor (or as close to parallel as you can), ankle flexed and foot flat and parallel to the ceiling (pictured). Slowly return to starting position without resting knee down. Repeat on same leg for one full minute. Switch sides.’ Make sure you keep your hips level with one another and your weight is as balanced as possible in both arms. Also, don’t let your back arch or round at all.
2. Single-Leg Bridges: ‘Begin lying on your back with feet flat, knees and ankles hip-distance apart, knees bent, back straight and arms lengthened at your sides,’ Nichols states. ‘Extend right leg as straight as possible toward the ceiling, keeping thigh in line with your hip. Squeeze the muscles in the back of the legs and butt to lift hips off the ground while keeping right leg extended toward ceiling (pictured). Slowly return to the start position, keeping right leg lengthened. Repeat on same leg for one full minute. Switch sides.’ Remember to activate your glutes in order to keep both hips as level as possible, pull your abs in tight to protect your back, and use your foot, shoulder blades and arms – not your head or neck – for support.
3. Reverse Lunges: For this one, you can hold onto a wall or chair for balance. Nichols details, ‘Begin standing with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward, back straight and arms extended in front of shoulders (or on hips). Relax shoulders away from the ears. Engage the core, pulling belly button toward the spine. Starting on right leg, take a large step back to create a wide stance between the feet, making sure both feet still point directly forward. Slowly bend both knees, working toward a 90-degree bend, lowering the body toward the floor (pictured). Straighten legs and step forward to starting position to complete one rep. Repeat on same leg for one full minute. Switch sides.’
4. Sumo Squat: Nichols comments, ‘Begin standing with legs and toes turned out from the hips, feet in a wide stance (wider than hips), back straight and hands on hips. Keeping back straight, bend both knees (making sure they’re pointing in same direction as the toes) and squat down, aiming for thighs to be parallel to the floor (pictured). Straighten legs to complete one rep. Repeat for one full minute.’ With this move, don’t bend at your hips but from your knees, and keep your back upright and straight. In order to achieve a wide-leg squat and full range of motion, you need to take your feet as wide as you can.
