To lift, shape and tone your gluteals—a.k.a. butt muscles—burn off unwanted fat on and around your butt with cardio, it takes a combination of good eating, strength exercises, and all-day mini-workouts.
Want a butt that looks good or even better in everything from jeans and pencil skirts to shorts and a swimsuit? Here are the top 10 tips and tricks that’ll get your backside fine in no time:
1. Eat To Grow
Your glutes are just like any other muscle in that they need protein and calories to grow. To support your training, add calories to your diet by way of lean proteins such as chicken breasts, egg whites and tuna. Fuel your workouts with complex carbs like oatmeal, brown rice and sweet potatoes.
2. Eat Clean
Choose natural unprocessed foods first and foremost. Keep in mind the longer something remains eatable on your shelf, the longer it will remain on your thighs. Strive to consume the majority of your calories from whole foods rather than shakes and bars. Look for natural carbs in the form of fruits and veggies, and healthy dietary fat from sources such as coconut oil, olive oil, raw nuts, seeds, and avocado. Keep processed foods, grains, soy, refined sugars, dairy, and diet products with artificial sweeteners in them to a minimum, if at all.
3. Walk Stairs Or Hills As Much As Possible
When you walk the stairs, or up a hill, you are directly putting stress on the back of the leg and the butt area. This is the perfect way to tone, tighten, strengthen, and smooth out the areas. There is no magic number, or steepness, but if either are available, try to walk them. Over time, this will not only help you lose the cellulite and tone the area, but it will give your butt a nice lift that is even better than the results you can get with surgery.
RELATED: 7 Best At-Home Butt Workouts For Women
4. Squeeeeeeeze!
Have you ever heard of isometric butt squeezes? Basically, this will involve you laying face down and squeezing your butt together as long and as hard as you possibly can. Your butt will tone up and you'll lose some butt fat in just a few weeks If you hold your breath when doing these exercises, it'll make them even more effective!
5. Cardiovascular & Weight Training
Cardiovascular exercises are the best form of exercise to perform. You need to make sure you are moving your body for at least thirty minutes each day. Weight training is also a good method to use; it can help you lose butt fat and build muscle.
6. Spot Train Those Glutes
If you are working out, and still see no improvements in your butt fat, you've got to pay more attention to that very area. Surely, you'll be losing weight all over, but to tone that specific muscle group, you should give more attention to spot training your butt. Make sure you spend a good half of your workout toning that butt!
7. Try the 30-Second Rule
Instead of rushing through squats and lunges, hold for 30 seconds at the lowest point of the move. This not only helps to spice up your routine but also allows you to take an extra-deep contraction through your glutes and core and stabilize your spine before lifting back up.
8. Take It Sloooow
You may see people swinging their weights quickly at the gym, or you may even do it yourself. We know -- the faster you lift, the sooner you'll finish -- but rushing through your strength routine not only cheats the clock but also shortchanges you of your results. Slow down by pretending you're underwater; take at least 4 counts to lower into a squat, and then 2 to 3 to come up. Your muscles will have time to fully contract, maximizing the move's potential.
RELATED: 5 Butt-Lifting Exercises You Can Do in Bed
9. Do Mini-Workouts All Day Long
Try to make the most of mini breaks throughout my day. Keep a set of ankle weights in your desk drawer and do standing leg lifts or leg extensions during phone calls. Waiting in line at the bank becomes a chance to do calf raises. You can also do walks and lunges here and there. All those quickies add up to a better booty.
10. Tone While You Walk
With each step, when one leg extends behind you, keep your heel on the ground as long as possible. When you do lift your heel, roll through the foot, then push off with your toes. You'll feel your glutes contract with every step.
