Ladies, before you know it, it will be 85 degrees and you will be relaxing by the poolside. Today, I will help you get that backside into shape so you will be ready for the summer of 2007. The question I get the most regarding the butt is “how do I lift my butt?” so that’s where we will begin.

The two muscles we will discuss are the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings.

Gluteus Maximus forms most of the buttocks. It extends, spreads and turns out the upper leg.

Hamstrings Any of the three muscles located behind the leg, which flex the knee adduct, the leg and extend the thigh.

First of all, we have to “turn on” your butt (use it during daily activities) before we can lift it up. The problem is, our hamstrings do all the work, so we don’t use our butt. Everything we do (walk, run, climb stairs, picking up) all recruit the hamstrings first. Our hips and glutes are both used to extend the hips. We tend to use our hamstrings as our primary hip extenders. This is why butts are flat or sagging. Before we start exercising our glutes there are a few guidelines to follow that will “turn on” your butt.

1. Be aware of your gluteus- whenever you walk, climb stairs, concentrate on using your glutes; squeeze your butt as you extend your hip.
2. When you get up from your seat, do not rock forward. Keep your chest up, rise from the hips and squeeze your glutes
3. When you have to pick something up, drop your hips, bend your knees rise and squeeze your glutes.

The bad news is, you have to break habits you’ve used most of your adult life. The good news is once you learn these new habits the workout will come easier, you’ll get quicker results and you will achieve your goals. The following is an exercise program designed to lift the butt.

COMPLETE 3 SETS OF 8-10 REPETITIONS

Hip Hikes
1. Start by lying face down with your legs straight.
2. Slowly raise one leg keeping it straight using just your glute muscles.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions. Repeat with the other leg.

Bridging
1. Begin by lying on your back, knees bent, and feet on the floor. Extend your arms out to steady yourself.
2. Squeeze buttocks and raise your hips and lower back off the floor to form a straight line from your knees to your chest. Do not arch your back.
3. Hold for 5-10 seconds and slowly return to starting position. Relax for 5 seconds.
4. Repeat for required number of repetitions.

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