The best butt exercises to firm and tone your butt are ones that target the entire posterior chain from your low back all the way down to your calves.
After years of experimenting with lower body exercises, workout plans, and training hundreds of female clients with all types of body shapes I discovered that the butt exercises in the video below work for every body type.
They build just enough lean muscle in the right areas to make the butt look round, firm, and toned. They also burn tons of fat (that's the point of those heavy lunges) and best of all they don't make your legs look bulky.
The butt makeover workout you see below was designed so you can do it both at the gym or at home. This is actually a workout routine that I started doing when I was breaking free from machine training. I adapted it for home because even though I work in a gym I rarely workout in a gym.
10 reps on each side of single leg back extensions. Try not to push on the ball and squeeze the butt hard as you come up. You should be feeling this all the way up to the low back.
20 reps on each side of resistance band kickbacks. Squeeze the butt hard as the leg comes back and maintain a slight contraction in the abs to protect the low back.
20 total forwards backwards lunges using moderately heavy weight. This is the only exercise that requires you to use considerable amount of weight. Build up to it if necessary but do not make the mistake of sticking to light weights forever if you want this workout to work.
10 reps each side single leg step downs. Try not to push off the floor as you raise back up. This is hard to do when you're legs are fatigued but try.
10 reps each side of alternating lateral squats. Keep shoulders back and abs tight. Sit into that butt and push off the heel and not the ball of the foot.
20 reps each side lateral band walks. Any type of resistance band works for this but do not substitute a mini band for this. Not the same.
No rest between exercises. After one full circuit rest 60 seconds then repeat two more times.
Finish up with 8 rounds of any type of jumps alternating between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. At the very end of the video I'm doing multi-directional jumps using my tile floor as a guide.
Have fun and if you're a beginner you may want to start with my 6 week Fatloss Toning Workout Routines Plan. This plan will help you build the strength and endurance you need for this type of workout.
Hey there! Love, love, love your website!!! A quick question....I've been told by many people and believe myself that I have a big butt "for a white girl"...I know how rude...anyway...I want to try your butt workout, but don't want mine to get bigger! Just need some reassurence that that won't happen with this workout! Thanks.
Mar 01, 2010 Rating
tips to tone the butt without bulk by: Monica
Hey CF
Great question but first I have to admit that I'm very jealous. If somebody told me I have a big butt for a white girl I would be ecstatic! It's easier to sculpt a firm round butt than it is to build one from scratch!
Anyway, on to your problem. This workout is designed to sculpt a lean toned lower body not bulk it up. That's why there's only one exercise in the entire workout that uses a moderately heavy weight not a super heavy weight (but not light either because that's just a waste of time).
Now whether it will work for you depends on what you're doing in your other workouts. If you're doing any type of long duration cardio (longer than 20 minutes at a steady pace) on the stairmaster, incline treadmill, step aerobics, or spinning bike this workout won't work because those exercises are counterproductive to fatloss which is key when trying to de-bulk the butt.
If you're doing any type of heavy squatting or leg machines using more than 50 lb. of weight this workout won't work either for the same reasons.
If your main goal is to get a smaller booty then be sure to do the butt makeover bootcamp workout twice a week then forget about your lower body the rest of the week and focus on fat burning upper body exercises and total body exercises that burn fat and create more balance between the upper and lower body.
Try my sexy body bootcamp plan. It includes this workout and a few others that are designed to burn fat and sculpt a lean toned physique.
Also be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. I send out workout plans like this to my subscribers all the time.
Mar 01, 2010 Rating
thanks by: C.F.
Thanks! I'm actually following your sexy body workout...workout this morning was GREAT! Never thought I'd get a good cardio workout at the same time w/o using the machines!
Looking forward to trying your butt routine out tomarrow. Thanks!
Mar 07, 2010 Rating
vinyasa flow by: Anonymous
In your sexy body bootcamp you say to do vinyasa flow workouts...what is it and do you have a workout on your website I can follow? Thanks!
Mar 08, 2010 Rating
best yoga practices for fatloss, toning, lengthening by: Monica
I love vinyasa over other types of yoga simply because it's better for fatloss and is also great for lengthening and toning the body and building core strength while flattening the abs.
My favorite vinyasa practices are:
Shiva Rea - Fluid Power - Vinyasa Flow Yoga - Shiva really has an amazing understanding of how to integrate movement for total body fitness as well as mental and emotional well being and her cueing on core activation is excellent.
If you're looking for a more athletic advanced type of yoga check out PRASARA. Instructional Series 'A' Flows. Amazing stuff by Scott Sonnon. If you've been doing yoga for a while and you're ready to take it to the next level this is the dvd to get.
- Shiva really has an amazing understanding of how to integrate movement for total body fitness as well as mental and emotional well being and her cueing on core activation is excellent. 
. Amazing stuff by Scott Sonnon. If you've been doing yoga for a while and you're ready to take it to the next level this is the dvd to get.