Lifestyle

Baby Got Back: 6 Ways To Create The Booty Of Your Dreams

by Alex Hurwitz
Stocksy

These days, it's all about the booty.

Whether you were blessed with a bubble butt or stuck with a non-existent behind, these certified training tips will have you on your way to the booty of your dreams in no time.

First and foremost: lift, and lift heavy! The only way to effectively build muscles — including your glutes — is to weight train.

No amount of bodyweight squats will build your behind, which means you can forget the “30-Day Squat Challenge” you saw on Pinterest.

Of course, squats have their place, but here are four simple, fundamental booty-building exercises to add to your gym routine:

*For all these exercises, lift as heavy as you can and focus on the mind-body (or mind-booty) connection, always squeezing your glutes at the top.

1. Weighted walking lunges

Step One:

Step Two:

Grab some dumbbells or a barbell and do walking lunges, alternating legs. Aim for multiple sets (10 to 12 reps on each side), and be sure to take wide steps. Keep your chest up, and get that back knee low.

2. Sumo squats

Step One:

Step Two:

Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell and stand in a wide stance with your toes pointing outward. You can even stand elevated on two plates, steps or benches in order to squat as low as you can. Aim for four sets of 10 to 15 reps.

3. Glute kickbacks

Step One:

Step Two:

Use cables to do single leg kickbacks, driving your heel up to the ceiling with a slight bend in your knee. Aim for four sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

4. Hip thrusters

Step One:

Step Two:

Put your shoulders and neck on a bench with your hips up, and lay a barbell across your hips. Keep the weight in your heels, and drive your hips up. Aim for four sets of 10 to 15 reps. Make sure to hold at the top.

5. Cardio

You will all love me for this: forget running. Have you ever seen a marathoner with a nice booty? Long-distance, steady state cardio will only eat away at your hard earned muscle.

Instead, focus on quick, high-intensity sprints, incline walking or the beloved StairMaster. Not convinced?

High-intensity cardio is also much more effective in eliminating cellulite, which loves to hang out on most of our back ends.

6. Eating

Lastly, make sure to eat the right foods in order to build muscle and lose fat. Without adequate healthy carbohydrates and lean protein, you won’t get very far (no matter how much time you spend in the gym).

This means you should eat some oatmeal with egg whites for breakfast and throw in half a banana to your post-workout protein shake.

The booty of your dreams is well within reach, as long as you're willing to work for it! Get to work, girls!