Every year, for men and women alike, weight-loss is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. However, many studies have shown that the winter months are actually the worst time to try to jump start your perfect bikini bod. Being confined to a gym and not being able to go on runs outside can be discouraging, often leading to one giving up on her goals entirely. Of course, going to the gym every day is great if you can stick to it. But, if you’re not ready to make the trek through snow and ice to run on a treadmill: there is still hope! Instead of committing to tons of cardio right away, try working on those curves in a different way – by building the muscle that will make your figure stand out.
Building muscle is often harder than losing fat, especially for women. Getting a toned butt can take months if you’re starting entirely from scratch. A little bit of booty work every day will go a long way by spring, and you’ll thank yourself much more than if you had spent these months struggling to lose a pound or two.
HC Bucknell has compiled some butt-toning moves that you can do in the gym or in your room. The number of reps is up to you – depending on your current fitness level and how much time you are willing to put in. Keep in mind, however: repetition is key. Doing 200 reps of each of these once a week will make you sore and won’t give your muscles proper conditioning, but just a few reps every day will be beneficial.
Squat with side leg raise:
This move works slightly different muscles than a regular squat, while also improving your flexibility and balance. Start by standing with feet apart, then squat and come up, then lift your leg out. Squat again, and lift the other leg out. Holding your extended leg out for a longer period of time will increase the difficulty.
Clams:
This often-overlooked exercise works your glutes and inner thighs. It improves hip stability as well, which helps prevent injuries related to cardio (particularly running). Start by laying on your side, and aligning your feet with your hips. Keeping your feet together, open and close your legs. If you have a band to tie around your thighs, this makes it more difficult. To make it even more challenging, open and close your legs with both feet off the ground.
Straight-leg Donkey Kicks:
To do this exercise, position yourself on all fours. Raise one leg just above your hips, keeping the leg relatively straight. Make sure both of your hips remain “pointing” towards the floor, not opening to the side.
Squat Hold:
This is easy to do anywhere and it can take as long as you want. Simply squat low, and hold your position for as long as you can. Start with a manageable amount of time! Don’t lift your butt up too high, but be sure to keep your chest up. Adding a few seconds to this hold every day is a great way to see visible progress in muscle growth. Additionally, adding weight or lifting your hands above your head will make this move more difficult.
Split Jump Lunges:
This is a great exercise to finish a butt workout because it lets you pick up the pace one last time. Start in a lunge, and jump up, switching legs in the air, to another lunge. Adding in speed and reps increases difficulty. Just make sure you always return to the same deep lunge position.