Best Butt Exercises : Tips to Shape Your Butt

Getting back in shape and maintaining a firm shape of your rather ignored butt, are poles apart from each other. So are there are any best butt exercises to tone your rear? Lets have a look!

Getting back in shape has different meaning for different people, like for men losing/gaining a few pounds and buffing up their chest and arms and in some checks getting those perfect 6 pack abs signifies getting back in shape. However, in case of women sculpting their derriere is the most important and difficult too part of getting back in shape as it boosts their confidence so that they can strut around in those high heels and tight denims with elan. 

But, are there any sure shot ways to shape your bum? Well the answer to this question might be yes, but lets be very clear on this. There is no such thing as 10 min firm butt workout, because like everything even shaping up your butt needs a lot of effort and dedication from your end. There are a couple of important things that you need to keep in mind before you get into the serious business of butt workout. They are:

• You must perform at least 3 sets of 2-3 butt specific exercise to get desired results for the targeted body part.
• Once you start your workout, you need to progressively overload it with weight addition, challenging variations, increased repetitions, adding more sets, etc. to promote muscle growth.
• Its impossible to work muscles in full isolation; as when you workout for any one particular body part the other muscles also work in conjunction. 
• The shape of your perfect derriere remains incomplete without the matching legs, so don’t ignore them. 

Before we get on to the business of what are the best exercises to tone your butt, another important thing to keep in mind is that you must do at least 3 sets of whichever exercise your chose with 10-12 repetitions for optimum results. 

So, here are some most effective butt exercises for all the women out there, so that they can make other women go jealous with their fab body.

Deep Squats

Performing deep squats with only your bodyweight can help a lot in ensuring maximum glute activation, especially when you keep your back straight while going as low as possible. To avoid caving of your knees and rounding of your back, hold your arms in front of your chest together to flare out your elbows. You can also increase the difficulty level by holding some weight in front if your chest.

Doing squats not only works excellently on your glutes as it is the best exercise to shape buttocks, but also make you strong by improving your flexibility as well as overall core strength. 

Horse Stance 

If you are acquainted with martial arts, then you must have also heard of the horse riding stance, as it is a staple to martial arts and is also considered to be an excellent way of promoting strength and size for your glutes and thigh muscles. 

To perform horse stance stand straight while opening your normal stance with a foot beyond your shoulder width and squat down in a position of sitting in chair. Keep your thighs parallel to the ground to feel the burn of this exercise. Hold your position for as long as you can. A beginner can stay in this position for about 15 to 30 seconds, gradually increasing it with time. 

Step-Up

One of the most dynamic butt shaping exercises that helps in activating glutes provides complete cardiovascular workout is Step-up. To perform this exercise all you need is a platform higher then your knees. But if you are new to this exercise then start with a lower platform like a chair or something.  

To perform step up exercise, step on the platform with one foot and raise your body up. Bring the knee of your other leg as much up as possible before you step back to normal position gently. Once you master the normal step up, increase your difficulty level by holding small weights in your hands. 

Glute Bridges 

Glute bridges is one such butt workout that hits your glutes really hard, so if you experience some soreness after this then don’t be surprise. 

To master the art of glute bridges lie down on your back while planting your feet comfortably on the ground with knees pointing upward. Now raise your butt off the floor until the only parts of your body touching the floor are your feet, head and shoulder backs. While pushing the hips up try and squeeze your glutes when you reach the top.

Rear Leg Lifts

Rear leg lifts is a perfect answer to our common question ‘how to shape your buttocks fast’ as they work exclusively on the rear part of your body. 

To perform rear leg lifts kneel on your knees and hands, while keeping your arms straight. Now lift your one leg and push it hard toward the ceiling. Bring your leg back to the normal position slowly while not losing the control over your body and keep on alternating the movement between your legs. Do no end up jerking your leg accidentally. 

You might find doing this a bit hard initially and some of you may even end up having cramps, thus ensure to give enough stretch to your legs afterwards. If you want to increase the difficulty level try adding some ankle weights or put a small dumbbell between your hamstring and calf. 

Side leg lift is a variation of this exercise that you can try, in this you will be lying on your side instead of kneeling. However, we advice you to use thick yoga mats or folded blankets to perform this exercise. This exercise will prove effective in hitting the smaller muscles of your glutes and legs hard to get them back in toned shape. 

Try all of these moves to lift your butt or start at least with three to fulfill your dream of having a well toned and shapely bottom along with a figure to die for.

GM DIET PLAN (LOSE WEIGHT NATURALLY)

Now let’s assume that you have decided to reduce your weight? The moment you set your mind to lose weight, you want to reduce weight as fast as possible and you want to cut down at least 10 kgs in a week which is far beyond possibility. Weight loss has to be normal and natural and you have to follow steps that will help you lose weight naturally. There are two ways through which you can reduce weight naturally.

• DIET
• EXERCISE

When you are planning to reduce your weight through dieting, you need to follow a specific diet plan that doesn’t harm your health. There may be several diet plans that have proven great results for your friends but might not suit your physiology.  So it’s highly important that you choose what suits you best and to be on the safer side, please consult with your physician whether the diet plan that you have chosen is the best for you.

Most of you would have heard of GM diet or General Motors diet. It’s a well-known diet system through which many people have reduced their weight in a healthy and natural manner. This diet system was created for the staffs of General Motors Inc and hence the name GM or General Motors diet. Though this is a well known and safe diet plan to reduce weight, not all can afford to practice it.DIABETICS and people with other health restrictions should consult your physician before practicing GM diet plan. The best part is that you lose 3-5 kgs in 7 days. In case if you don’t experience such weight loss there’s nothing to get perturbed about it. Kindly consult with your physician. 

With GM diet plan, you get specific details regarding the diet that you have to follow for 7 days. The table will explain the GM diet plan.

Day	What you can eat	What you can’t eat
Day 1	All fruits + 10 to 12 glasses of water	No bananas and honey.
Day 2	All kind of veggies including greens and water (10-12 glasses)	No fruits and rice.
Day 3	Both fruits and veggies. 10-12 glasses of water.	No honey topping!
Day 4	Bananas, skim milk and GM wonder soup. Indians can prefer yogurt.  Buttermilk is also good.	No sugar to yogurt.
Day 5	Soybean curd, paneer and brown rice. Increase water intake.	No adding to sugar to the curd.
Day 6	Veggies, paneer, and sprouts or a cup of brown rice.	No tomatoes and potatoes
Day 7	Veggies, fruit juice and 2 cups of brown rice	No sugar.

Day 1 of GM diet plan:

Day 1 is an ALL FRUIT DAY! This can be pretty daunting on the first go, but you can choose any fruit that you would like to eat excluding bananas. You can eat how much ever you like but eat only fruits. FRUIT SALAD should be a great idea. It looks colorful and appealing and at the same time you don’t get bored of a single fruit. But no toppings on the fruit salad! Not even salt and pepper. It is very important that you consume enough of water at least 10-12 glasses a day. Water saves you from dehydration. Fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals and the fiber content in fruits help clean your digestive system. Fruits on the first day are to prepare your body for the rest of the 6 days.

Day 2 of GM diet plan:

Your 2^nd day of GM diet plan consists only of vegetables and you are not allowed to take anything but veggies and lots of water. Choose either boiled or raw vegetables but avoid cooking in oil. 1 boiled potato can be taken either as your breakfast or brunch and that compensates your carbohydrate and energy level. High nutrient levels in vegetables are essential for your body and when you cook them in oil they don’t help in weight loss. Green leafy vegetables supply a high amount of potassium to your body. Few patients are not allowed to take potassium-rich veggies and that is why GM diet doesn’t suit people with health restrictions. In such cases, you can choose other diet plans under the guidance of your physician.

Day 3 of GM diet plan:

     Day 3 is a combination of both day 1 and day 2 of GM diet plan. On day 3 you are allowed to take both fruits and vegetables and water goes without saying. Avoid sugar, salt and pepper to the salads. Your body will get the required amount of sugar and salt from the fruits and vegetable that you eat. NO BANANA as yet!You can switch from fruit salads to vegetable salads to avoid getting bored. Stay away from potatoes since you get enough of carbohydrates from the vegetables that are already a major part of your diet. You might be fed up of eating fruits and vegetables for all three days but no more worries. Add a pinch of salt and pepper for taste. Panner, soups and brown rice will soon become a part of your GM diet plan.

Day 4 of GM diet plan:

 Yogurt, banana, and GM soup are your day 4 meal. Don’t confuse yogurt with curd, both are different. You can also prefer skimmed milk instead of yogurt. Yogurt and banana are the “Indian version of the Gm diet”. Buttermilk is also a good choice. But today it’s easy to get skimmed milk in the market. So it’s your choice to choose over yogurt or skim milk but don’t choose both. After three days of fruits and vegetables, you get to taste GM wonder soup and it is definitely going to be a delight to eat. But avoid cream and other rich ingredients to the soup and it should not be in a thick consistency. GM wonder soup should be watery and add a pinch of salt and pepper for taste. Not more than a pinch of salt!

How to make GM wonder soup:

Ingredients:

• Onions- 4
• Capsicum [green peppers]-2
• Tomatoes- 4
• Cabbage- 1 or ½
• Celery- just a bunch
• Water- lots depending upon the watery consistency.

Remember that you have to switch between yogurt [skimmed milk], bananas and this soup. So make how much ever you might need.  

How to cook?

• Sauté chopped onion and capsicum in few drops of oil, preferably olive oil.
• Add chopped cabbage and keep sautéing.
• Then add chopped celery. Once it is done, add tomatoes.
• Add water and let it boil nicely. Slow cook it until it the veggies become soft and tender.
• Add little salt and pepper for taste.
• Ready to serve.

Day 5 of GM diet plan:

       Protein rich foods are a part of your diet on the 5^th day. You are allowed to take curd, 5-6 tomatoes and any one item that is rich in protein. The non-Indian version included beef in the day 5 diet plan, but the GM diet Indian version gives you an option to choose either brown rice or skinless chicken or fish.

Vegetarians	Non- Vegetarians
·         Brown rice	·         Skinless Chicken – breast part
·         Paneer /cottage cheese	·         Fish
·         Sprouts	·         Lean meat

 Remember that you are allowed to take either one of these and not all!

After all the 4 days of fruits, veggies and GM wonder soup, day 5 is usually considered the Great feast day! When you prefer chicken or fish, please be careful of the oil that you add to cook. It’s better if you take GRILLED fish or chicken (olive oil would be better, at least till you lose some solid amount of weight).

If you prefer to follow the vegetarian version of GM diet plan and you are choosing over paneer, try and make a soup out of the tomatoes and add the paneer to it. No adding cream to the soup! Let the soup be little watery because you are dieting! You can’t  fry the paneer like you do in normal cases rather sauté the paneer in few drops of olive oil. If you are not a paneer lover then you can choose SOYA NUGGETS. But not both!!

For those who prefer brown rice, plainly boil the rice. You can’t expect the brown rice to become soft and fluffy like your white rice. Even after it’s cooked, it will not be soft. But it’s that healthy! 

Day 6 of GM diet plan:

     On this day of GM dieting, you will stay away from tomatoes. Sprouts, veggies and paneer are allotted for the 6^th day of GM diet plan. Sprouts are recommended as protein supplements. You can also choose brown ice instead of sprouts. You can actually make a good salad out this combination. Drink lots of water. NO POTATOES since your body gets enough of carbohydrates from other veggies and a cup of rice.

Salad Ingredients:

• Sprouts- handful of multigrain sprouts that include chick peas, green gram and the like or any specific sprout variety.
• All kind of vegetables except tomato.
• Paneer.

Before you can start preparing your salad, here’s a word of caution. Most of you have the tendency of buying sprouts from the super markets. God knows when they are packed! So reads these steps to make your own sprouts.

Steps	Procedure
Step 1	Take a hand full of multigrain like dried chick peas, peas, green gram. You can choose whatever you like to have.
Step 2	Soak the grains overnight in a bowl of water.
Step 3	Next morning drain the water and wash it.
Step 4	Now take a pure clean cotton cloth and tightly bundle up the soaked grains in it.
Step 5	After 2 days you will find the grains to have sprouted.

You can also simply place the soaked grains in your refrigerator and they will still beautifully sprout.

How to make the salad:

• Coarsely chop the veggies. You can cut them finely if you want so.
• Mix the veggies and sprouts.
• Add pepper and lemon juice for taste.
• You can also add little cubes of panner to it.
• You can also choose to make a tasty soup out of it.

Day 7 of GM diet plan:

The last day of your GM dieting! Veggies, rice and fruits are allotted for the 7^thday. You can take even two cups of rice. For a change instead of fruit salads you can drink fruit juices. Now check your weight and you would have definitely reduced at least 3-5 kgs. There’s nothing to worry if you haven’t reduced even less than that. Try sometime later and experience the results.

It’s usually not advisable to do exercise while following the GM diet plan, at least not in the beginning stages. But regular walking is always a must for a healthy life.

A word of caution: If you happened to experience severe tiredness, dehydration and the like, stop the GM diet and consult with your physician. And this the reason why we told you to confirm with your physician even before you could start with the GM diet.

Now let’s make a GM diet chart so that you have a clear cut idea to get started with GM dieting. You are free to choose your favourite fruit or vegetables instead of what’s given in tabular column below. But avoid those that are excluded on respective days.