24 Feb Seven exercises to improve your glute appeal

One of the great mysteries of exercising to many people is this: “How do I shape up my glutes?”
Most people can recognize a well-shaped butt when we see one, but getting it themselves can seem near impossible. People either feel their butt is too big, too small, or too soft.
Even for people who workout regularly, with so much emphasis on core strength such as sit-ups and planks, even they leave out key exercises for the glute.
If you want to improve the shape of your hind quarters, here are my super seven exercises to improve your glutes:
Squats – Hands down one of the top two or three exercises there is in general, squats are a functional movement that works the hips, thighs and glutes. Not only will squats help shape up your glutes, but they’ll build excellent overall strength.
Lunges – Another excellent exercise, lunges are a great thing to do after a run or as part of your workout. You can hold dumbbells while doing them or go without. They’ll work your glutes and hamstrings on the front leg, while the back leg will fire up the quads and calves. There are many different ways to perform lunges, such as side to side, static lunges and low lunges.
Single-leg deadlift – Standing on one leg with the other behind you and in the air, keep shoulders back and straight and hinge forward. Then reach toward the floor. Return to starting position and repeat. You can hold a dumbbell for added difficulty. Will really work the glutes and hamstrings.
Side-lying leg lift – Lay on a mat or the floor and do these for another great way to work the glutes, along with abs. Strap on ankle weights to make these tougher.
Step-ups – Step on to and off of a raised platform to get a good workout of the glutes, along with calves and rest of the legs. Do them slowly and don’t stay in bottom position long to keep the emphasis on the glutes.
Biking – A fun way to get a great workout for the glutes is to go for a bike ride, either outside on the road or trail or on an exercise bike.
Run or walk – Finally, the most natural way to work out your glutes and many other body parts is to go for a walk or run. Stay indoors on a treadmill or explore the great outdoors. To get more glute action involved, use the treadmill on an incline or seek a hilly route outside.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com