I get asked a lot similar questions, so over the next month both on my Instagram (@fitchicnic) and on here, I’ll be going through the alphabet talking about some of the most common health and fitness related questions and topics.
G is for Glutes
Big butts are in. Just know who on social media worked for it, rather than injected it!
Toned, shapely behinds need you to be brave and go heavier than bodyweight squats. You also have to ensure you’re eating enough to fuel growth – they’re just like any other muscle after all.
I’ll be honest, my bum was my favourite bodypart when I was a teenager (before I stopped exercising in my early 20’s, gained weight and found alcohol/adulthood.). Years of intense dance and gymnastics helped shape it without me ever actually having to step foot in a gym. However as adults, you’re going to need to start weightlifting at the gym to help you along.
Keep in mind you actually need to use the glutes. Squats are a great exercise in general, but be careful of over-targeting the quads instead (especially during step ups and walking lunges.)
The other “best” exercises include:
- Hip thrusts
- Step ups
- Deadlifts
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Sumo Squats
- Bulgarian split squats
- Walking lunges
- Glute bridges
Once you start including these, you can then supplement with the Glute Kickbacks and other ‘shaping’ exercises you see on Instagram. Remember though that JUST doing “glute exercises” is going to cause muscle imbalances and injury down the line, so although you can focus on these, make sure you’re doing a well rounded full body strength training programme too.
Photography by Paul Aiken
http://www.paulaikenphotography.com/
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