The 5-Move Circuit Workout for a Strong, Sexy Butt

The 5-Move Circuit Workout for a Strong, Sexy Butt

Tone, tighten and lift your backside with this muscle-sculpting circuit workout.

PUBLISHED: APRIL 30, 2014   |   BY AMY ROBERTS

inShare

Newsflash: Squats aren't the only secret weapon when it comes to sculpting a strong and lifted backside. Whether you have Beyoncé-level aspirations or would be happy to just give your skinny jeans a little more to cling to, this sequence of exercises hits all the major muscles to improve your rear view. Perform the circuit in order, resting only if you need to. Take a minute off before beginning again; do three sets, total. 

—Amy Roberts, NASM-CPT

MOVE 1One-Legged Deadlift

Holding 8- to 10-pound dumbbells, stand tall (A) and shift your weight to one foot. Slowly hinge your upper body forward at your hips, letting your weighted hands hang down and raising your free leg behind you in line with your torso. For good form, keep your hipbones even and parallel to the ground (B). Reverse the motion, slowly hinging back up to stand using the strength of the standing leg. If you can, keep the moving foot off the ground(C), but rest it briefly between reps if it's too intense. Do 10 reps, then switch feet for 10 more.

MOVE 2Sideways Sways

Stand in a wide straddle, hands on hips (A). Sway your weight to one leg, bending that knee to sit back as far as you can—really stick your tush back, while keeping your chest proud (B). Push from the bent leg to shift your weight to the other side and sit back in the same manner (C). That's one rep; do 10.

MOVE 3Prone Leg Extensions

Find a step, bench, or even a square ottoman. Set yourself on top of it, stomach down, so your hip creases are along its back edge, and your arms are draped around the front for stability. Extend both your legs straight out behind you, hovering parallel to the floor (A). Bend one leg in toward the ottoman (B) and send it back out to meet the extended leg, then do the same with the other leg. You've done one rep. Do 9 more. (If starting with extended legs is too intense, keep both legs bent instead, but still alternate extending one leg then the other.)

MOVE 4Knee Side Planks

Come down on your side, with forearm beneath you and knees bent to about a 90-degree angle (A). Press up into a side plank, pushing your hips forward so they're in the same plane as your torso, and press your top hip toward the ceiling (B). Hold for a count of 8, lower down for a beat, then press back up. Do 5 times on one side, then switch sides and repeat.

MOVE 5Straight-Leg Bridges

Turn over onto your back and bend one knee up so the foot is as close to your glutes as possible (A). Press into that foot to raise your hips into a bridge, bringing the straight leg up off the ground and extending it alongside the bent leg (B). Lower down and press up again for 10 total reps; switch your feet and repeat.