Posted on May 23, 2018 by Kate Halsall

As a class instructor, I’ve always finished my classes with the saying “any questions please come and ask”. Sometimes I’d get great questions like “my knee hurts when I do such and such what can I do to strengthen it” or “when I run I get pain across my upper back and shoulders”. Now those questions make me realise how qualified I am these days simply because I can answer them! On the other hand, I would also get “how do I get a flat tummy” or “how do I get a toned bum” virtually every single week. I started to change the finishing line to “any questions that aren’t about getting abs, let me know”. I’ve developed a quick retort for the flat stomach question: stop eating and drinking s**t (it’s true and you know it). The bum question – now that’s a good one. Here’s my 8 best exercises to tone your butt!

Warm up

ALWAYS start with some glute activation exercises. I like to start with banded clams, glute bridges and lateral squat walks.

 

Get Going!

I’ve designed the workout as supersets. I recommend 4 sets of each and 10 reps of the exercises, with a heavy enough weight for you to maintain your form. Where the exercise is single legged, it’s 10 repetitions each leg.

1a. BB Bulgarian Split Squats

1b. Box Jumps – with a squat at the bottom and on top of the box

2a. KB Curtsy Lunge

2b. DB Step Ups

3a. BB/Landmine Single Leg Deadlift

3b. Plyometric Lunge

 

The key is: ditch the squats. I realise that this is a little controversial. Don’t get me wrong, squats are brilliant exercises (the KING of exercises in fact). They work multiple joints and multiple muscles. BUT, I personally don’t know anyone who does squats and feels it in their glutes – it’s all thighs. With a lot of us sitting down for the majority of the day, our glutes “switch off”, and as such, without any glute activation first, you’re just not going to get the desired results! If this still doesn’t convince you and you keep squatting away, at least lift your toes as you push up from the squat and push through your heel. Isolation exercises are a MUST if you’re looking to grow and tone your backside. Think glute bridge variations (double legged, single leg, elevated, banded and so on) and hip thrusters.

 

YOU DON’T GET THE BACKSIDE YOU WANT BY SITTING ON IT!!