Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Work that butt!


The gluteus - your butt muscles - are the largest and strongest muscles in the body. Their function is hip extension, or driving the upper legs backward, plus having a great backside can't hurt when it comes to picking up a member of the opposite sex! The female body naturally carries a lot of fat deposits in this area and because of our child-bearing nature, our bodies are more hesitant to give up these fat deposits. Activities that engage this muscle group include walking, running, jumping and climbing, but lunges, leg lifts and squats really focus on the gluteus muscle group. Engage the abdominal muscles while performing my - and Jillian Michael's - favorite squats (listed below) in order to get a double-whammy workout!

1. Traditional Squat: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your weight on your heels. Keep your abs tight and your shoulders squarely over your hips. Sit back and down as if you were going to sit on a bench. Keep your back straight. Then stand up, straightening your legs and repeat.

2. Sumo Squat: Place your feet as wide apart as you can and point your toes outward. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for a beat, then exhale and press back up to the starting position. Repeat. This squat modification places a greater emphasis on the inner and outer thigh muscles.

3. One-legged squat: Stand with your weight balanced on your right leg. Lift your left foot an inch or so off the ground. Keep your head up and don't lean forward. Abs stay tight and the right heel stays on the ground. Don't let the knee extend over the toe. Slowly lower yourself as far as you can on the right leg. Continue for a full set on the right leg, then switch to the left leg and repeat. This modification requires tremendous balance and allows you to strengthen each leg.

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