The Best Exercises to Get a Round Lifted Butt

by Kimberly Caines, Demand Media Google

If you're consistently using your butt as a seat cushion, you might soon see it head south. Over time, you'll lose muscle tissue and, if you gain weight, gravity will take its toll, resulting in a saggy rear end. Targeted exercises can combat this by stimulating the muscles in your buttocks: your glutes. Additionally, cardiovascular exercise can reduce the excess fat covering these muscles. With consistency, you'll be rewarded with a round, lifted tush.

Lunges and squats are common go-to exercises when it comes to working the glutes, and as an added bonus, these exercises also engage your hamstrings and quadriceps. To do lunges, take a big step forward with one foot and lower your hips while bending your knees to a 90-degree angle. Then, push yourself back to the starting point and lunge with your other foot. Squats mimic the motion you make when sitting on a chair. To start, push your hips back, bend both knees and lower your buttocks. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, push yourself back to an upright stance. Perform two to three sets and eight to 12 reps per exercise.

The butt lift, or glute bridge, mainly works your gluteus maximus and also engages your abdominals and the muscles in your upper legs. To do butt lifts, start by lying face up on the floor with your knees bent and your arms at your sides. Then, lift your butt and back off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Squeeze your glutes as you hold this position for two seconds. Then, lower down and repeat the exercise eight to 12 times. Finish two to three sets. For an extra challenge, perform a one-legged glute bridge by extending one leg so the lifting load is heavier.

A study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise showed that the quadruped hip extension is the most effective exercise for targeting the glutes. This exercise is done on all fours on the floor. To start, lift one leg off the floor and raise it up behind you, making sure that your knee stays bent 90 degrees and that the sole of your foot faces the ceiling. Squeeze your butt for two seconds, reverse the motion and then repeat the exercise. Eight to 12 reps and two to three sets with each leg should get your glutes burning.

Solely doing targeted exercises won't eliminate excess fat from your butt. This is where high-intensity intervals come in handy. During this type of cardiovascular training, you alternate between a moderate and vigorous pace for a short duration. For instance, jog for two to three minutes and then speed up to a one-minute sprint. This forces your body to work harder, making it burn fat while stimulating muscle tissue. Experts recommend doing up to 75 minutes of vigorous cardio per week. This can equal three, nonconsecutive, 25-minute, high-intensity interval workouts.

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