Let's tone up those glutes! LA's popular personal trainer Lalo Fuentes [1], CSCS, gave us some of his tried-and-true moves for glute strengthening and booty sculpting. What we love about Lalo is that he works with all types of bodies, from celebrities to regular people just like us [2], so we know his moves work for all kinds of body types and skill levels.
Here are three of his favorite moves for lifting, shaping, and strengthening the butt. All you need is a little space to move; no equipment necessary!
Reverse Lunge With Over-Leg Reach
"This move works on the core, glutes, and inner legs. It is also a great balance
exercise," said Lalo. "In order to make your glute evenly round, you need to keep in mind the other muscles surrounding the glutes, such as your inner legs, hamstrings, and lower
back. Every opportunity I have, I like to include a balance factor into my moves so
my clients get a well-rounded workout."
- Stand upright and then take a step back with your right leg, while reaching down over your left leg.
- The perfect position to place your hand is right on the side of your feet. This will ensure you are in the right position, not too low or not too high.
- Freeze for one second and focus on your glute muscles.
- From there, lunge up squeezing from your butt.
- Bring the right knee up, and hold your knee with both hands; bring your hip forward while keeping your glute engaged.
- Do 15 repetitions of this exercise on each side.
[Note: the picture is slightly varied from the description.]
Skater with One-Leg Crunch
"This move engages your glutes, inner legs, and core," Lalo told us. "It also works on your balance and coordination. Instead of pushing from the floor, we need to walk up, making the glutes and inner legs work extra hard."
- Take a large step with your right foot to the right side and lunge toward the floor; be sure to keep your knees aligned with your hips.
- While the core is engaged, push off through your right foot and raise your knee across and toward your elbow.
- Freeze for a second and do the same on the other side.
- Do 15 repetitions of this exercise on each side.
One-Leg Reach
"This is a great move because it works your balance and engages your glutes. I usually make my clients do this exercise at the beginning of the workout to make a connection with the glutes, so that when we do squats or lunges, the glutes work 100 percent. It focuses on the insertion point of the glute and hamstring, making this move a true butt-lifter exercise."
- Stand upright with all your weight in your left foot, abs engaged and chest lifted.
- Once you feel comfortable standing on one leg, reach straight down until you touch either the ground or the tip of your toes.
- Let your standing leg bend a bit to emphasize the area between your glute and your hamstrings. While you are heading down, make sure to push your hips back while keeping your shoulder blades together. This will help to keep your back straight.
- Freeze for one second to focus on your glute muscles.
- Come up while squeezing your butt.
- Keep your glute tight until it is time to do the next repetition.
- Do 15 repetitions of this exercise on each side.