Celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, who's trained everyone from Jennifer Garner to Kate Beckinsale, recommends the donkey kick to help isolate glute muscles without "bulking up" the rest of the leg. Even better, this move, done on all fours, is great for beginners. In between sets of donkey kicks, add a round of fire hydrant side kicks to the mix to give your butt even more of a lift.
- Start on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
- Keep your right knee at a 90-degree angle as you slowly raise your leg behind you until your thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Pulse your flexed foot toward the ceiling by squeezing your glutes. Your back should remain perfectly still in a neutral spine; don't arch it. The motion should be small and controlled with the muscle doing the work and not momentum.
- Return to start position to complete one rep. Do 20 on each side, two to three times.
