The Ultimate Butt Lift
Kick your own butt with this 10-minute glute and posterior chain workout.
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After a solid dynamic warm-up that targets your lower body, do each of these moves in order for 1 minute each. Pace yourself so you can stay the course, but still push your limits so you’re working at about 80 percent capacity. If you choose to do so, you may use small dumbbells for the lunging moves, but if the going gets tough, don’t be scared to ditch them halfway through!
The Butt Lift Workout
| Exercise |
| Barbell Deadlift |
| Walking Lunge |
| One-legged Dumbbell Deadlift (30 seconds each side) |
| Lateral Lunge (30 seconds each direction) |
| Box Jump |
| Alternating Reverse Lunge |
| Barbell Romanian Deadlift |
| Stationary Lunge, right leg |
| Barbell Front Squat |
| Stationary Lunge, left leg |
Barbell Deadlift
Setup: Load a barbell on the floor and stand with your toes underneath it, feet hip-width apart, toes turned out slightly. Squat down and take an overhand (or flip) grip on the barbell just outside your legs. Your back should be flat with your hips lifted, your head neutral and your shoulders over the barbell with your weight in your heels.
Action: Extend your legs and hips and pull the barbell up in a straight line from the ground, pressing your knees back as you come to a full standing position. Reverse these steps to return to the start.
Walking Lunge
Setup: Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides.
Action: Take a big step forward and bend both knees, keeping your front knee aligned with your toes and dropping your rear knee straight toward the floor. When your front thigh makes a 90-degree angle, push off your back foot and bring you feet back together. Continue, alternating legs.
One-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift
Setup: Hold a dumbbell in your right hand in front of you and stand on your left leg with your right leg extended behind you, toes brushing the floor. Extend your left arm out to the side for balance.
Action: Lift your leg behind you as you fold forward from the hips and lower your torso toward the floor, back straight and hips square. When your body and leg come parallel to the ground, reverse the move and stand back to the start. Do all reps on one side before switching.
Lateral Lunge
Setup: Stand with your feet together, toes turned out slightly, arms at your sides.
Action: Take a large step to the side with your right foot, landing softly and bending your right knee deeply into a lunge. Track your knees over your toes and keep your left leg straight. When your right thigh comes parallel to the ground, push off your right foot and return to standing. Do all reps on the right side for 30 seconds, then switch to the left side.
Box Jump
Setup: Stand in front of a 12- to 18-inch box (advanced participants can shoot for 20 inches) with your arms at your sides.
Action: Jump up onto the box, landing lightly and extending your legs and hips completely to stand up on top before jumping lightly (or stepping) back off again. Use your arms to help generate upward momentum when using a higher box.
Alternating Reverse Lunge
Setup: Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides.
Action: Take a large step to the rear with your left leg, bending both knees and lowering toward the floor. When your front thigh comes parallel to the ground, extend your legs, push off your rear foot and step your feet back together. Continue, alternating sides.
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
Setup: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip. Your back should be straight, your shoulders down and back.
Action: Push your glutes back and bend forward from your hips while maintaining the arch in your back as you lower the bar down along the front of your legs until it comes to about mid-shin. Extend your hips and slide the bar back up along your legs to return to the start.
Stationary Lunge
Setup: Stand with in a wide lunge stance with your weight evenly distributed between your feet.
Action: Bend both knees and lower toward the floor, descending until your front this is parallel to the ground. Extend your knees and return to the start position. Do all reps with the same leg forward, then switch.
Barbell Front Squat
Setup: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly, and balance a barbell across your front delts and upper chest, holding the bar in the front rack position: elbows high, palms up with the fingers underneath the bar at your shoulders, balancing it lightly.
Action: Kick your hips back, then bend your knees and squat down, keeping your chest and elbows lifted. When your hip crease breaks parallel, drive back up to the start, extending your legs and hips.