Let’s be real here: Not everyone was born with the hips of Beyoncé or Serena Williams. But that’s no reason to fret. If a big booty and wide hips are your goals, then you should know that you can totally get them with consistent and hard work. Of course, don’t expect to get them overnight, however, there’s a way to tone the muscles and lose fat around your hips and b**t in such a way that over time you will achieve a rounder and firmer look.
All the “equipment” you need to make this happen is a light or medium weight dumbbell. If you’re a beginner, you can start out by using only your body weight and then switch over with the dumbbells once you feel stronger. Then, choose 5 of the exercises listed below and do them 3 times a week. You need to do each at least once in one week’s rotation. Make sure that you rest 30-60 seconds in between sets, as well.
Once you start to feel that the exercises start to get easy, increase the weight or add one more set to continue challenging the muscles, and before you know it, you’ll have a brand new booty. A few notes, before we begin. Reps are the number of times you repeat an exercise. A set is a group of reps you do that exercise. This means if you did 12 reps for 4 sets, the total number of times you did an exercise is 30. So, let’s dive into it.
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Side lunges
Working your booty muscles in different planes of motion will make it shapelier overall. Our bodies are moving in 3 different planes of motion: sagittal, frontal and transverse. The joint you’re currently moving will determine the plane of motion that your body is working in. This exercise, for example, will work your b**t muscles in the frontal plane. If you want to make the movement heavier you can grab a couple of dumbbells. This is how you do it:
- Stand straight, your feet touching each other, with a light or medium-weight dumbbell in each hand.
- Whilst leading with the right foot, begin stepping out wide, directly to your right.
- Bend the knee and push the hips back. Lower the arms in such a way that they form a “sandwich” with the right leg.
- Keep the torso upright and your gaze forward at all times.
- Then prepare to return to the starting position: push off the floor with your right foot and shift your body weight to your left leg, and return to a standing position.
- Perform 12 reps with each leg for 3 sets.
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Side dumbbell leg raises
This exercise targets the core and outer thighs.
- Start with the feet together and with a small to a medium-sized dumbbell in your right hand.
- Keep the right leg straight and then slowly raise your leg directly out to the side. Allow the dumbbell’s weight to rest against the leg. You should do this as slow and controlled as possible, and as high as you can raise your leg.
- Then, slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
- Perform 12-15 reps on each side for a total of 3 sets.
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Side leg abductions
This exercise is similar to the previous one, the only difference being that you’re lying down. It targets the hips and glutes more directly.
- Lie down on the floor on your right side with your head, neck, and back in a neutral position.
- Rest your head on your arm, which needs to be extended above the head.
- Put your legs together, i.e. on top of each other.
- Keep your core firm and begin to raise the left leg as high as you can. When you reach the top, pause for a while.
- Then, slowly return to the starting position.
- Perform 15 reps with each leg for 3 sets.
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Hip raises
Hip raises are sometimes also known as “a bridge”. They target the glutes.
- Lie down on the floor. Keep the back rigid and straight and bend the knees at a 90-degree angle. You should keep your feet flat on the ground.
- Keep the arms straight at your sides touching your torso with your palms facing down.
- Take a deep breath and push through your heels. Raise your hips by squeezing the glutes, hamstrings and pelvic floor.
- Rest the upper body on your shoulders and back, by forming a straight line with your knees.
- Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and then return to the starting one.
- Perform 15 reps for 4 sets.
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Squats
Squats are one of the most basic exercises that the human body is capable of doing.
- Stand upright with your feet places a bit wider than shoulder-width. The toes should be pointing slightly outwards.
- Bend the knees and push the b**t and hips back as if you’re trying to sit on a chair.
- Tuck your chin and keep your neck in a neutral position. Keep lowering the torso until the things are parallel to the floor.
- Make sure that your balance your weight on your heels with your knees bowed outwards.
- Then, extend your legs and get back to an upright position.
- Perform 15 reps for 4 sets.
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Squat kicks
You consider this exercise as a type of cardio move as well, which means you get two for the price of one.
- Start by standing with your feet at a shoulder-width apart distance and your arms bent out in front of you.
- Squat down, by pushing your b**t and your hips back, until the thighs become parallel to the floor.
- Once you start rising again, kick the right foot out to the side as high as you can. Try to imagine what a kickboxer would do.
- When the right foot comes back to the ground, squat again immediately.
- Repeat the whole process with your left foot.
- A single repetition is counted as 1 left and 1 right kick. For starters, perform 12 reps for 3 sets. You can then increase this to 15 reps for 3 sets.
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