Exercise Article Index >> A Better Butt Sits Just 3 Steps Away Bottoms up! It's time to get off that couch and on your feet... if you want to have a better butt by summer. This is a booty wake-up call for those of you who can't bear the thought of baring all... not even at the beach. What you need is an effective exercise regimen in the can -- one that will make your extra pounds a pain in the... um, past. To help you look good in that sexy swimsuit, we've called upon the master of body makeovers, Look Great Naked (Prentice Hall Press) author Brad Schoenfeld. OK, so maybe you'll never be a perfect 10 like Bo Derek. But that doesn't mean you can't look and feel great naked... or while wearing skimpy fashions. With Schoenfeld as your personal trainer and eDiets as your nutritionist, you'll be on your way to a fit and trim figure in no time. We all know variety is the spice of life, but it's also the strategy for a toned tush. Too often, men and women rely solely on one exercise to tighten a trouble spot. Schoenfeld points out that you won't get a well-rounded workout by simply relying on floor kicks, donkey kicks or any other single exercise. "The butt is comprised of three different muscles: the gluteus maximus, the medius and the minimus," the fitness buff tells eDiets from his Personal Training Center for Women in Scarsdale, New York. "To effectively target them, you need to do exercises which get the muscles from different angles. When you use the same exercises over and over again, it targets the same muscles so you're not going to have complete development. Another common mistake: trying to do too many reps of a particular move. This defeats the purpose, according to the seasoned fitness veteran. "I see women doing hundreds of reps of an exercise," says Schoenfeld who recently released his successful follow-up book, Look Great Sleeveless. "If you are doing something aerobically, you're not going to develop any significant muscle tone in the region. Pick a rep range of 15 to 20, and if you need to, add resistance in order to make the exercise significantly taxing enough so that the last few reps are difficult to complete." The exercise pro also suggests following these guidelines when trying to give your buns a boost. Don't overextend your hip joint. In an effort to contract the glutes fully, women tend to overextend their hip joints (bring them too far behind the body). However, only a limited amount of hyperextension is possible at the hip. Past a certain point, stress is taken away from the target muscles of the glutes and is transferred to the lower back. Not only is this counterproductive to achieving glute definition, but it places undue stress on the hip joint and lumbar region, potentially leading to serious injury. Do concentrate on keeping constant tension on your glutes! Once you feel an intense contraction, reverse direction and begin the next rep. Don't twist your body to complete a rep! It is human nature to complete a task with the least amount of effort possible. Subconsciously, the body tries to gain leverage during training by using ancillary muscles for assistance. In many glute exercises, this is accomplished by contorting the upper body. When your torso is twisted, excessive torsion forces are placed on the vertebral column, often leading to disc rupture. Do maintain strict form, moving only the required muscles! To get the most out of your efforts, it is essential to resist the temptation to use leverage. Schoenfeld stresses the importance of following a proper nutritional regimen, like the one offered through eDiets. You can tone up the muscles, but you won't achieve a sleek and slender look as long as there is a layer of fat over the top. Following a well-balanced meal plan and an aerobic workout will boost your metabolism and increase fat burning abilities. To get the optimum results from this workout, do the recommended 15 to 20 reps of the first exercise. Then move on to the second and third exercises without resting. When you have completed all three exercises, rest for 30 seconds and repeat the entire set. After the second set, rest 30 seconds and repeat a third and final time. Allow at least 48 hours rest between workouts. When you no longer find yourself struggling with the last few reps of each exercise, add leg weights for desired effect. Unilateral Hip Extension Begin by placing your left knee on the bottom of an incline bench. Bend your elbows and place your forearms across the top of the bench so they support your body weight. Slowly raise your right leg as high as comfortably possible, keeping it straight throughout the move. Contract your glutes and then reverse direction, returning back to the start position. After performing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process on your left. Standing Leg Curl Begin by attaching an ankle weight to your right ankle. Grasp onto a stationary object and slowly curl your right foot upward, stopping just short of touching your butt or as far as comfortably possible. Contract your right hamstring and then reverse direction, returning back to the start position. After performing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process on your left. Lying Abduction Begin by lying down on your left side. Bend your left leg at a 90-degree angle and bring your left foot to rest underneath your right knee. Keeping your right leg straight, slowly raise it as high as possible. Contract your glutes and return to the start position. After finishing the desired number of repetitions, turn over and repeat the process on your left. by Kim Droze eDiets Senior Editor http://www.ediets.com/ Exercise Article Index >> News I Health I Wellness I Exercise I Profiles I Business I Links I Women ROCK! Product Review I To the Point I Contact I Home Created by: Art Street Design Studio. © Concerning Women Communications, Inc. all rights reserved.