Best butt lift exercises for women

FROM investing in expensive butt-lifting jeans and undergarments to being willing to fork out hundreds of thousands of dollars for butt-lifting surgery, it is clear by the many sacrifices that many women have made and are willing to make that we have gone butt crazy.

But if you are not naturally endowed with a peachy, well-toned derrière and none of these interest you, personal trainer and fitness instructor Gisel Harrow says that if you are willing to work on sculpting your glutes, then the butt-building exercises below should not only help you to achieve your desired look, but you may benefit from several health perks as well.

“Strong, nice glutes ­— the aesthetics of it may be what most women desire, but strong glutes also aid in relieving lower back and joint pains. So it’s a win-win for women who decide to lift their glutes by way of exercise,” Harrow told All Woman.

To get a strong and firmly lifted butt, Harrow suggests these butt-building exercises:

Squats

Stand with legs shoulder-width apart, lower your body until your butt is parallel to the ground at 90 degrees, then go back to start. Do three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions. These can be performed with or without weights; you may add dumb-bells or a barbell for more resistance, which helps with building muscles.

Dumb-bell deadlifts

Hold two dumb-bells in your hands; stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Position the weights in front of your thigh and your palms, facing your body. Keeping your knees slightly bent, press your hips back as you hinge at the waist and lower the dumb-bells towards the floor. Squeeze your glutes as you return to standing. Do three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.

Fire hydrants

Get on all fours on top of your exercise mat. Keep your leg bent at a 90-degree angle, lift it out to the side, stopping at hip height. Then return to the start position. Do three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions on each leg. You can use bodyweights or use a two-to five-pound dumb-bell in the crease of your knee for more resistance.

Donkey kicks

Get on all fours on top of your mat. Keep that leg bent at 90 degrees as you lift it behind you until your knee is in line with your hip, foot flexed. Reverse the movement and return to the start position. Do three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions with each leg. You can use bodyweights or use a two-to five-pound dumb-bell in the crease of your leg for added resistance.

Glute bridges

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor 12 to 16 inches from your butt. Brace your core, then press into your heels and squeeze your glutes to raise your hips toward the ceiling. Hold the position for two seconds before lowering to the start position. Do three sets of 20 repetitions. You can use a dumb-bell or resistance band for more resistance. You can finish with a 10-to-15 minute incline on a treadmill or use a stair climber.