If you’re involved in the fitness world, you must be familiar with the recent obsession with glute workouts. Influencers and fitness enthusiasts on Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube have increased the focus on lower body workouts. Some people post short workout tutorials, while others talk about routines and post flattering “leg day” pictures. Stronger glutes don’t simply make for great social media pictures, though. 

The gluteus muscles are some of the most powerful muscles in the human body. They belong to the posterior chain, which consists of the hamstrings, calves, and back muscles. This muscle group generates the most force for human movements. While deadlifts, box jumps, heavy squats, and power cleans all work this muscle group, so do the smaller, lower impact exercises in this article. Form firmer glutes with the following exercises, but make sure to incorporate cardiovascular activities and other exercises into your workout regimen for optimal tone.  

Bodyweight Squats

You knew this exercise was going to be on the list. Bodyweight squats are the best because they target the glutes, quadriceps, hips, calves, and core. Stand up straight with your feet hip-distance apart. Bend your knees and lower into a squat, keeping your knees behind your toes. Imagine sitting back into an imaginary chair. Keep your back straight and once your thighs are parallel to the ground, press through your heels, engage your glutes, and return to the starting position. Complete three sets of 10-12 reps. 

Alternating Lateral Lunges

This is an excellent exercise that works the glutes and hip abductors, which sit around the side of the hip. Start standing with your feet hip-distance apart and step your right leg out to the right side. Bend your knee as you plant your foot and sit back into a lunge, hinging at the hips. Keep the majority of your weight over your right leg and don’t let the knee extend beyond your toes. Squeeze your inner thighs, glutes, and hamstrings to push off the right foot and return to the starting position. Repeat on the left leg to complete one rep. complete three sets of 12 reps.

Step-Ups

Not only does this exercise target your glutes, but it also works your quadriceps and calves. When you select a platform, make sure you choose one that is high enough that your knee achieves a 90-degree angle when you step on it. If that is unfeasible, use a lower step or platform. Stand up straight in front of the step or platform and place your right foot firmly on the step. Engage your glutes and drive through your right heel, simultaneously pressing off the ball of your left foot. As you step up, bring your left foot to touch the platform. Step your left foot back down to the ground and bend your right knee to return to the starting position. Complete three sets of 12 reps per leg. 

Reverse Lunge

Reverse lunges are another thigh-burning, glute-stimulating workout. Stand up straight with your feet hip-distance apart. Step your right foot back directly behind you and lower your hips, bending your right knee so that it just kisses the ground. Your right heel should be lifted off the ground and your left leg should be bent, making sure not to extend the knee beyond your toes. Keep your back straight and your gaze straight ahead. Engage all of your leg muscles to return to the starting position. Complete three sets of 12 reps per leg. 

Calf Raises

You can’t have good looking glutes and neglect your calf muscles, folks. It’s all about balancing and working various muscles! Stand on the edge of a stair and hold the railing or wall for support. The balls of your feet should be on the edge of the stair and your heels should hang off. Allow your heels to fall bellow the step and then use your calf muscles to press up onto the balls of your feet. Pause at the stop, squeezing your glutes and calves, and then lower back down slowly. Complete three sets of 15 reps. 

Sidestep Squats

Get ready to feel the burn! This exercise requires a resistance band with medium-light tension, and it aims to work the gluteus medius and minimus. Most of the other exercises on this list target the gluteus maximus. Step your feet on the resistance band and widen your stance so that your feet are beyond shoulder-width. With each hand, grab the top of the resistance band just above your knees, holding it taught. Keep your back straight, lower into a squat, engage your glutes, and take a wide step out with your right leg. You’ll now be in a deeper squat and the band will resist the step. Step your left foot in to return to the original wide squat stance. Continue sidestepping across the room, or as far as you can. Complete three sets of about 10-12 steps. 

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Late fall, winter, and early spring are the best times to engage in some of the best winter activities. There are so many things to do, from snowshoeing and snowboarding, to cross-country skiing and sledding with the family. We aren’t bears, people, so there’s no need to hibernate when the weather is cold. If the snow is falling, it’s best to head out onto the slopes. 

In the latest episode of The Adventures of V-Man, our content writer, Vinnie, went snowboarding. Was this all fun and games? It sure looks that way in the video, but as Vinnie explains, there are many health benefits associated with snowboarding. It’s not just a popular winter sport! You can reap many cardiovascular and strength training benefits, all the while improving flexibility. You know what? Let Vinnie tell you all about that.

Snowboarding At Mt. Baldy

One of the best things about living in Southern California is that you can snowboard in the morning and end up in the ocean later that same day. You can travel one or two hours outside of Los Angeles and experience great snow and mountainous regions. When I decided to go snowboarding, I chose Mt. Baldy, which is slightly north of Upland, CA. It’s a popular site for hikers, offering many trails that ascend the mountains. During the winter, though, a small resort with four chairlifts remains operational. 

Snowboarding at Mt. Baldy Ski Resort is like traveling back in time. The older, wooden, two-person chairlifts move slower than the quicker ones at newer resorts. The hills are quiet, the air is fresh, and there aren’t a lot of people on the trails. During COVID-19, Mt. Baldy regulated ticket sales, capping tickets to a limited number of people. Showing up without a pre-paid lift ticket was not an option, so I made sure to secure my ticket way ahead of time. The mountain staff was incredibly COVID-safe, encouraging mask wearing on the lifts, mountain, and in the lodge area. 

Snowboarding

I’m a long-time snowboarder, so I enjoy any chance I get to fly down the open face of a mountain. Cruising the mountain’s curves and navigating my way through unfamiliar terrain is challenging, thrilling, and fun. The day I went to Mt. Baldy was a gorgeous sunny day, as is evident in the video. The snow was mediocre at best, but I made it my mission to have fun regardless of snow quality. There were lots of icy spots, dirt patches, and slushy areas, but that didn’t stop me from having a blast!

Does Snowboarding Have Health Benefits?

I’m so glad you asked. Snowboarding is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise! I know I don’t look winded in the video, but trust me when I tell you that you burn some serious calories while on the slopes. My quads, glutes, and calves were on fire after several runs, but that’s all part of the experience. It’s very easy to burn up to 400 calories per hour while snowboarding, but this varies when it comes to the intensity.

Snowboarding also helps to improve flexibility and strength. It’s a workout that targets the lower body, so you get to build leg strength. Additionally, snowboarding engages the core, which helps to improve overall balance. Snowboarding also helps to limber you up. ALWAYS STRETCH BEFORE YOU STRAP UP ON A BOARD! Snowboarding requires that you put the body in different positions than the ones we are familiar with. When riding down the slopes, the body must be able to move freely and swiftly. Reduce your chance of injury by continuing to stretch before and after every session. 

My Favorite Part Of Snowboarding

This answer has been the same since I caught my first air as a teenager. It has to be the brief moment of flight between the time when you take off from a jump and when you land. It’s every child’s dream to fly, so my time in the air slows down. Everything happens so quickly, yet that suspended air time seems to move so slowly. I know that doesn’t make 100% sense, but that’s the way it feels. 

I also love the fact that snowboarding is all about mental gymnastics. You are completely invested in the moment and there is no time for distractions. I’m not worried about checking my texts or scrolling through Instagram. My head is on a swivel, constantly looking in all directions to ensure that I don’t hit someone or something. Now, you don’t start out like that because the main focus when you’re starting out is standing up. Once you are able to stand up, stop, and turn down the mountain, you become more aware of your involvement with the rest of the people on the mountain. It’s a sport that involves constant learning, so you never get bored. I can carve the same hill all day long and never lose interest. There’s always a different line, approach, or maneuver to do. 

At the end of my snowboarding adventure, I was absolutely exhausted. My legs were on fire, I was out of breath, and my feet were sweaty. It was wonderful. I took all my gear off at the bottom of the mountain, loaded up the car, and wound my way down the hairpin turns that lead back to Los Angeles. 

Mt. Baldy is a great one-day excursion if you live in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Even if you don’t go snowboarding, embrace nature, enjoy the fresh air, and experience Mt. Baldy.

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Go to any fitness Pinterest board or look at the most popular online workout videos for women and you’ll notice one thing: it’s all about the butt. On top of that, try to count the amount of fitness “gurus” and influencers on Instagram showing how to do butt exercises. All of this information can be overwhelming, though, and you may not know which exercises are best for a shapely booty.

The gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus are the muscles in your butt. Not only do they help stabilize your pelvis, but they also keep your knees and hips aligned. Weak gluteus muscles make it difficult to go up stairs, walk, stand, have proper posture, or engage in numerous activities.

The common sedentary lifestyle, which involves hours on end in a seated position, the gluteus muscles start to shut down. If you don’t regularly exercise those muscles, you may experience back pain or an inability to workout out properly. All of this is to say that butt workouts are very important. The following exercises are very simple and can be done from the comfort of your home.

Pop Squat

Stand upright with your feet together and hands at your chest. Jump your feet out to the sides (a little wider than shoulder-width apart) and squat down, engaging your glutes as you bend both knees. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor in the squat position. Tap the ground with your right hand and extend your left arm behind you. Jump back to the starting position and immediately jump back down into a squat, this time touching the ground with your left hand and extending your right hand behind you. Continue to alternate which hand touches the floor with each squat. Complete 3 sets of 10-12 squats.

Reverse Lunge

Start in a standing position with your feet hip-distance apart. Engage your core and step back with your left foot, landing on the ball of your foot with your heel off the ground. Bend both knees until your left knee kisses the ground. Try not to bounce off the ground with your knee because you don’t want to injure it. Push off the ball of your left foot and engage your right glute and thigh as you return back to the starting position. Now step back with the right foot and repeat the lunge motion. Continue to alternate legs. Complete three sets of 8-10 reps per leg.

Lunge Pulses

Get ready to feel the burn! Step into a lunge position and keep your back knee a few inches above the ground. Make sure your front knee doesn’t pass your toes. Keep your core and glutes engaged as you pulse up and down a few inches. Do not raise up completely. Stay in this low position and continue to pulse up and down for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds and then repeat on the other leg. Complete 2 more sets.

Side Step Wide Squat

Start in a standing position with your feet hip-distance apart. Hold your hands at chest height and step your right foot out to the side. Hinge at your hips and sink your butt back into a wide squat. Engage your glutes and return to the starting position. Do three sets of ten reps per leg. Do all your reps on a single side and then follow on the other side.

Glute Bridge

Lie face up and bend your knees, keeping your feet flat on the ground with your heels about six inches from your butt. Place your arms by your sides with your palms facing down. Engage your hamstrings and glutes as you lift your hips toward the ceiling. When you reach the top, hold the position for a second before returning to the floor. Complete three sets of 12 reps.

Romanian Deadlifts

Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms in front of you, extending them out so they are parallel to the ground. Keep your legs slightly bent, hinge at the hips, and push your butt back a little as you lean forward. You essentially create a right angle with your body at the middle point of the movement. You should feel a little tension in your hamstrings. Contract your hamstrings and glutes and return to the starting position. Complete three sets of 10 reps.

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Whether you are a male or female, thigh fat is not something you want to look at every day. Although it can be tricky to get rid of, it is possible if you put in the time to tone your thighs. We aren’t sure about the guys out there, but no girl ever wants to be known as thunder thighs. What better time to start getting into shape than the New Year?

The coolest part about the exercises in this article is that you can easily do them in your house or backyard. Did we mention that these exercises actually work? Take 5 minutes of your day to do this circuit and you’ll start toning your legs. Once you feel comfortable with what we have detailed here.

#1: Gate Swing with Cross

To start, feet should be shoulder width apart, toes pointed to the side. Do the squat by jumping on the feet, crossing your legs in the middle, and then landing back in the squat. Do as many as you can in 30 seconds.

#2: Side Lunges

Wow, do we love side lunges. These really help you tone your butt and inner thighs. Start with your feet together and take a wide step to your right, planting your right foot and squatting with your right leg. Keep your left leg straight. Jump up and squat repeat on the left side. Keep going for 30 seconds.

#3: Cross Jacks

Similar to jumping jacks, cross jacks get the whole body engaged and really focus on using the inner thigh muscles. Start in a wide stance and jump to cross the right leg over your left. Simultaneously cross your right arm over your left and then extend out to the side. Repeat, but cross your left over right this time. Do these for 30 seconds.

#4: Plié Squat With Overhead Extension

You need a dumbbell for this exercise. We recommend using a 12lb weight to start. Take a wide stance and angle your toes a little out to the side. Hold the weight with both hands above your head and squat down, bringing the weight down behind your head. Make sure to keep your elbows in the same position. As you stand up, extend your arms up with the weight. Do these for 30 seconds.

#5: Side Step Squat

This is kind of similar to the side lunges, except you don’t step as far out and you squat as you step. Start with your feet together and step to the right into a squat. Then step back to center and step into a squat to the left. Do these for 30 seconds.

#6: Scissor Kicks

This one is the final exercise of the series. Lie on your back on a yoga mat and place your arms by your side. Lift your legs up at a 45-degree angle and begin crossing your legs, alternating from right over left to left over right. Do this for one minute.

Do this workout once a day and you will start to shape those thighs. Thanks for reading and let us know how this workout is going for you in the comments.

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