Short shorts? Skirts? Skinny jeans? Bring them on! After adding these seven moves to tighten your glutes, you’ll be rocking your favorite outfits with killer confidence! So much more effective than the traditional squat, these glute exercises are the best of the best! Be sure to read through the form tips for each squat exercise and then follow along with the videos below. For any of these glute exercises, you can hold free weights to increase the intensity.
Review the videos below for demonstrations of each squat.
1. Body weight squats
Body weight squats are a great move to tighten your glutes and burn calories. Begin with your feet hip width apart. Bend your knees and lower your body by pressing your hips back. When you press back up to straight legs, focus your weight in your heels to activate all of the muscles in your glutes. The next 6 exercises are different variations of this glute-tightening move.
2. Deep squat
Deep squats are a great glute exercise because they recruit all of your leg and glute muscles. Different from a traditional squat, in deep squats your hips sink lower than your knees to work more of your glute muscles. You should always keep your knees aligned behind your toes. Try one set of 10 deep squats in your next workout!
3. Box squat
This glute exercise allows you to really focus on your form and lower into your squat at your desired depth. You’ll need a chair or bench for this squat. Sit down into your squat, then let your glutes make contact with the chair or bench. As soon as you hit the surface, press your weight into your heels and stand back up powerfully and quickly!
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4. Plie squat
Tone your inner thighs with this squat exercise! Stand with your feet wider than hip width apart and toes pointed out. As you lower into your squat, make sure your upper body stays tall with your shoulders positioned over your hips. Press your weight up through your heels on the way back up.
5. Jump squat
Jump squats are a great cardio and glute exercise! Lower down into a squat with your feet hip width apart. When you come back up, instead of simple raising up to stand, jump up into the air with power! When you land, land directly into your bent-knee squatting position. These are difficult, so work your way up to them!
6. Prisoner squats
Prisoner squats are challenging, but they aren’t as bad as their name makes them seem! First, stand with your hands behind your head (really!) and feet hip width apart. Keep your hands behind your head as you lower into a squat. This type of squat exercise will work your core as well as your glutes!
7. One leg squat
These squats are challenging but will lead to a totally toned backside! Stand with one foot resting on a chair or bench behind you. Lower your hips down and back by bending through your front knee. Press up through your front heel to straighten your leg. This glute exercise will also challenge your balance, which leads to a strong, slender midsection. Do 10 one-leg squat on this side, then switch to the other.
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So many squats, so little time! Add one or two of these squat exercises into your workouts throughout the week and your glutes will thank you. For more exercises like this one, follow Skinny Ms. on Facebook and Pinterest! Sign up for the Skinny Ms. eNewsletter and you’ll receive workouts, fitness tips, and recipes right in your inbox!
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