The Sexy Butt Workout

By Nicole Catanese on Dec 16, 2013

“Getting the right curves here can be tough, especially if you’re doing the wrong—or same moves—over and over again,” says Ben Hart, a Tier-3 personal trainer at Equinox and co-founder of Qinetic, an interactive fitness and health site. Sure, you can do a million lunges, squats and leg lifts but those moves primarly target the glute maximus, the big muscle that’s dead center. And while that's an extremely effective exercise, you may not get the lift and tuck that you want. And that's also not what's going to give you a killer booty albeit in—or out—of your skintight Helmut Lang leggings.

“An extremely important aspect of a perfectly defined butt—getting the divot on each side—is actually targeting your glute medius, which lies above and to the side of the larger maximus,” explains Hart. “These muscles, once formed and concentrated on regularly, will create a sexy and sculpted shape.”

So, how do you work these precise mucles? “Think of these muscles as those that help stabilize your hip joint,” says Hart. “Focus more on single leg exercises opposed to moving both legs simultaneously—working each leg individually with a mix of intensity is the best way to ensure that you target those smaller muscles.”

Hart recommends this booty-boosting trifecta: single (instead of the go-to two-leg) deadlifts, skater jumps (when you go side-to-side, hopping from one leg to the other into a squat) as well as single leg squats (sit and stand on one leg, alternating sides). Complete as many as you can of each of these for one- to two-minutes straight; then repeat the sequence three times. Do this daily and you're guaranteed to see long-term results, but you'll also have immediate satisfaction, says Hart.

“Right after doing some of these single leg exercises, your butt will have a lifted and toned feeling,” he says. “Plus, getting stronger in all of your glute muscles will not only tone those muscles specifically, but will also make the rest of your muscles looking leaner, too.” And that's when a sculpting cycle starts—because when your butt is more defined, your hips, thighs and core will look leaner in proportion to your backside as well. Plus, working larger groups like your legs and butt help you burn more calories—not only all day long but when you're sleeping, too. “Even though you're predominately toning your glutes, you’re also working the rest of the leg pretty hard, too,” says Hart. “Legs are about 45 percent of the average woman's height —that’s alot of muscle.”