III. Help! My butt is too flat.
In order to build a shapely behind you'll need to head to the gym. The following 3 booty-building exercises will give your bum a serious shape-changing workout.
Booty-Building Exercise #1: Dumbbell Squat
Place your feet wider than shoulder width apart, and turn toes out. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you squat down, keeping your back straight and tummy pulled in. Exhale as you press up through your heels and return to a standing position. Do 15 repetitions.
Booty-Building Exercise #2: Dumbbell Lunge
Stand with feet together and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you lunge forward, keeping your lunging knee directly over your ankle. Exhale as you push off with your lunging heel, and return to the starting position. Do 15 repetitions and repeat on the other leg.
Booty-Building Exercise #3: Straight-legged Deadlift
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your thighs. Inhale as you bend forward at the hips, keeping your back flat. Lower the dumbbells down until you feel a pull in your hamstrings. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs as you exhale and straighten your legs, focusing on contracting your glutes. Do 15 repetitions.
Want to get your best booty as quickly as possible? Visit The Body Firm today.
Bottom Fixer No. 2
Help! My bum isn't toned.
The solution to a saggy bottom is to target your glutes. Try the following 3 bum-lifting exercises at home – these require no equipment.
Bum-Lifting Exercise #1: Hyperextension with leg curl
Lie facedown on the floor with your arms extended above your head and knees together. Bend your knees and curl your heels toward your glutes, contracting your glutes. Lower your feet back toward the floor, raise your chest and shoulders up and hold for one count before returning to the start position. Do 15 repetitions.
Bum-Lifting Exercise #2: Plank pull
Get into a plank position with hands directly under your shoulders and feet spaced shoulder width apart. Contract your core, lift your left leg with flexed foot, then raise your heel up in a quick motion for 15 reps. Keep your core contracted throughout the exercise and back flat. Repeat with right leg.
Bum-Lifting Exercise #3: Side-lying bicycle
Lie on your right side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and legs stacked on top of each other. Bend your right knee back slightly. Lift your left leg about 6 inches into the air, then draw if forward to a 90 degree angle, keeping your foot flexed. Swing your leg back, pointing your toe and extending your lower back. Do 15 repetitions and then repeat with right leg.
For more information or workout tips, visit us at The Body Firm.
Changing Your Problem Areas: Your Bottom
Seems like everyone has been asking how to shape up their behind lately, so I've decided to let you in on a few of my closely-guarded booty-building secrets. Most of my clients have one of the following things to say about their bum:
1) Help! My bottom is too big
2) Help! My bottom is too saggy
3) Help! My bottom is too flat.
Now let's tackle each of these challenges with solutions that will give you the best results ever! If you think your behind is too big, then do the following workouts to reduce, tighten and shape your bum.
Running is a great way to burn off extra body fat while developing strong glutes. Follow these 4 tips to target your glutes while running:
1. To target your glutes focus on extending your hips and keeping your chest lifted.
2. Roll all the way forward onto your toes with each step, in order to engage more of your glutes.
3. Run up hills, stairs, or on the treadmill at an incline.
4. Run on a sandy beach or gravel path – the uneven surface forces you to work harder to stabilize your lower body.
Don't be afraid that these will make your butt bigger, in fact, you will have stronger glutes than before. For more tips, visit us at The Body Firm.
Protein Packed Lunch
Step 2: Protein
- 2 – 3 servings daily
- 1 serving equals: 2 – 3oz meat, 1/2 cup cooked beans, 1/3 cup nuts or one egg
Protein is an essential part of lunch, both for you and your kids. Kids need protein to support their growing body, and you need plenty of protein in order to grow and maintain lean muscle tissue.
Here's a list of healthy protein sources: fish, beans, tofu, nuts, eggs, chicken, turkey, lean pork and lamb.
Limit the amount of high-saturated-fat protein that your kids eat to no more than 3 servings per week. These include cheese, hot dogs, salami, bacon and sausage.
For more protein ideas, visit us at www.thebodyfirmaz.com.
Hydrate On Your Lunch Hour
Step 1: Hydration
Every function of the human body requires water, so it's a no-brainer that water should be included in your packed lunch. Eight glasses a day is a minimum.
It's easy to fall into the trap of giving kids juice or soda pop, and once your kids are accustomed to drinking these sugary treats expect a battle when you switch to water. This is one fight that is worth winning.
Remind yourself that the sugary drinks are filled with empty calories, which quickly lead to weight gain. Sugar also robs the body of vital nutrients and minerals.
For more nutritional information, visit us at The Body Firm.
The Perfect Packed Lunch
Summer vacation is winding down, fall is approaching and the kids are going back to school.
It's time to examine the art of packing the perfect lunch.
While it is easy to rely on the school cafeteria for the kids and fast food meals for you, this method will quickly result in unwanted pounds. The only way to ensure that you and your kids are eating a nutritionally balanced, health promoting lunch is to pack it yourself.
According to Ann Cooper and Lisa M. Holmes in their book, Lunch Lessons, "When it comes to nutrition, children are not just miniature adults. Because they're growing, they have different dietary needs."
Stay tuned this week for a 7 step guide to packing healthy lunches that cover the spectrum of nutrients that your growing kids needs. Don't have kids? Keep reading. You'll need these steps when packing your own nutrient-dense, fitness lunches.