Ever since dresses with sheer side paneling first swarmed the red carpets, the side butt has been the new butt-butt.
Give the area some sexy definition with the moves below, designed and demonstrated by fitness trainer, health coach, and fitness model Elizabeth Bracero. You’ll want to complete up to three sets of 15 reps of each move on each side.
1. Curtsy Lunges
How to do it: Start with your feet about shoulders-width apart. With your left foot, step diagonally backward and behind your right foot. Keeping your shoulders over your hips, bend both knees about 90 degrees to lower down toward the floor. Press into your right heel as you extend both knees to return to standing position. Repeat on the opposite side to complete one rep, and continue to alternate.
2. Prisoner Squats
How to do them: Stand with your feet about hips-width apart, and your hands near your ears with the elbows bent and out to the sides. Keeping your knees behind your toes, bend your knees to lower your torso straight down to the floor until your thighs are parallel to the ground. From this position, press up through your heels and straighten your legs to come back up to starting position. That’s one rep.
3. Sumo Squat Jumps
How to do them: Take a wide stance and angle your toes about 45 degrees out to the sides. Place your hands on your hips. Keeping your shoulders over your hips and away from your ears, bend your knees to lower your torso straight down to the floor until your thighs are parallel to the ground. From this position, jump straight up into the air and land with soft knees in starting position. That’s one rep.
4. Sprinter Knee Raises
How to do them: Stand with your feet about hips-width apart and both elbows bent. Keeping your shoulders over your hips, take a large step backward with your right foot and bend both knees to lower into a reverse lunge. At the same time, drive your right hand up to eye-level (for balance) and swing your left arm behind you. Next, press into your left heel as you extend both legs and drive your right knee up to hips-height, raising your left hand and swinging your right one behind you. That’s one rep. Complete all your reps on one side, then repeat just as many standing on the opposite leg.
5. Side Step-Up and Kick
How to do them: Start in a wide stance with your left foot elevated on a low box or step, and hands together near your chin. Keeping your knees behind your toes and your shoulders over your hips, bend both knees to sit back into a squat. From this position, extend both knees and press into your left heel as you shift your weight onto the left foot, lifting your right foot off the ground so you’re standing one-legged on top of the box. With control, raise your right leg out to the side as high as you can without leaning to the left, which will make the move less useful for your butt. Release the leg and come back to starting position (the wide stance) to complete one rep. Complete all your reps standing on the box with your left leg, then switch sides and complete the same number.
6. Tube Walk
How to do them: Step into a looped band and step your feet apart until there’s tension. (If you don’t have a band at home, you can DIY by knotting a pair of tights.) Bend both knees to come into a squat position and bring both hands together below your chin. Without standing up, step your right foot out to the right. Next, step your left foot to the right to meet your right foot, keeping tension in the band the entire time. That’s one rep. Do up to 15 in the same direction, then reverse directions. Or, if you don’t have room, do a few in one direction, then reverse directions (that’s what you see in the demo above.), completing 15 reps in each direction.
7. Booty Crossovers
How to do them: On a mat or towel, get onto your hands and knees with your wrists beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Tuck your right toes under for support. Lift and extend your left leg behind you, pointing the toes. From this position touch your left toes to the left edge of your mat. Next, use your toes to draw an imaginary arc over the mat, and touch your toes to the right edge of your mat. That’s one rep. Complete all your reps with the left leg, then repeat just as many on the opposite side.
8. Kneeling Hydrants
How to do them: On a mat or towel, get onto your hands and knees with your wrists beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Tuck your right toes under for support. Keeping your right knee bent and foot flexed, and your hips square to the floor, raise your left leg out to the side as high as you can. With control, return to starting position to complete one rep. Repeat all your reps with the left leg, then repeat just as many on the opposite side.