by Janet Hughes

Created on: April 24, 2008

Best Exercise for a Tighter, Firmer Rear End

Everyone wants to look great, right? You spend time on your hair and makeup; on picking out a great outfit with just the right shoes; add some jewelry to top the look off. But have you ever considered how you look from behind? For most of us the answer is no, and that is a shame because we could be sabotaging our best efforts to look great by neglecting this view point. To ensure that your backside view is not bringing down your entire look give these moves a try, and enjoy the compliments from all around!

1. Cardio. This is a must if you want to trim and tone your backside. Getting your heart rate up and burning calories helps to reduce your overall body fat percentage, which will allow your firm muscles to show through.

2. Squats. This basic move is a staple in every bootylicious workout. Ensure that you are focusing on engaging your butt cheeks to help raise your body back to the starting position. And take advantage of all those natural squats you do in a day when standing up from a chair. Use those muscles whenever possible!

3. Lunges. Again this move is a girl's best friend. While helping to shape the glutes, they are also trimming the back of the leg to give you great shape everywhere. Be careful to protect your knees while performing these movements and vary the type of lunge you use.

4. Deadlifts. This tricky move is a superstar for improving the appearance of your backside. It works all parts of your glutes and helps to strengthen your lower back as well. However, be vigilant about engaging your core, we don't want any pulled muscles from doing this move.

5. Bench Step Ups. There are many ways to do a step up, but to get the most for your time go slowly, focus on pushing through the heel of the raised foot and pull your body weight up onto the bench rather than springing off the floor with the lower foot. No cheating now!

Follow these exercise tips and you will be looking for ways to show off your assets in no time! (A note to beginners: if you are not familiar with the movements listed above, I would highly recommend hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions to walk you through the basics of form and technique.) And as your confidence soars and your clothing becomes a little more form fitting, make sure you are not taking away from all of your hard work by making the biggest rear view mistake of all time. Panty lines. As your shape changes so too should your under garments. A clean, line free backside is the real key to looking your best from behind!

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