3 workouts for your best butt: The perfect programs to blast maximum calories while tightening and toning your tush - Quick Cardio Solutions

Shape, Sept, 2002 by Alexa Joy Sherman

Ask most women what body part they'd most like to perfect, and you'll probably hear a lot of butts. To help his female clients achieve that ubiquitous goal, Reebok University Master Trainer Jeffrey Scott shows them how to work the right muscles and blast fat. "I always emphasize how important it is to combine cardio and strength training--and to mix up the kind of workouts you do, so you keep seeing results and don't get burned out," Scott says.

To help you get a better butt, Scott created these tush-toning cardio programs exclusively for Shape. "Using these machines and these programs promotes the use of muscle--especially the buttocks muscles--rather than momentum, which is often not the case in other cardio workouts," Scott explains. "Plus, these plans' interval and/or progressive-intensity formats are optimal ways to burn the most calories in the shortest time." And with three workout options, you can mix things up throughout the week, which will bust boredom, prevent a plateau and help you avoid overuse injuries. We've even got great take-it-outside suggestions, not to mention tips on the best lower-body strength moves. It's everything you need to get a better butt in as little as three to four weeks--no buts about it.

best butt program

Basic workout guidelines Do any of these 3 cardio workouts 3-5 times a week using the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to gauge your intensity (see page 139 for explanation). A warm-up and cool-down are built into each workout. End by stretching all your major muscle groups, especially those of the lower body, holding each stretch for 15-30 seconds without bouncing.

Beginner option If you're just starting out with an exercise program, try doing only 3 workouts per week. You can also cut 2-5 minutes off of the workout you select (making sure to do the prescribed warm-up and cool-down).

Advanced option If you've been working out regularly for the past 6 months, try doing your cardio workouts 5 times a week. You can also add 2-5 minutes to the workout you select (flaking sure to do the prescribed warm-up and cool-down).

Strength tips To complement your cardio, get 2-3 strength sessions in each week (taking at least a day off in between). Research has shown that the top strength moves for working the buttocks are: one-foot squats, kickbacks (also known as bent legged hip lifts), sumo squats (also known as plies) and lunges.

program 1 treadmill tush toner

How it works When you walk or run, the steeper the incline, the more buttocks muscles you recruit. An incline also increases the intensity at which you're working, which dramatically ups your calorie expenditure (so long as you're maintaining the same speed). For example, a 145-pound woman walking on a level surface at 3.5 mph will burn about 300 calories an hour, but she'll burn 400 calories an hour going the same speed on a 4 percent incline and 500 calories an hour going the same speed on a 10 percent incline.

Indoor guidelines Set a treadmill on manual and perform the workout according to the chart below. We've mapped out how to raise and lower your RPE by increasing and decreasing the incline, so you'll get maximum butt benefit.

Take it outside Walk or run on a hilly trail or footpath. If you can't find the right hills to adjust your RPE, you can alter your intensity by simply changing your p pace (though the butt benefit won't be quite as great).

THE WORKOUT

                   TIME/RPE      INCLINE

Warm-up        5 min. at RPE 4     0%

Steady climb   30 sec. at RPE 5    3%
               30 sec. at RPE 6    6%
               30 sec. at RPE 7    9%
               30 sec. at RPE 8   12%

Recovery       3 min. at RPE 4     0%

Rise and fall  1 min. at RPE 5     3%
               1 min. at RPE 6     6%
               1 min. at RPE 7     9%
               1 min. at RPE 8    12%
               1 min. at RPE 7     9%
               1 min. at RPE 6     6%
               1 min. at RPE 5     3%

Recovery       3 min. at RPE 4     0%

Steady climb   30 sec. at RPE 5    3%
               30 sec. at RPE 6    6%
               30 sec. at RPE 7    9%
               30 sec. at RPE 8   12%

Cool-down      5 min. at RPE 4     0%

Total workout time 27 min.

Calories burned 235 *

* Calorie estimates are based on a 145-pound woman.

FORM FACT: On the treadmill, walk tall--head up, shoulders back and
abdominals in. Always step with the heel first, rolling onto - and
pushing off--the ball of the foot. Pump your arms to up calorie burn.

Program 2 stair-climbing supersculptor

How it works A stair climber effectively sculpts the hamstrings and buttocks muscles, since they work through a full range of motion as you lift your knees up higher and push through the heels as you step. Meanwhile, the interval format of this program enables you to burn more calories in less time so you'll blast away that extra flab.

Indoor guidlines Set a stair climber on manual and perform the workout according to the chart above. You can adjust your intensity by speeding up (which actually requires lowering the resistance) or slowing down (which requires upping the resistance), as dictated by the applicable RPE.