Bust your butt: burn fat and shape your behind with these cardio-glute workouts

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, April-May, 2002 by Sherri McMillan

It doesn't take an exercise physiologist to point out that as women, we tend to carry most of our bodyfat around our hips and glutes. Some believe that For child-bearing and breast-feeding purposes. the cells in this area don't want to give it up. So in the quest For a better backside, what's a girl to do?

In truth, we've heard it all before. Cardio exercise burns fat, and lifting weights shapes and builds muscles and increases your metabolism to make you a rat-burning machine. So this means you've got to run, walk, cycle or take Fitness classes 3-5 times a week. and on top of that you must hit the weights another 2-3 times weekly. But what if you have a life outside of exercise? Adhering to this kind of program may seem challenging at best. Luckily, there's a way you can burn bodyfat and work on your glute muscles simultaneously. Read on to learn the best ways to blast fat and refine your rear end all at the same time.

The Great Outdoors

HIKING: If you analyze the body's movements during hiking, especially a steep hike, you'll notice that you're basically performing nonstop, repetitive step-ups. And we already know how much our backsides love those! To further involve the glutes on hikes, be sure to fully extend at the knee and hip with each step, and push off from the entire surface of the front foot.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: The motion of parallel cross-country skiing is an excellent butt-buster, but if you're looking for an even better load for your glutes, try skate skiing. Combining traditional cross-country skiing with a skating action, this activity is one of the most effective workouts for your entire hip region.

SWIMMING: And here you thought swimming was just a great upper-body workout. Grab a flutter board and do back-to-back lengths of flutter and butterfly kicks. To make it even more intense, put on some flippers. Your glutes will be screaming.

POWER WALKING: Yep, just going fur a wall will force your glutes to work. But to get more bang for your buck with each step, focus on pushing and propelling forward and squeezing your glute muscles rather than just falling into each step.

RUNNING: One glance at the glutes of a Kenyan runner tells you how much those muscles work to provide some of the power needed to run. If you want a better overall workout fur the hips, run on hilly terrain and vary your speeds when you train.

STAIR CLIMBING: Head to your local stadium and climb up and down the bleachers. Not only will you experience an amazing cardio workout but your glutes will be humming. Remember to focus on fully extending your hips and contracting your glute muscles with each step.

IN-LINE OR ICE SKATING: Ever checked out the back end of a hockey player? These athletes have such great-looking rears because their sport effectively targets the gluteal muscles. Strap on a pair of in-line or ice skates and get ready for an excellent cardio-glute routine. Try this workout and see how you feel. Of course, warm up fur 5-7 minutes before beginning.

IN-LINE OR ICE SKATING PROGRAM

TIME        ACTIVITY

45 seconds  Skate fully upright, pushing each
            leg directly to the side with each
            stride
45 seconds  Skate in a tuck position, pushing
            each leg directly to the side with
            each stride
45 seconds  Skate fully upright, pushing each
            leg backward at a diagonal angle
            with each stride
45 seconds  Skate in a tuck position, pushing
            each leg backward on a diagonal
            angle with each stride

Complete this three-minute circuit 7-10 times for a 20-30 minute
workout.

Indoor Options for Guest Glutes

STEP CLASS: Find out who's the most popular step instructor at your gym and attend his or her class. To enhance the load on your glutes, follow these guidelines: Place your entire foot on the platform rather than allowing your heel to hang off the hack edge, fully extend upward with each step, and add some power in the form of jumping for increased intensity. Anytime you jump, your glutes have to contract forcefully to propel you upward, as well as help absorb the impact when you land.

STAIR-STEPPER: An indoor stair-stepper is basically just a stationary hiking machine. To maximize hip recruitment, remember these pointers: Take larger steps instead of short, choppy ones; push from the entire foot rather than just the forefoot; and try not to hold onto the rails -- pump your arms just like you were running.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Get on a NordicTrack machine for a great cardio-glute workout, Remember to keep your body upright and your abs tight, and contract your glutes every time you press each leg backward.

TREADMILL RUNNING/WALKING: These activities closely simulate the same outdoors, with a tad more convenience. To emphasize that booty, remember to squeeze your glutes with each step during your work on the inclines. Warm up for five minutes before starting this workout.

TREADMILL RUNNING/WALKING PROGRAM

TIME       ACTIVITY

1 minute   Walk, jog or run on an incline
           steep fatigue your muscles (start
           with a 5% incline and adjust
           accordingly)
1 minute   Recover on a flat surface (continue
           with the same activity you started
           with -- walking, jogging or running
           -- throughout the course of the
           session)
2 minutes  On an incline
1 minute   Recover
3 minutes  On an incline
1 minute   Recover
4 minutes  On an incline
1 minute   Recover
5 minutes  On an incline
1 minute   Recover
4 minutes  On an incline
1 minute   Recover
3 minutes  On an incline
1 minute   Recover
2 minutes  On an incline
1 minute   Recover
1 minute   On an incline

Cool-down: Slowly drop your heart rate by reducing intensity for five
minutes.