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Top 10 Exercises To Shape Your Butt, Hips And Thighs

 
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Exercises that will help shape your butt, hips, and thighs via Unsplash

Every woman I know is concerned about the size and shape of her butt, hips and thighs (including cellulite). As for cellulite, it is actually collections of fat just underneath (subcutaneous fat) the skin which causes it to dimple, pucker up or lump up.

There are many factors that determine whether you have cellulite -- your genes, gender, skin thickness and amount of body fat all play a part. What you need to know is that there are no quick fixes for cellulite (despite what some commercials promote)! Some treatments such as liposuction and mesotherapy may give you some TEMPORARY relief from your cellulite. Liposuction is actually meant to remove deep fat tissue (visceral fat) and not cellulite. In my opinion, your best bet would be to reduce overall body fat through weight training and high intensity interval cardio.

As with any training, you need to train your lower body in all 3 planes of motion to insure balance and maximum toning. You definitely want your lower body to look good in 3-D space!

Squats is the number one exercise to tone your butt, hips and thighs. You can't leave out squats! Do your squats -- bodyweight squats, dumbbell squats, barbell squats, split squats, lateral squats, one-legged squats, etc. Mix it up but do them. The benefits of the squat exercise extend beyond your legs. Other top glute/hip/leg exercises are:

2) Lunges (front, side, transverse)
3) Step ups (front, side, transverse)
4) Deadlifts (traditional, Romanian and one-legged)
5) Various jump training exercises, such as jumping rope and squat jumps
6) Running uphill (especially sprints)
7) Standing, prone or floor hip extensions
8) Standing cable or ankle weight hip abductors/leg adductors
9) Standing cable or ankle weight leg kickbacks
10) Glute bridges and marching glute bridges

If these exercises become easy for you, then increase resistance or intensity (such as full speed power versions of some of these exercises).

Just a word about cardio exercise …. when you have a choice, choose non-machine cardio. That way, you won't have a machine generating momentum for you. Don't go beyond 30 minutes on a cardio session -- 20 minutes is better because you can push yourself harder and burn more fat. Some top cardio exercises to blast butt, hips and thighs fat are:

--Sprint Intervals: Sprinting activates the bulkier fast-twitch fibers. Just check out the lady sprinters at the next track meet you attend. You may not go to that extreme, but you get the idea! DO NOT RUN ON CONCRETE, ASPHALT OR OTHER HARD SURFACES.

--Leg Circuits

--Intervals on stepmill, treadmill or bike

Overall health is always the goal for your body. The benefits of doing these types of exercises will definitely extend beyond shaping your lower body.

Mark Dilworth, Certified Personal Trainer
Her Fitness Hut http://herfitnesshut.com

Add a Comment8 Comments

EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Some great tips here - always looking for ways to boost the glutes, especially now that the weather is getting nicer! :)

March 18, 2016 - 9:30pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Yes, Squats are really effective to get bigger bum faster. I have been exercising and taking Gluteboost which helped me get a bigger and curvy bum within 2 months!

January 20, 2016 - 12:23am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

squats is really effective but when you doing squats wear booty wow which help to make butt bigger fast.

January 3, 2016 - 8:53am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

My wife had problems with cellulite, saying he had to get over this problem. After long trials with different medicines and products that more or praised, someone recommended me a product and I recommend it as on, which turned out to be "miraculous". In two months his wife escaped the ugly and unsightly cellulite and now happily wear skirts that likes so much.
I do not want to advertise anything because my goal is to help people who are in the situation where we've been, but if someone wants to get rid of cellulite, I recommend the product that we have used and which I think is the better. We've got the address below:

http://mhlnk.com/5F5D7166

September 3, 2013 - 1:22am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Great article. I specially agree on the doing shorter cardio sessions of 20 minutes but at higher intensity. I started taking my workouts seriously and I try to do a lot of reading on fitness. Here is another great article I read on women's training ( http://literallylean.com/tips-about-womens-training/ ).

February 2, 2013 - 9:23pm

Good exercises you've shared here but these won't work still you don't find any trainer, before became a personal trainer in Silver Spring MD I used to do such exercises but I got nothing as soon as I joined a personal trainer I got a noticeable change in my hip shape even my boyfriend notice it :)

December 25, 2012 - 4:04am

Good post! I do a Body Pump class at my gym a few times a week and it was good to see I cover most of those exercises you mentioned in the class. The instructors say squats are the best exercise for thigh/butt area. I always feel it too!

August 16, 2009 - 1:37pm
(reply to Kellie - My Health Software)

Thanks for the comment Kellie! Keep up the good work!

August 16, 2009 - 3:19pm
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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