Dancers Shape knows a tight backside will help alleviate daily aches and pains but also fill you with confidence. These five exercises are full body work that will improve your posture, lift your seat, tone the triceps, define the upper back and sculpt the hamstrings in only 8 minutes. Perform each exercise daily for one minute to see results in 5 weeks.
5 Exercises That Will Lift and Firm Your Backside in 5 Weeks
Jennifer McCamish
1. Lunge with Fly
This exercise hits the glutes, hamstrings, and postural muscles in the back. Begin with your left foot forward with knee stacked over your ankle and your right leg straight behind you. Hinge forward with a straight spine and face your chest towards the floor. Arms are hanging towards the floor like you are hugging a tree. Inhale and dip your left knee down towards the floor as you lift your elbows towards the sky and exhale to push the floor away through the left heel and return your arms back down. Remember to keep your shoulders pressed down away from your ears and lengthen your neck.. Perform one minute then repeat other side.
2. Four Point Kneel with Weight (alternating parallel and flare)
This exercise is a fantastic way to lift the seat and target the trouble zones that surround the glutes. Come to your hands and knees with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your knees under your hips. Place a hand weight behind your right knee and scoop your pelvis slightly under. Maintain that lift in the lower back as you exhale and lift your heel to the sky. Begin to alternate a parallel lift into an externally rotated knee lift. This will begin to tone the highest part of the hamstring, lift the seat and create the dimple in the side seat. You will also gain upper back strength and establish shoulder and pelvic stability in the core. Perform one minute then repeat other side.
3. Four Point Kneel- Arm and Leg Extension
Another great exercise to target the glutes, hamstrings, back and shoulders. Come to your hands and knees with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your knees under your hips. Extend your right leg back behind you and your opposite arm straight out with a weight in hand. Pull the shoulders down away from your ears while lengthening the back of your right knee and scoop your pelvis under. Exhale to lift your extended arm and leg up an inch while maintaining your pelvic stability (by pulling your pubic bone to your navel and not letting your belly collapse towards the floor) and return to your starting position. Perform one minute then repeat other side.
4. Swimming
Extension exercises are very important to spine strength and health due to the fact that we sit frequently at desk jobs which can contribute to kyphotic posture - rounding of the shoulders forward. Strengthening the spine and using extension exercises like swimming can be very beneficial. Lay on your belly with arms and legs long. Pull your navel towards your spine and scoop your pubic bone towards the floor to lengthen the lower back. Squeeze the glutes and lift your upper and lower body off the floor but keep gazing on the floor as your begin to paddle your arms and legs up and down like you are flutter kicking your arms in water. This exercise targets the multifidus, lats, glutes and hamstrings. Perform for one minute.
5. Bridge with Triceps
Bridging is another classic glute and hamstring exercise and we like to add some hand weights to help tone the back of the arms at the same time. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on floor. Hold a pair of hand weights above your face with your elbows bent. Exhale and lift your hips towards the sky and extend your arms to the sky at the same time and return back down. When you lift your hips make sure you keep your ribcage closed and close towards the floor so you do not arch and extend your lower back. Perform for one minute.
About the Author
Jennifer McCamish is the owner of Dancers Shape, a Pilates and barre fitness studio in Austin, Texas. A former NYC Radio City Rockette with over 30 years of dance experience and training from legendary institutes around the country, McCamish has worked or performed with many well-known celebrities, television shows and publications. Utilizing her professional knowledge and education, she created Dancers Shape, a unique approach to fitness, incorporating elements of ballet, yoga, Pilates and circuit training to efficiently build strength and muscle tone while maintaining a lean and nimble body. McCamish holds a BA in Dance from the University of Texas in Austin, Athletic Training in Injury Prevention for Dancers from Radio City Entertainment, is a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor including Injuries and Special Populations, Cooper Institute Certified Personal Trainer, IDEA Fitness and Wellness member, and is certified in CPR-First Aid. She is a certified instructor including injuries, special populations and golf conditioning. Read more about Jennifer.