Having a toned and shapely butt is a goal for many people, and for good reason. Not only does a strong and sculpted butt look great, but it also plays a crucial role in our overall health and fitness.
But if you’re looking for a specific shape for your butt, such as a heart shape, you may need to incorporate specific exercises into your workout routine. In this article, we’ll explore the best exercises to build a heart shaped butt and help you achieve your fitness goals.
Why Is a Heart Shaped Butt Desirable?
A heart shaped butt is characterized by a round and lifted appearance, with a defined crease in the middle. This shape is often associated with a fit and healthy body, and many people strive to achieve it through targeted exercises.
A heart shaped butt is also considered aesthetically pleasing and can boost confidence and self-esteem. Additionally, having a strong and toned butt can improve posture, balance, and overall athletic performance.
However, due to our sedentary lifestyles and lack of targeted exercises, our glutes can become weak and underdeveloped. This can lead to imbalances in our body, causing pain and discomfort in our lower back, hips, and knees.
Incorporating glute workouts into your routine can help strengthen and tone these muscles, leading to a more defined and shapely butt.
Best Exercises for a Heart Shaped Butt
Here are some of the best exercises to build a heart shaped butt: You should do three to four sets of the exercises with around eight repetitions each.
Alternating Reverse Lunges
The lunges are generally particularly effective for the leg and butt muscles. In addition to the simple lunges, there is also a variant that particularly targets the buttocks: the alternating reverse lunges. If your fitness level allows, you can add dumbbells for this exercise.
- If you want to train with dumbbells, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and straight.
- First, take a step back with your right leg and bend your knees to 90 degrees. Breathe in as you do this.
- As you breathe out, return to the starting position.
- Repeat the process with the left leg.
Make sure to tense your stomach throughout the entire exercise to avoid bad posture. If you want to intensify this exercise, you can stand on a slight elevation and lunge downwards from there.
Curtsy Lunges
Another variation of the simple lunge is the Curtsy Lunges. What’s special is that they target the entire gluteal muscles and, when performed, stand out from other buttocks exercises.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and cross your arms over your chest.
- Now take a step backwards past your left leg with your right foot. Bend both knees and breathe in throughout the movement.
- As you breathe out, come back to the starting position. Repeat the process with your left foot.
Kickbacks
This exercise for the butt primarily targets the gluteus maximus through a one-sided stretch. You will need a mat for this exercise. Depending on your needs, you can add a fitness band.
- Get on all fours on your mat. If you want to do the exercise with a resistance band, slip your left leg in above the knee. At the other end of the band is the heel of your right foot. Keep your back straight by contracting your stomach.
- Contract your butt muscles as you extend your right leg back so that it forms a horizontal line with your torso. Keep the top position short.
- Now bring your leg back down slowly and in a controlled manner.
Repeat this process on one side only. Then perform the kickbacks with your left leg. Only then is the first sentence finished.
Squat
Squats are a real classic among fitness exercises. The simple design makes them particularly attractive for beginners. If your fitness level allows, you can do the exercise with a resistance band.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your arms at your sides. If you do squats with a resistance band, tighten it around your thighs above your knees.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to squat. Go down as far as possible until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your knees should not be bent more than 90 degrees.
- Now push yourself back up using your heels.
Bulgarian split squats
This glute exercise also primarily works the largest of the three glutes. In addition to the thigh muscles, the other two butt muscles are also used. Bulgarian split squats are particularly suitable for those who want to train their butt into a round shape. To do them, you will need a chair or similar object and possibly dumbbells.
- Stand with your back to the chair one step away and place your right foot on it. Make sure that your leg does not slant backwards, but is placed close to your body.
- Now go down with your back straight by bending your left knee to a 90 degree angle.
- Then slowly move up again.
Throughout the exercise, it is important that you go straight down with your back straight when the knee is bent. Only this execution puts maximum strain on the gluteal muscles. So: Don’t walk down at an angle with your back bent! Repeat the process with your right leg as a supporting leg – then the set is finished.
Clam shells
The clam shells use several muscles: They train the gluteus medius and minimus. But it also challenges the muscles of the inner and outer thighs as well as the pelvic floor. For this butt exercise you will need a mat and a resistance band.
- Lie on your side on the mat and support yourself with your forearm so that only your lower body is on the floor. Tighten the band around your thighs above your knees.
- Bend your legs slightly at a 45 degree angle with your knees directly on top of each other. Also stack your feet together.
- Now open the top leg by keeping the feet together and moving the knee up so that it points towards the ceiling. This process is similar to the movement of a seashell opening.
- Hold this position briefly before returning to the starting position.
Repeat this exercise on one side before doing the same on the other – both together count as one sentence. Make sure that neither your pelvis nor your feet move throughout the entire execution. Tighten your core to stabilize your spine.
Glute bridge
This exercise is considered particularly popular when it comes to training and shaping the buttocks. For the glute bridges (also pelvic raises) you need a mat. If necessary, you can make the exercise more intense with a resistance band and/or weights in the form of dumbbells, plates, etc.
- Lie on your back on the mat and place your legs hip-width apart by bending them. If you use a resistance band, stretch it around your thighs above your knees. On the other hand, you place weights on your stomach.
- Lift your buttocks so that only your shoulder blades are touching the floor, the rest of your upper body is in the air. Now push your bottom up until it forms a straight line with your back and thighs.
- Now come back to the starting position.
The same applies here again throughout the entire exercise: tense your stomach and glutes! Make sure that you do not overextend your back when going up, but rather form a straight line (as described).
Lateral leg raises
Lie on your left side. Lie on your side by flexing your elbow. Slowly raise your right leg. Feel the tension in your outer thigh. Hold for 5 seconds. Lower your leg until you reach the other leg. Repeat the same exercise for the left leg while lying on your right side. Repeat 10 times for each leg.
