This week’s star on Best Butt Exercises is the curtsy lunge.

Curtsy lunges will help with your butt shape to produce a tighter, rounder shape. Figure skating and hockey are two sports said to give you a nicer butt, and it’s these kind of cross-lunge type movements that naturally occur in these sports that are responsible for all the magic.

Curtsey Lunge demonstrated by womensworkoutchannel (Image Source: womensworkoutchannel via YouTube)

Exercise: Curtsy Lunge
Muscles worked: Calves, Quads, Glutes, core.
Jolie Recommends: 5 sets of 10 per side with dumbbells
Difficulty rating: 3
Effectiveness rating: 8

Best Butt Exercise #2: The Curtsy Lunge

How To Do The Move

The video above has a demonstration of what a curtsy lunge looks like, so be sure to check that out! Here’s how to do it, step by step:

  1. Start in a natural standing position with your feet side by side. Use a bar, back of a chair, or a wall to help keep your balance initially.
  2. Keeping your right foot stationary, shift your weight into your right foot as you step your left leg diagonally behind you and to the right – bringing it to the right so that it’s even further past your right foot. Your body should be in a twisted position as your legs are somewhat crossed over behind you.
  3. Land on the balls/toes of your left foot gently, mostly just using this leg for balance – and bend your right knee down into a lunge/squat. You should feel this in your right gluteal muscles.
  4. Pressing up through the heel of your right foot, push yourself up and out of the lunge, bringing your left foot back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat on the other side, this time keeping your left foot stationary and shifting your right foot diagonally behind and crossing over to the left.
  6. Return to center. That’s 1 rep!

 Perfecting Your Form

  • Maintain most of your weight in your front leg, where you should really feel it in your glutes on that side.
  • Keep the abdominals engaged throughout the exercise with a neutral spine position in order to protect your back.
  • Avoid twisting your pelvis as you lunge backwards, keep both hipbones facing forward as much as possible.
  • Keep your torso upright as much as possible, don’t lean forward over your front leg. The further back your weight, the more you will feel it in the glutes.
  • Focus on pushing up out of the lunge by pressing through the heel of your front foot, and squeezing the glutes.
  • Don’t let your front knee track out over your toes.

Reppin’ It

For more muscle growth, try doing a weighted version holding a 5 pound dumb bell in each hand down by your side to increase the resistance. 1 rep consists of a curtsy to the right and then to the left.

Do 5 sets of 10 reps, with a 30 second break in between each set. Finish with 10 seconds of pulsing in the lower position for each side on your last rep in the last set.

Best Butt Exercises: Curtsy Lunges
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4 thoughts on “Best Butt Exercises: Curtsy Lunges

  • November 2, 2014 at 1:59 pm
    Permalink

    Jolie,
    Great exercise for the back also. Getting the back in shape will help with the Butt.

    John

    Reply
    • November 3, 2014 at 11:40 am
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      Thanks for the comment John. Compound exercises like this one will help build a stronger posterior chain (which includes the back muscles) – this is essential for maintaining a good posture and keeping everything in alignment also. Cheers!

      Reply
  • January 3, 2021 at 4:24 pm
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    I’m really sorry – I just can’t stop reading it as “crusty lunges” ?
    But I’m going to add these to my daily routine anyway ? thanks for the suggestion!
    ✌️?? Naomi x

    Reply
    • January 5, 2021 at 11:40 am
      Permalink

      Haha Naomi.. that’s classic! I’m sure now I’ll have the same issue going forward now that you’ve said it!!!
      Hope you enjoy the exercise, they’re one of my favorites! x

      Reply

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