Hi guys and gals, I hope you are all doing fabulous today – and welcome to another edition of Best Butt ExercisesThis week I have a really nice glute-burner butt exercise for you that I think you will love.

Best butt exercises bodyweight squat
No, this week’s Best Butt Exercise is not the bodyweight squat, but that is a component of the move!   photo credit: Pam loves pie via photopin cc

Though the squat has gotten a name for itself as the king of all butt exercises, I haven’t posted about it in the Best Butt Exercises section until now because I believe that it’s quite a difficult compound move to learn the correct form for, and I wanted to dedicate a bit more time to writing about how to master this move.

However, the move that I want to write about today does feature a bodyweight squat, which can be a bit more forgiving because you aren’t adding additional weight. Don’t be disappointed though, we’ll be making this a lot more challenging that just plain bodyweight squats by reaching back with your leg into a reverse lunge.

Exercise: Squat Reach Backs
Muscles worked: Glutes, Thighs
Jolie Recommends: Try 3-5 sets of 20 reps per side. Step up the reps or do more sets to make this one more challenging!
Difficulty rating: 4
Effectiveness rating: 7

The bodyweight squat can be executed correctly by imagining that you are sitting backwards into a chair, and keeping as much weight as you can in your heels – this will allow you to feel the squat in your butt.

In the move I have for you today, keeping the hips low during the transition from squat to reverse lunge (as described later on), adds an element of challenge that will have your glutes in a state of constant work and cause them to fatigue much sooner.

Not only that, but reaching back with one leg also transfers the weight towards the rear, which forces your glutes to take more of the workload over the quadriceps (good news for those who find that their thighs tend to take over during squats!).

Okay, so it will burn, but this is good news because you’ll be giving your glutes an epic work out!

By the way, though I would love to take credit for this awesome move, I actually learnt it from the Brazil Butt Lift program!

Best Butt Exercise #10: Squat Reach Backs

Now, I couldn’t find an exact video tutorial demonstrating the exact move, but instead I’ve found one that shows you how to do both the squat and the rear lunge reach back components of this move, and I’ll explain how you should put it together after that.

So instead of doing the squat-reverse lunge superset exactly how it is recommended in the video, we’ll be combining the two moves more dynamically to get a hybrid compound squat-reaching back rear lunge movement so to speak. (Yes, now I am just making terms up).

How to Do the Move

  1. Start with feet positioned shoulder width apart in a position to perform a bodyweight squat.
  2. Sit down backwards into the squat, keeping the weight in your heels. Rest your hands on your knees.Best butt exercises squat1
  3. At the bottom of the squat and without letting your hips or butt lift up, lift your left foot and place it behind you to bring yourself into a rear lunge position.
  4. At the same time, you can touch your left hand to the ground where your left foot used to be (when you were in the squat position).Best butt exercises reverse lunge
  5. Keeping your hips low again, return to the squat position.Best butt exercises squat1
  6. Rise to a standing position, lifting your arms into the air.Best butt exercises stand
  7. Repeat on the other side.

Perfecting Your Form

  • Keep the hips sat back throughout the move, weight in your heels, and the glutes squeezed tight. The hands on the knees are for balance only, don’t hold any weight through this point.
  • Don’t allow your core to become sloppy during this move. Keep the abdominal muscles engaged.
  • The rear lunge can be performed as a long lunge if you like (back knee not as bent, or even close to straight)  – the main idea of the ‘reverse lunge’ is to keep the hips low and the weight towards the rear of your body which is going to keep the glutes engaged throughout the move.
  • Take a quick pause at the end of each movement, before moving on to the next; i.e. pause at the bottom of the squat, pause at the end of the reverse lunge.

Reppin’ It

Try for 10 to 20 reps per side, for 3 sets to begin with, taking 60 seconds break between sets. To advance, either increase the number of reps or the number of sets up to 5. You can also make this one more difficult by performing the move slower (while maintaining control, correct form, and muscle tension).

 

Note: As mentioned previously, I do not take any credit for this move, which I learnt from the Brazil Butt Lift exercise program. Images used are screenshots taken from the Brazil Butt Lift program and remain the property of the owners, Team Beachbody.

If you liked this exercise and are interested to learn more great butt exercises, then you may want to check out my review of the Brazil Butt Lift program, as it is a great home workout resource that has some of the best butt exercises around, and one that I would highly recommend!

Best Butt Exercises: Squat Reach Backs

9 thoughts on “Best Butt Exercises: Squat Reach Backs

  • December 22, 2014 at 2:57 pm
    Permalink

    Well New years resolutions are gonna start. I’m bookmarking this site, great tips thanks.

    Reply
    • December 23, 2014 at 10:08 am
      Permalink

      We’ve got you covered for looking good into the New Year Dan… well your butt, anyway lol 🙂

      Reply
  • December 22, 2014 at 4:02 pm
    Permalink

    Look like a great exercise for the entire core muscle group. At my age this is the kind of exercise than helps most!

    Reply
  • December 22, 2014 at 6:51 pm
    Permalink

    The pictures are funny! Especially the caption of first pic! I couldn’t stop laughing! Nice exercises. Must read and must share! Thanks for the share! 🙂

    Reply
    • December 23, 2014 at 10:06 am
      Permalink

      I know, not sure what was going on there, some supermarket random supermarket squatting by the looks of it!

      Reply
  • December 22, 2014 at 7:26 pm
    Permalink

    Hi Jolie
    Love this! This exercise looks simple enough but I am sure it’s a challenge, but well worth it, since it’s not just the butt that’s getting a work out. Great information.

    Reply
    • December 23, 2014 at 10:04 am
      Permalink

      Thanks Vanessa, hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
    • December 25, 2014 at 11:52 pm
      Permalink

      Adding weight is going to increase your results, in fact it’s definitely necessary if you want to see additional improvements. Just make sure you have perfect form first, as adding weight can increase your risk of injury if you’re not performing the move correctly!

      Reply

Leave a Reply to jolie Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy