Always Be Red-Carpet Ready With These Booty-Toning Moves From Valerie Waters

Celeb trainer Valerie Waters has helped many clients prep for roles and the red carpet, including Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel. She's even named one of her programs Red Carpet Ready. I sat down with Val to learn some of her tips on getting ready for a big event. And although most starlets wear long dresses to big-name events, those cut-on-the-bias silks cling to all the curves, making it necessary to tone the booty.

Valerie to the rescue — she's famous for helping ladies tone their backsides and lift their seats. I asked her to share her three favorite butt-toning moves and here they are.

  • High step-ups: Val recommends doing this exercise "if you have a flat or droopy butt and you need to pick it up." Learn how to do step-ups here. One set equals 12 to 15 reps on each leg.
  • Valslide reverse lunge: This is "the number one exercise for the butt." Placing a Valslide (or a paper plate) under the foot and lunging backward really kicks this exercise up a notch. Here is a video demonstration of the Valslide reverse lunge in action. Note: You do not need to do this with a barbell. One set equals 15 to 20 reps each leg.
  • Donkey kicks: Last but not least, a move to isolate the glute muscles without working the rest of the legs to avoid overworking or bulking up the quad. Val recommends donkey kicks or standing booty kicks. One set equals 20 reps on each leg.
  • Do three sets of each exercise, working through them in the order listed above. The number of reps listed is based on working without weights.

Maybe you're not going to the Oscars or attending any big event soon, but swimsuit season is right around the corner; the time to start toning your bum is now. I did this workout this morning and my booty is feeling it. And be sure to read Valerie's approach to snacking.