butt exercises

Squat challenges are all the rage now, and while it certainly is an accomplishment to work your way up to 200, 500, or even 1,000 squats (yikes!), doing the same kind only works certain muscles. Here's a new challenge for you to try. It involves five different squat variations that you repeat and eventually work up to 200 reps in 30 days.

Here are instructions for the five different variations followed by a 30-day plan to get you all the way to 200. It's not advised to skip right to day 30 if you want to be able to walk the next day, so follow the plan and adjust it slightly according to your schedule and ability level.

Number 1: Narrow Squat

• Stand with your feet touching. Hold your hands comfortably in front of your chest to help you stay balanced and bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply so your thighs are parallel with the floor. Be sure to keep weight back in your heels.
• Then rise back up, straightening the legs completely, squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement to get the most out of the exercise.
• This counts as one rep.

Number 2: Narrow Squat With Booty Kick

• Stand with your feet touching. Hold your hands comfortably in front of your chest to help you stay balanced and bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply so your thighs are parallel with the floor. Be sure to keep weight back in your heels.
• Then rise back up, straightening the legs completely, and lift the left leg back behind you for a booty kick. Lower the foot back to the floor in a narrow squat position.
• Do another squat, then straighten the leg, do a booty kick with the right leg, and step the right foot back to meet the left.
• This counts as one rep.

Keep reading to see the other three squat variations and the 30-Day Squat Challenge Plan.

Whether you're toning your tush to pump up hills faster or to look incredible in Summer shorts, squats are a must-do move. Make your squat time count with these techniques and variations.

1. Feel the heel, feel the toes: Try varying where you place your body weight in order to work different parts of your lower body. Shift weight back into the heels so that you can give your toes a little wiggle — this will target the butt and backs of the thighs. To isolate one leg at a time, do one set with the right heel raised and then repeat with the left. If this is easy, try extending your leg all the way back (a favorite exercise of Cameron Diaz). Then try lifting your heels as high as you can, balancing on the balls of your feet as you raise and lower. This will work your shins and calves, which is great for runners who want to prevent shin splints and other injuries.
2. Vary your stance: Doing squats with your feet hips-width apart is traditional and effective, but you can better target your inner and outer thighs by widening your stance. Try lifting one heel at a time as you raise and lower, or do a calf squeeze by lifting and lowering both heels at the end of each rep. Also experiment between having your feet parallel and pointing your toes out wide.
3. Slow it down, speed it up: Instead of raising and lowering at the same pace you always do, try slowing down the movement to ensure you're using your muscles and not momentum to move your hips up and down. Then remain in the lowered squat position — this is a major thigh and butt burner — and quickly pulse up and down.
4. Grab a set: . . . of dumbbells, that is. Adding weights makes the squat even more challenging. Either hold dumbbells beside your torso or rest them on your shoulders while doing squats; you can also just add a biceps curl or shoulder press to make this a multitasking move.

Source: Megan Wolfe Photography at J+K Fitness Studio