butt exercises

Chill out on your belly and tone your butt at the same time — what's not to love? This frog exercise, found in many barre workouts, is great for toning and lifting the bum. And you can do it at home.

Start lying on your stomach on top of a mat or soft area. If your mat is on hardwood, then I recommend folding a piece of the mat underneath your hips for extra cushion. With one fist on top of the other and your elbows bent, place your forehead into your top fist, and press your arms into the floor for support. Bend your knees, flex your feet in the air, and lift your knees off the floor.

From this position, extend your knees behind you, using the energy in your heels to press your legs away in a pulsing tempo. With every press your heels, emphasize the slight straightening of the knees as you pulse your legs away from your butt. Think of a frog that squats down and leaps. Your knees are making a similar motion and, like a frog, your legs are suspended in air. Complete this exercise for 20-30 reps. For added challenge, release your arms out in front of you for the last 10 reps to tone your upper back at the same time.

Photographed at Pop Physique in San Francisco, CA

The popular workout Pure Barre has a fresh philosophy on fitness, and it involves more than just toning the tush. The 55-minute class fuses key elements of ballet, Pilates, and weightlifting. Through use of a special barre and small isometric movements, the intense class sessions work to burn fat, tighten abs, and firm arms, glutes, and thighs. The result is a graceful, challenging workout designed to build a lean dancer's body. If you can't get to a class, we've brought one of the studio's most effective moves to you. The burn starts with your seat and then works deep into the love handles.

The Setup

• Begin by lying down with your belly on the mat, toes together, and knees apart.
• Ground your palms on the floor, placing them on top of one another with your forehead resting on the back of the hands.

Leg Lifts

• Squeeze your seat and lower back, floating your toes straight up toward the ceiling and lifting your knees off of the ground.
• Take 10-15 lifts with your toes aiming for the sky.

Upper-Body Lift

• With your legs still floating off of the ground, lift your forearms up in one motion.
• Keep your back and seat engaged while you lift your upper and lower body together. Do this 10-15 times.

See the bonus move after the break.

Skiing requires much more than just the right gear. This killer full-body workout requires plenty of balance, agility, and strength. If you're lucky enough to live near the slopes or you're jet-setting to a snowy getaway, move through each of these exercises that work double time by toning your tush and building your balance. Both will help you out on all your Winter-sport adventures.

Plank Booty Leg Lifts

Plank booty leg lifts are an alternative for working out your tush and the back of your thighs that also challenge your balance.

• Lie on your belly on an exercise ball and walk your hands out so the ball is underneath your shins. Your hands should be underneath your shoulders.
• Draw your navel toward your spine to engage your abs, which will help keep your spine straight and your body stabilized.
• Lift your right leg up into the air, then slowly lower it back toward the ball, but don't let it touch. This counts as one repetition. Keep your pelvis level throughout your reps.
• Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps with the right leg, and then repeat with the left.

Lying Hamstring Curl

Finding stability in your core is integral when you're skiing or snowboarding. It's also essential in this glute- and hamstring-toning move.

• Start by lying flat on your back with an exercise ball under your heels. Bridge your hips up and hold that position through the entire exercise.
• Flex your feet and dig your heels into the ball. Place your arms straight out to your side for support — don't use them, though; they are just for support.
• Slowly roll the ball toward your body as you curl your heels. Keep your hips in the bridge position; don't thrust them toward the ceiling as you do the move.
• Then slowly return to the start position (straight legs, hips bridged) to complete one rep.
• Do three sets of 10-15.

Keep reading for one more exercise that builds balance and tones your tush.

Squats are effective, but they can get a little tedious. By lifting off of one leg, you can put more weight into each side to get a quicker burn. Try this single-leg version for that cute dent dancers obtain in the side of their seat, or bathing suit line. Even if you won't be on the beach anytime soon, you can still show off your hard work in Winter leggings.

Chair Squat

• Begin with your feet on the ground, hip width apart.
• Take a bend in your knees and rock your weight back so that it's supported in your heels.
• Take your arms out front and bend from the elbows, drawing your hands up in fists.
• Flatten your back and try to hold this posture for the whole exercise.

Learn how to do the move after the break!

Tone your tush and your inner thighs with one swift move. Standing with your legs wide in a second-position stance works your backside as it supports you, and your inner thighs work as you rotate your legs open. Try this exercise in your living room or the weight room at the gym where you can use a mirror to check your posture.

Note: all of these movements are so minute that you will hardly be able to see them. They are small yet effective, and you will definitely feel the burn when doing them correctly. The tinier the action, the more controlled and successful it is.

Second Position

• Start in second position, with your legs opened wide to the sides and your toes turned slightly outward. Placing your hands on your hips, bend your knees, going as low as you can. Make sure your shoulders remain directly over your hips and your back stays in a straight vertical line. Use the mirror to monitor your posture. Do make sure to keep your heels directly below your knees to avoid harming the joint.
• While holding second position, in a pulsing fashion lower and raise your hips one inch for 10 to 15 reps.
• Stay at your lowest point and reverse the emphasis of the pulse and begin to lift your hips up one inch in a very tiny range of motion for 10 to 15 reps.

Arms Extended

• Extend your arms straight out in front of you with your palms facing down and hold this position for 20 counts.
• Bonus burn: keeping your arms out in front of your body, pulse your knees backward — the movement is small. If you find that it is too hard to press your knees back slightly, bring your toes forward until they are almost parallel, for if your feet are too far turned out, you won't be able to rotate your thighs in the hip sockets. Do this 10 to 15 times.

For really targeting your tush, an exercise ball can be a big help. If you're over your standard routine of squats and lunges, you're sure to find a favorite in the following three moves.

Lying Hamstring Curl

If working out your backside and your hamstrings at the same time sounds up your alley, it's time to try out this easy-to-follow lying hamstring curl.

• Start by lying flat on your back with an exercise ball under your heels. Bridge your hips up and hold that position through the entire exercise.
• Flex your feet and dig your heels into the ball. Place your arms straight out to your side for support — don't use them, though; they are just for support.
• Slowly roll the ball toward your body as you curl your heels. Keep your hips in the bridge position; don't thrust them toward the ceiling as you do the move.
• Then slowly return to the start position (straight legs, hips bridged) to complete one rep.
• Do three sets of 10-15.

Superman Booty Lifts

For a challenging variation on your standard Superman, the power of this Superman booty lift is all worth the extra effort.

• Lie on your belly and hold an exercise ball between your feet. Engage your abs and extend your arms straight out in front of you.
• As you inhale, squeeze the ball and lift your knees, arms, and chest off the floor. Hold for a count of 10 and then slowly release your body back to the floor.
• Repeat for a total of 10 lifts.

Keep reading for one more lift that will tighten up your bottom.

Running burns an insane amount of calories and it also targets your tush and legs, so it's the perfect workout if you're trying to slim down and tone up below the waist. Add hills to your workout and you'll tone your lower body even faster and more effectively.

If you're new to hill work or tend to skip out because running on an incline is challenging, walking briskly will do the same magic. This interval workout combines walking hills and short sprints with just a bit of incline to reduce the chance of developing shin splints. Aside from a toned tush and thighs, intervals are also proven to target belly fat, so it's doubly effective. In about 40 minutes, you'll burn over 400 calories!

You don't have to brave the cold to fit in an effective hill workout. Continue reading to see this 400-calorie-burning treadmill interval workout.