How do you get that coveted tight bum in time to sport your skinny jeans? Fitness expert David Kirsch shares his expertise on how to tighten up our glutes without having a gym membership and using little equipment.
People who are working to tone up their butts need to use little to no weights, using their body weights as the only resistance, says Kisrch. One of the best pieces of equipment for a tight butt is a bosu or stability ball. If you want a toned, tight bottom, you should stick to exercises like plie squats, lunges, bent leg deadlifts, platypus walk and sumo lunges. Do 15-25 reps of each of the moves below and you'll be turning heads in no time!
HOW TO GET TONED GLUTES:
Sumo Lunges
  1. Stand with your legs shoulder length apart.
  2. Lift your right leg from the knee and move it in a circular roundhouse.
  3. Land out to the side, wider than you started and immediately squat down, channeling a real sumo wrestler.
  4. As you come out of the squat, lift your right leg and kick out, leading with your heel.
(Each element should flow smoothly into the next. There are no breaks in a sumo lunge!)
Platypus Walk
  1. Start in a plie squat position, with your hands behind your head and your thighs parallel to the ground
  2. Waddle forward! Right foot in front of you left, stay engaged in that plie squat. Now reverse...
(Make sure your knees stay out and your weight stays back in your heels throughout the movement)
Bent Leg Deadlifts
  1. Holding a body bar, dumbbells, medicine ball (a broomstick or a baby will do in a pinch!) stand in your start position, with your legs shoulder width apart.
  2. Hinge at the waist. As you bend forward, soften your knees and stick your butt out.
(Modification: If you're feeling shaky, hold the back of a chair or the edge of a table for balance.)
(Modification: If you're feeling great, try lifting your alternate leg as you go down.)
Plie Squats
  1. Start with your feet wider than shoulder-width distance and turn your toes out. Weight is still in your heels.
  2. Keeping your weight in your heels and your knees turned out, squat down and up.
**Tuck your pelvis in, and stick your butt out. The more you engage, the more you'll shape that booty.
Advanced modification: Plie Toe Squats. Once you've mastered the plie squat, turn it up lifting your heels up as you squat. This puts greater emphasis on your inner thighs, butt and core.
Lunges
  1. Start with heels under shoulders, chest-width apart.
  2. Your front heel is the anchor for a lunge. Bend your knee to a perfect right angle.
**The perfect lunge will give you two right angles. Do not allow your knee to pass your toes.

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