Does anyone know a good exercise to work your butt? I am already doing lunges. I work out at home and have some exercise machines but just leg press, extension and curl for the lower body.
Thanks so much,
Katie

Squats

Reverse lunges

Side lunges

Step ups

Split squats

Dead lifts

All of these can be done with a BB or DBs. Have fun!!

I never quite understood deadlifts. Do you just pick it up, hold, place on the floor, repeat? That animation helped! Thanks Meg. Looks like I'll be adding these to my squats and lunges.

Yep, deadlifts are basically squatting down, picking a weight off the floor, and standing up with it, then squatting down and touching it back on the floor. However ... in the process of executing this seemingly simple exercise, you use most of the muscle groups in your body.

You want to be sure to keep your back straight, abs engaged, and squat down with the same form that you do for squats. And use a heavy enough weight to make it challenging, of course!

BTW, don't you just love the little guy in those videos? He never gets tired ... just keeps going and going ...

thanks Meg.
Most of these exercises are for barbells which I don't have. How do I adjust for free weights? What weight would you suggest starting out with??

Are these exercises intended to make your butt more round?

Katie, you can do any of those exercises holding DBs in your hands instead of uusing a BB. Let me see if I can find specific DB videos ...

DB Squats

DB Reverse Lunge

DB Side Lunge

DB Split Squat

DB Step Ups

DB Dead Lifts

As for what weight to use, that's really going to depend on you and how strong your legs are now. You want to pick a weight that is challenging if not impossible, somewhere around 10 - 12 reps. That could mean 10# DBs ... or 80# DBs.

Dumbbells can be limiting in leg exercises because grip strength usually gives out long before leg strength. For example, I can easily squat 135+ pounds using a BB, but can't do it holding two 60-pound DBs. My hands hurt and it's too hard to balance the DBs. Personally, I find it a lot easier to balance a BB on my shoulders than try to work with DBs doing leg exercises.

So experiment and find a weight that's hard but doable for those 10 -12 reps. Most people find that leg strength increases quickly and dramatically, so don't be surprised if you have to keep increasing weight.

Shane -- yep, rounder, tighter, higher.

Haha, yep Meg. He's like the Energizer Bunny!!!

I'm so excited about these exercises. I can't wait to do these tomorrow, as it is my leg day. I wouldn't mind a rounder bottom .

Leg Day for me too tomorrow! We can limp back in on Friday and share stories.

Thanks so much Meg!! These exercises look great!

If you are limited by the weight of the dumbbells you own, try doing these exercises one legged! One legged deadlifts are killers. I can deadlift about 175 pounds without much problem with TWO legs, but max out with a 30 pound dumbbell on one leg. You use MANY more muscles just to stabilize yourself.

A variation of a one legged squat (which are really tough unweighted) is a one legged "stand up". Use a hard chair or coffee table if you aren't tall. Sit down, extend one leg in front of you off the ground, and stand up without putting that leg down. Now sit one legged. Repeat 10-12 times on each leg. It's a lot harder than it sounds if the bench or chair is the right height.

A one legged variation of a split squat of lung hits glutes much more than the standard lunge or squat. Get the sturdy old coffee table you used in the above exercise and stand about 2 feet in front of it. Put one leg back, resting on the top of the table or chair. Now "dip" down and up again. If you can, hold dumbbells and touch them on the floor when you are in the down position. keep your head and upper body UP. This is a guaranteed glute buster.

Mel

You girls are just These are hard! I can't yet squat very deeply, but I can do enough to do the one-legged "stand up" and all I can say is OUCH!

Keep at it Pat, and you'll see how much FUN they are. Let's not forget to mention the results you'll get, simply amazing!

My....thighs....and....glutes....PAIN! Good pain, though.