So you want to focus on a particular aspect of your body – your butt? The gluteal muscles on the rump respond to specific types of activity. Whether you are just fine tuning an existing program, or drawing up a new road map for getting in shape, some of these activities can give you the best tools for working on your glutes and hamstrings, and related muscle groups, to get a combination of lower body exercise that will get you progressive results. Take any of these handy exercises and adapt them any way you want for a firmer butt and better range of motion, core strength and agility.

1.    Lunges – Standing with your arms at your sides, take a big step forward, moving so that your front knee is parallel with the ground, with a right angle knee bend. Your other knee should lmost (but not quite) touch the ground. To add to this classic butt building activity, hold dumbbells in each hand to get more resistance.

2.    Squats – Squatting is a simple, traditional activity that works the glutes and related muscles well. You simply go from a standing position down onto your haunches, being careful to support your weight correctly, until you are almost at the level where you would sit down. You can use a chair to show you how far down you should go in a squat. Use weights in both hands for more resistance.

3.    Step Ups – This is another top activity that not only works the butt, but also helps individuals train for agility. Use a box or step platform and practice stepping up, first with one leg, then the other. Alternately, step up with both legs and then back down with both. Doing this activity faster will provide some cardio work and improve poise and balance.

4.    Deadlifts – Using weight and other resistance to work your limbs with deadlift activities is a common fitness activity. Adapting this to your upper leg will work the glutes effectively. Brainstorm deadlifts and related activities to get some light resistance training into your routine and work your way to firmer gluteals.

5.    Hip Extensions – This familiar favorite is another way to work out for butt improvement.

Try any of these activities to get better results for your lower body, but take care not to overexert yourself. Beginners or those with limited range of motion should go slow, and make sure to rest the muscle groups used for a day or two before continuing a comprehensive program for the gluteals.