Diet & Fitness Blog

Hi Raphael,

I want to tone my rear but do not want to make it smaller. If I could I would like to make it larger because it's already flat and small. What kind of exercises do you suggest? -- CS


CS,

You’ve come to the right place. I have a proven workout for you. There are only three exercises involved in my program: the squat, walking lunges and leg presses. Check out the following comments from eDiets members who used the program and posted on my Exercise and Fitness support board.

From eDiets member Danelle:
“Hi Raphael! I did those walking lunges that you suggested as another lower body exercise. Man! do my buns hurt! I did them on Monday, and I could hardly sit on the toilet this morning! I cringed! Guess I hadn't worked all those muscles quite like that in a long while.”

From eDiets member Debby:
“I followed Raphael's butt routine religiously. And slowly but surely, I began to develop a butt! I've been dating a new guy for a couple of months and he said to me...'Did anyone ever tell you that you have a nice butt?'" I laughed really hard and said, 'Well no, as a matter of fact, that is the first time I've ever heard that in my life! Thank you!' He did not believe me, but I told him about the routine Raphael prescribes.”

You will be performing three super sets -- all three exercises in a row without resting After a 90-second rest, repeat two additional times (with the same 90-second rest between super sets).
Warm up for 5 minutes by walking or on a stationary bike. Then begin your first exercise with a few warm-up sets.

Squats: The squat is one of the best lower body exercises on earth. It works just about the entire lower body. However, leg positioning can assist in better isolating the glutes. If you position your feet about one to two inches past shoulder width and squat to a parallel position, you’ll really feel those glutes being worked.

However, you have to go to the parallel position for maximum effectiveness. Focus on perfect exercise form. Perform a set of 15 repetitions to momentary muscular failure. Momentary muscular failure means that rep 16 would not be possible to do. After the set is completed, immediately go to the next exercise without a break.

I prefer the barbell squat but you can also use dumbbells.

Walking Lunges: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, grasp a pair of dumbbells with your arms straight at your sides, palms facing the body. Take a large step forward, and lower your body so that your front knee lines up with your ankle. The back knee is almost touching the floor. Push off with your back foot and take a large step forward with your other foot.

Walk lunge 15-20 steps, and then turn around and return to the start using the same form. You should contract your glutes on the lowering of each movement. After the set is completed, immediately go to the next exercise without a break.

Inverted Leg Press: Place your feet two inches higher than you normally do on the leg press machine in order to place more overload on the gluteus and hamstrings. Your feet can be positioned at shoulder-width or just little wider. Make sure you lower the weight just a tad below 90 degrees, but no more. We need to protect those knees and lower back.

Perform a set of 15 repetitions. Make sure your legs are high enough on the platform so you can really feel your glutes on the lowering part of the movement.

By the end you’ll have performed nine total sets in minimal time and your glutes and legs will be burning -- but you’ll love it.

Please note: This routine isn’t for everyone because it’s advanced. If you’re not an advanced exerciser, follow these guidelines: Perform one set of each exercise on alternate days of the week for two weeks. In week three, add a set. Add a third set in week four, but do not attempt the super set. You’ll need 3-6 months of experience before you can begin the super set routine. However, it is something to strive for.

Make sure to thoroughly stretch your lower body after the workout.

Check with your doctor before starting this or any exercise program. Good luck and please write back in a few months and let me know how it’s working.

Have a fitness question you want answered? Email Raphael at askraphael@ediets.com and you could have your question picked! And if you missed a previous column, see the archive here.

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Labels: ask raphael, butt, butt exercises, butt workouts, fitness, Raphael