How to Tone Your Rear

In this fitness video Sue Flemming will show you how to tone your rear quickly and easily.

Hi! I'm Sue Fleming, author of the Buff Series of workout books. Whether you're going on vacation or just getting ready for the summer, I'm going to show you how to get stronger leaner legs and look buff in shorts. When it's hot and steamy out, you don't want to be stuck hiding your legs in long pants, it's time to get motivated. The first move we're going to do is called an alternating lunge. Standing, place two dumbbells in your hands and step forward with your right foot. Contract your abdominals, your back is straight, and lower the weight so they're gently touching the sides of your legs. Slowly lean forward, making sure to keep your knee over your toe, come back down, and up. Shoulders are back and you're looking straight ahead. The important thing to remember on this move is to keep your abdominals contracted and your lower back straight and don't forget to breathe. Exhale and breathe in. Shoulders are back, your body is nice and strong and tight. This move targets the quadriceps and your butt. And relax, switch legs and you're going to repeat the move on the opposite leg. Once again really make sure to keeping your knees over your toe. It's great to look in a mirror on this move so you're really focusing on your form. Keep your shoulders back and your chin up. The ultimate goal is to do 12 repetitions and 3 sets and relax. The next move we're going to do is the Hamstring Curl, but we're going to use a fitness ball. Lie down on the ground and place your heels on the top of the ball. Your hands should be flat on the ground. Slowly raise up your hips and you're keeping the weight of your body on the top of your shoulders, not pushing down with your hands and not putting the weight on your neck or your head. Slowly you're going to curl in the ball with your heels, keeping your hips up throughout the whole movement and exhale, breathe in, exhale. If you feel your hips are to drop, just check yourself, raise them up and keep your body as flat as possible. This is such a great exercise for the hamstrings, for the back of your leg and your butt; breathe in and exhale. The next exercise we're going to do is called the Wall Sit. Grab your fitness ball and find a sturdy wall. Place the ball against the wall and turn around so the middle of your back is leaning against the ball, step forward with your feet and make sure they're shoulder-width apart for great support. Your hands are at your sides, abdominals are in, back straight and you're looking straight ahead. Slowly lower your body to a sitting position and then push through your heels to return to the start, breathe in and exhale, breathe in and exhale. It's really important on this exercise to keep great form. So always check your abs, check your back, and keep your shoulders nice and relaxed. This is a great exercise to target the quadriceps and the butts. Breathe in on the way down and then exhale. If you find using your own body weight is too easy, for an added challenge grab two dumbbells and place them at your side and continue to same move. If you find this exercise too hard, don't go all the way down to the sitting position; just go half way you'll still engage those quadriceps and your butts, and relax. The next move we're going to do is called the Calf Raise. We're still going to use the fitness ball, but we're going to grab two dumbbells. Face the ball and lean your chest against the ball and gently bring your feet back. Your heels should be in contact with the ground, your hands should be resting against your thighs. What you're going to do is just reach up on your tippytoes, pause and back down. It's important to remember to keep your abdominals contracted in this exercise and your back straight. Don't push all of your weight into the ball. What makes this exercise a little bit different than all of the other calf exercises is that it really emphasizes the calf here. On the way down make sure your heels don't touch the floor. You really want to keep your muscles contracted throughout the whole set. They really come up on the toes, hold for just a second and then back down, and relax. The final exercise we're going to do is called the Leg Lift. Stand in back of the ball, place your hands on the ground and slowly walk forward until the ball is right underneath your shin, flux your heel, meaning point your heel and now you're going to lift your leg about 6 inches of the ball and back down, tighten your butt and back down. It's important to keep your body as tight as possible here. If you let your foot relaxed, you really won't engage to the butt muscles. Keep your hips tight, back nicely flat, again abdominals tight, there should be no arch of the lower back. This is a great way to turn up your butt and also keep your upper body in condition by keeping your body weight up, switch legs, point the heel and again repeat the same motion. Pull in your abs, nice flat back. This is a great exercise to target the butt and relax. Walk your hands back until your feet are in contact to floor. Summer is right around the corner, start doing these moves now so you can look buff in shorts.