Every woman works towards the golden Kardashian standard of booty – we do endless squats and lunges to tone our legs and glutes perfectly, but those moves can be repetitive, boring, and really hard on your knees. So we found some low impact moves that are just as effective and will still make you feel the burn, without the unnecessary strain. Protect your body and perfect your booty with these ass-kicking moves!
1. Wall Bridge
A normal bridge can be hard on the knees, but a wall bridge is a modification that also kicks ass! Start with your rear against the wall and walk your feet about 4 feet up. Then raise and lower your pelvis with shoulder blades planted on the ground. Raise and lower your hips from the ground, intermittently pulsing.
2. Toe Reaches On Wall
Line your butt and heels up to the wall until your legs are straight and pressed flat against them. Lift your shoulder blades from the ground, and alternate arms reaching for the opposite toe. This will really wake up your core, and different parts of your legs
3. Plank Donkey Kick/Leg Lift
This is a full body move that’s way better than any squats and will tone you up in no time. A plank position combines with a leg lift – get into a plank (modify to forearms if necessary), then bend one leg 90 degrees, and pulse with your heel towards your booty and a flexed foot, kicking the ceiling. Sort of like a reverse mountain climber. Then switch legs.
4. Wall Scissors
Doing scissors lying flat on the ground can often be tough on your lower back, and hard to maintain your spine in the right position. By pressing your feet up and against the wall, you get some extra glute activation. Starting with straight legs against the wall, supporting hips with hands, lower one leg towards your head keeping legs straight, and alternate.
5. Hydrant + Leg Extension
If you’re looking to attain some juicy, IG model hips, this cheekily named position starts on all fours with knees hip width apart and wrists over shoulders. Bend one knee to 90 degrees at hip height, then lift it to the side and extend. Burn feels so good.
6. Frog
We’re not used to working our back body so much, so these movements might seem counterintuitive. But they really work! Lie on your face, resting stacked forearms on your forehead. Bend your knees and open them to the side, flexing your feet and firing up the glutes. Press your forearms into the ground and squeeze your heels and glutes, lifting the thighs off the floor, then lowering with control.
7. Extended Glute/Leg Circles
This is another one done on hands in knees, starting in a neutral cat-cow position. Keeping your spine neutral, extend one leg straight out behind you and lift it high, squeezing the glute. Then, draw slow and controlled circles with your ankle – this will really tighten up the entire leg, even the inner thigh! Make sure to switch directions about halfway through – this move is so great because of all the tiny muscle groups it targets within the legs and glutes.
8. Clamshell
Lying on your side, you can really tone up your outer thighs and glutes with this abductor-strengthening move, in a low impact but effective way. Use the arm you’re lying on propped up on your head, with the other supporting your core by pressing into the ground in front of it. Bend both knees, keeping them closed, and then lift the top knee to open, slowly returning it to the closed position, like a clamshell. An added resistance band will really make you work!
