“Do you know how I know you’re a great athlete? You have a big strong butt!” my recruiting coach blurted out when I was first being recruited for college athletics. I thought he was simply messing around. But over time, I came to realize that Coach James was absolutely right. A highly elevated, formed appearance with a strong butt equals proper movement. Without a strong looking and feeling butt, the rest of the body moves inefficiently and eventually will break down somewhere along the chain. An active butt will improve core strength because it is the foundation of what we call the core. After a brief overview of these two muscle groups and how they relate, I’ll provide some great examples of butt workouts for core that you can try at home!
A Closer Look at Core Strength
So what exactly is the word core and why is the word core so commonly used in the fitness industry? Core, to me, is a simple way of describing muscles surrounding and more importantly protecting the spine. So when you think of these muscles, automatically you think of various muscle of the abdomen or the lower back muscles. The reality is you have to include and should prioritize your butt when thinking about core strength. When we move from the butt, the core will engage and assist in all bodily movement.
Butt Workouts for Core
Below are a list of butt workouts for core that will activate your butt, improving your core strength with amazing side effects of looking better in your jeans and bathing suit. These butt workouts for core will improve your core by activating your butt and can be done at home. It is a 6 minutes routine, but extended time and greater facility is needed for more change.
- Tube Walking aka 2 Step (using a BÜNDA loop): place loop between ankle and knee, sit into athletic quarter squat, maintain flat back, eyes forward two steps to the left, two steps to right. Maintain movement for about 30 seconds or until it feels like lateral sides of the butt are on fire. For increased tension, find a balance on your toes with knees extended, standing as tall as you can.
- Lateral Side Step: Again using the loop for a stronger butt yielding a stronger core, sit into same athletic stance, this time rather than two continuous steps, take one jab step left followed by one jab right. Continue for about 30 seconds or so. Only the leg moving shifts, the rest of the body holds still. After 30 seconds, switch it to 45 degree angles using the same form. Now you are lifting the butt from the outside.
- Floor Butt Bridge: Lying on your back, bend your knees keeping your feet flat on the ground. Lift the toes off of the ground so the toes are elevated. From here drive the heels into the ground to lift the butt off of the ground. Exhale as you lift, inhale as you release. As you lift the butt fore great core strength, add value by pulling the belly button into the lower back. At the top the butt should be flexed and the belly should be down. For an additional challenge and a difference experience, attempts this movement with one leg, suspending the other leg in the air.
- Clam aka ABduction: Lying on your side, use your bottom arm as a pillow. Bend the knees. Open your top leg up (mimicking a clam shell) squeezing the butt on the top half, slowly release the butt while lowering the leg down to starting position. Execute 25 per side. For added resistance place the BÜNDA loop just above the knees. Make sure to hit both sides for increased core strength by strengthening your butt.
After a few weeks of this daily routine for your butt, repeat it a second set. There is only upside to training your bottom side!
For more Butt workouts you can try at home or at the gym – see this article.
Kevin Lilly
BÜNDA Instructing Trainer
