While heavy lifting is great for booty gains, don't underestimate the power of a pair of dumbbells! Add these butt-busting moves to your workout routine and you'll be sore as hell tomorrow. But you love that feeling, because even though you'll walk down the stairs funny and you may need a little help standing up from your chair, you'll smile knowing your booty transformation is brewing!
Dumbbell Squat
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Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell at each shoulder.
Slowly bend your knees as if you were going to sit in a chair, keeping all the weight in your heels. Don't let your knees move beyond your toes, and don't let your knees roll out or in. Squat down as low as you can, keeping your head and chest lifted, your spine long, and your shoulders relaxed.
Press through your heels, and slowly straighten your legs to stand up, completing one rep. Make sure to keep your spine neutral. Do not round your back.
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Romanian Deadlifts
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Stand holding a pair of medium-weight dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly bend at your hip joint (not your waist), and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight.
Squeeze your glutes to slowly pull yourself up (don't use your back). This completes one rep.
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Deep Squat With Overhead Reach
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Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward, holding one heavier dumbbell with both hands.
Sit back into your squat, bending your knees to 90 degrees while keeping your elbows straight, and raise the weight overhead.
Lower your arms as you straighten your knees to stand; this completes one rep.
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Weighted Squat
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Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips, with toes pointed slightly outward, holding one dumbbell in both hands.
Sit back to squat, keeping the weight in your heels and your chest lifted. The bottom of the dumbbell should lightly tap the floor.
Push through your heels to return to standing to complete one rep.
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width with toes pointed slightly out. If using a dumbbell, hold it at chest level with both hands. Keeping your back flat, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your elbows touch your knees.
With your weight focused in your heels, push yourself up to the starting position. This completes one rep.
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Dumbbell (Kettlebell) Swing
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Stand with your legs shoulder-width distance apart and toes pointed slightly outward, holding the dumbbell (or a kettlebell if you have it) in both hands.
Bend the knees slightly, pushing the hips back, lowering the weight between your legs with the forearms pressing against the inner thighs. Keep your chest open with your shoulder blades sliding down your back.
Forcefully squeeze your glutes and drive your heels down to thrust the weight forward as you straighten your legs. All the work is done by the lower body and core in this exercise, and your arms will naturally swing forward to around chest height or above your head.
Allow the weight to fall between your legs, bending your knees, ready for the next rep.
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Dumbbell Thrusters
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Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip-distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing. This counts as one rep.
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Squat, Curl, and Press
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Stand with your feet directly under your hips holding a dumbbell in each hand. Sit back into your squat, keeping the weight in your heels, bringing your thighs parallel to the floor without letting your knees go beyond your toes.
Push through your heels to return to standing while bringing the weights to your shoulders, performing a bicep curl.
Stabilize your torso and keep your arms moving upward, performing an overhead press with the palms facing out.
Lower your arms back to your sides to complete one rep.
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Alternating Forward Lunge With Bicep Curl
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Stand tall with your feet hip-width distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
Step forward with the right foot as you bend the elbows in a bicep curl. Lower your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Keep your front knee directly above your ankle and lower your left knee to just tap the floor.
Keep the weight in your heels as you push back to the starting position, completing one rep.
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Split Squat With Overhead Press
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Holding the weights at your shoulders with your palms facing out, step backward about three feet with your left foot. Press the weights up to the ceiling.
Lower the weights to your shoulders as you bend your knees, making 90-degree angles with both legs.
Straighten both legs as you press the weights back toward the ceiling. This completes one rep.
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Reverse Lunge With Bicep Curl
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Begin with your feet together, holding dumbbells at your sides.
Step your right foot back into a deep lunge as you bend your elbows, bringing weights to your shoulders for the bicep curl. Make sure your left knee is directly over your ankle, and bend your right knee so it almost touches the floor.
Focus on your left glute as you step your right foot forward to return to the starting position, lowering weights back to your sides. Repeat, lunging the left foot back. This counts as one rep.
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Deadlift With Front Row
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Stand upright holding your dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly hinge forward, bending at your hips (not your waist), lowering the weights as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight.
Squeeze your glutes to return to sanding, keeping your back straight. Once you're standing, pull the weights up the front of your body, bringing them to your chin with elbows going wide. Lower the weights to complete one rep.
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Sumo Squat With Bicep Curl
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Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your arms straight and your palms facing away from you. Step your feet apart so there's about 20 inches between your heels. Point your toes out slightly.
When you're ready, bend your knees and elbows at the same time. Keep your shoulders over your hips, and lower down so your weight is back in your heels. Then straighten your legs and arms. This is one rep.
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Dumbbell Sumo Squat
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Stand with your feet wide, toes pointing out, holding both dumbbells in front of your chest. Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply, so your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure to keep your weight back in your heels.
Rise back up, straightening your legs completely and squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement to get the most from the exercise.
This completes one rep.
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Sumo Squat With Side-Arm Raise
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Stand with your legs wide and toes pointed outward slightly. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your arms straight and your palms facing down.
Bend your knees until they are over your ankles while raising your arms to just below shoulder height. Arms should be in line with your legs — you should see the weights in your peripheral vision.
Straighten your legs and lower your arms simultaneously to complete the rep.
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Side Lunge
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Holding the weight in your right hand, stand with your feet and knees together.
Take a large step with your left foot to the left side, lunging toward the floor.
Make sure your left knee does not extend past your toes, and keep your right leg relatively straight.
Push off through your left foot, emphasizing the weight in the heel, to return to the start to complete one rep.
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Side Lunge to Curtsy Squat
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Holding a dumbbell at your chest, step your left leg wide to the left, coming into a lateral lunge, bending your left knee. Keep your chest lifted and your weight in your left heel.
Push off with your left foot, and cross your left leg behind your right, coming into a curtsy, bending both knees. This completes one rep.
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Reverse Lunge and Press
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Stand with your feet together, holding the weights at your shoulders with your palms facing out.
Step your left foot back into a lunge, making 90-degree angles with your front and back knee.
Push off your left foot, bringing your left knee forward so it is even with your left hip, while raising your arms above your head. Do this motion with control.
Without touching the floor with your left foot, step back into the lunge to start your second rep.
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Circuit 1: Surrender
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Stand holding weights in both hands just above your shoulders, with bent elbows, and bring your right knee to the ground.
Bring your left knee down so you are kneeling.
Lift your right foot up and place it in front of you. Bring your left foot forward as you stand up. This completes one rep.
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Weighted Donkey Kick
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Start on all fours, and place a weight in the crease of your right knee.
Keeping your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your right leg up until you feel your right glute engage. Flex your foot, and slowly pulse your foot toward the ceiling by squeezing your glute. Do not move your torso at all — the motion is just in the hip joint.
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Bridge With Chest Press
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Start on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-distance apart. Hold weights by your chest.
Squeeze your glutes as you push your pelvis toward the ceiling, coming into a bridge. Keep your ribs aligned with your pelvis.
Holding the bridge, press the weights to the ceiling directly above your shoulders.
