Perky Bum Challenge

We love a few sets of squats at Be Strong and they are the best exercise for toning your bottom, to make it look nice and perky!

Squats are a great exercise for all round lower body and core strength. They will also give you more power for walking, running, cycling and general day to day movement. When performed correctly you are strengthening your glutes (the big muscles that make your bottom), quads (thighs), and lower tummy.

For people that have bad knees, performing squats, will help to strengthen the muscles around them – just go as low as your knees will allow and hold a chair for support. For those who have weak backs building your glutes and core will help to support your lower back muscles.

This challenge will gradually build you up throughout the month to being able to perform up to 100 squats a day.

If you are already doing lots of squats, do the set twice or three times, so that by day 31 you are performing 200 or 300 squats.

Alternatively, if you want to up your squat game, you can add in some of the following modifications for some or all of the set.

1. Hold a weight close to your body in two hands, so that the added weight is being driven through your quads (thighs) and glutes (bum).

2. Slow your squats down. Slowing the movement means that you increase the strain through the muscles, making them work harder. As you slow the movement down, make sure you drive your weight through your heels, and you will really feel it in your quads.

3. Add an extra challenge to your core muscles by holding a weight directly out in front of you when you squat. Protect your back by ensuring you engage all the core muscles and keep good form by pushing your bottom out behind and keeping your chest and shoulders lifted.

4. Add a jump as you push out of your squat. Lower into the squat position then push through your heels and use your arms to power yourself into the air. Trust me you only need a few of these for your legs to feel like jelly and to get your heart rate up! 

5. Alternate adding a knee lift as you come into the stand position. Squat down, push up then as you reach standing lift one knee as high as you can. This works your tummy muscles, and hip flexors on the raised leg side and deeper into your glutes on the standing leg side.

Tell us how you are getting on in the comments below, and in the Facebook group.