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.
35 replies on “Perky Bum Challenge”
Just started this challenge this morning. Start as I mean to go on. ?
Good on you Hayley!!
Day 29 completed ✅
Did you get all the way to the end Karen? x
Day 28 completed ✅
Day 26 and 27 completed ✅
Day 25 completed ✅
Well done karen!!!
Day 23 and 24 completed ✅
Day 21 and Day 22 completed ✅
Day 20 completed ✅ forgot to post yesterday ?
Day 19 60 squats completed ✅
???
Day 18 completed ✅ not added any of the modifications yet.
Try these modifications to really up your squat game!
1. Hold a weight close to your body in two hands, so that the added weight is being driven through your quads and glutes.
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 your glutes on the standing leg side.
Day 17 completed ✅
Nice one Karen. Did you try any of the modifications on the facebook posts? I will add them here for future reference for everyone else.
Day 16 completed ✅
Day 15 completed ✅
Day 14 completed ✅
Day 13 completed ✅
Well done Karen!!
Day 12 completed yesterday- forgot to post
Day 10 and Day 11 completed ✅
Nice one Karen x
Days 7,8 and 9 completed ✅
You’re going to have buns of steel!!!
Well done karen!!
Days 5 and 6 completed. Forgot to post on here yesterday x
well done ladies!! Keep up the good work. Are you doing it together?
No, both motivated separately x. Which is a good thing x
Day 4 completed ✅
Day 3 completed, back to tracking all food and water x
Day 1 and Day 2 completed. 2022 going to get back to fitness and get my weight back on track.
Day 1 ✔️