Bubble Butt Basics: A Cheeky Guide to Getting Great Glutes

Joyce Kilmer once wrote, "I think I shall never spot a poem lovely as a bubble butt." And wasn't it Faulkner (or maybe Joyce) who brilliantly observed, "Bubble butt, bubble, bubble, bubble butt/Turn around, stick it out/Show the world you got a...bubble butt"? Then, of course, there's Shakespeare, who famously asked, "Shall I compare thee to dem cakes, tho?" We kid, but, ample junk in the trunk has had timeless appeal, at least for women. For men, however, the focus on what's happening on the other side of the jeans is relatively new, and a bubble butt is especially popular and desirable among the gays (thank heavens). In the spirit of God's work, we asked two booty experts to help lift your spirits and your butt to poetic heights.

Leandro's Lift
"There are two very important things to consider in order to get a bubble butt: lifting your butt and making it rounder and fuller," says Leandro Carvalho, creator of Beachbody's Brazil Butt Lift. He recommends these two exercises for a powerful posterior:

Squat Arabesque
Spread your feet apart, squat, and place your hands on your knees to support your back. When you rise, lift your right leg behind you, reaching your arms out and leaning your upper body forward. Return to squat, and repeat with your left leg raised behind you in an "arabesque" motion. Keep your chest lifted and your knees behind your toes when squatting; when lifting your legs, keep your abs tight and hips square. This exercise can also be done using a cable machine or on the floor using ankle weights.

"Descer na base" ("Get Off Base")
Start with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart to allow for a very deep squat (butt below knee level) and your hands in front of your heart. Place your right hand outside your right foot, moving your left leg all the way back in a long reverse lunge. Return to the initial position, then place your left hand outside your left foot, moving your right leg all the way back in another long reverse lunge.

Bryan's Bigger and Better Booty
"The glute muscles act as a powerhouse for the body, providing a base of stability from which power is generated and transferred," says Bryan Jarrett, group fitness manager at TMPL Gym in New York City. "They also play a vital part in optimizing lower-limb function to help prevent injury." Practical uses aside, Jarrett says glutes have "taken on a much more aesthetic role," and here he offers his own two ways to booty-sculpt using dumbbells and bands.

Plie Squat (a.k.a. Sumo Squat)
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width and slightly externally rotated. Grab a heavy dumbbell and hold it from the top with your arms extended for added weight. When performing the plie, make sure your knee is tracking over your toes and that your upper body stays engaged and upright to maintain correct form. Actively squeeze your butt at the top of the movement on each rep. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 reps with a moderate to heavy weight.

Reverse Lunge With Resistance Band
Step into the center of the band and bring the handles up to your shoulders. Maintain the handles at shoulder height while stepping into the reverse lunge. This maintains resistance throughout each direction of movement, providing an excellent burn to those glutes. Make sure the band is long enough to stretch to your shoulders and heavy enough to provide adequate resistance. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 full-range-of-motion reps, then hold at the bottom of the lunge and pulse for eight to 12 counts.

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