Summer is almost upon us, thank goodness. How I love summer! Lazy days at the beach, Christmas holidays with friends and family, end of year functions, and Sunday outings wearing those forgotten shorts and sundresses. But deep down, you are probably thinking, “oh no, I hope maxi dresses are in fashion again this summer, I don’t want my jelly thighs and wobbly droopy butt to be on show!” The panic light goes on as you realise those winter hot chocolates, comfort meals, hot bread and creamy soups have left their mark on your body, in particular your butt!

If you are like me, you know as soon as you’ve had that fourth slice of pizza, or that sticky date pudding with cream, that all those calories have instantly gone straight to your thighs and buttocks. Well, we think they have anyway. And in a way, we are right. Excess calories are always stored as body fat, and they are stored either around your midsection or that dreaded bottom half!

And as for exercise, when was the last time you did a lunge, went for a run, did a pump class, or jumped on the leg press and gave the legs are good talking to? A while, huh?

So, it’s time for some action. It’s time to tone up that butt, tighten those thighs, get rid of that jelly and cellulite, and get ready to bare your legs in shorts and dresses.

Any cardio machine, whether it be the bike, the treadmill, jogging outside, or group fitness class will help tone the butt muscles and lose body fat, making the butt firmer and smaller. Whether you are at the gym, attending group fitness sessions or classes, or training from home, there are plenty of ways to work on this area.

AT THE GYM

Leg press

Leg extension

Squats

Dead lifts

Walking lunges with body weight/bar/dumbbells

Lunges

Move from 1 exercise to the next, working in a circuit with no rest for maximum cardio and muscle burn, and then repeat the giant set 2-3 more times. Challenge yourself with the weight, but be sensible not to overdo it. Perform around 15 reps for each exercise.

AT HOME

Ball squats (using dumbbells for added resistance)

Lunges

Walking lunges using dumbbells

Jump lunges (advanced)

Step-ups (using weight for more resistance). The higher the step, the more you fire up those gluteus muscles.

Dead lifts (barbell/dumbbells)

Donkey kicks

Squats (using a resistance band)

Jumping frogs (start with squat, jump forward like a frog)

Keep moving from 1 exercise to the next, with no rest in between to maximise heart rate and muscle burn.

Do 15 reps of each exercise and repeat the set 2-3 more times.

Be prepared to be a little sore in those muscles the next day; it’s a sign that you have ignited muscle fibres that have been asleep for a while.

If you do all of this, you will be well on your way to a tighter, firmer, sexier butt that you can be proud to show off in those summer shorts and skirts.