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8 Yoga Poses for a Firm, Strong, and Sexy Butt

Lifestyle | Love

While yoga pants already help the booty look fantastic, there are many important reasons to take care of the gluteus muscles that go beyond looks or aesthetics, including back pain relief and overall better health.

There are three main muscles that are considered as constituting the butt: gluteus maximus (also the largest muscle in the body), gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.

Increase your regular practice and begin your yoga booty workout with these 8 poses.

Yoga Poses For Buttocks

1. High Lunge Pose with Back Leg Bent

high lunge

High lunge naturally is a glute-activating pose, adding a small bend to the back leg intensifies that fire in the glutes. Working with the Mula Bandha by lifting the pelvic floor, the pubic bone, and the sternum brings the pelvis more towards a neutral alignment with the butt underneath the shoulders.

An active Mula Bandha with the hips squaring and squeezing the inner thigh energy makes this an ultimate booty workout.

Related: 6 Standing Yoga Poses to Improve Your Balance

2. Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose

extended hand to big toe

Extended Hand to Big Toe pose, or Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, requires the glutes to keep the body engaged, lifted, and balanced.

The glutes partner with the core for stabilization and are essential in helping keep the hips level while you lift your leg. Activating the Mula Bandha increases the intensity of the pose for a strong and sexy bum.

3. Side Plank Pose

side plank with leg lift

Side Plank Pose, or Vasisthasana, is an amazing all over body workout and can strengthen and maintain a firm butt. A common misalignment that puts extra stress on the wrists is the drooping of hips and butt. When the gluteus muscles are not engaged, the side body listlessly sinks to the ground and may shift backwards out of alignment.

Alternatively, lifting the hips too high is great for the core but negates the ability for the glutes to fully activate and work for the body. Lastly, lifting the leg in alignment with the body adds more of a challenge to this Side plank pose.

4. Warrior III

Warrior III

While all the variations of Warrior, or Virabhadrasana, are great workouts for the butt, Warrior 3 requires the most booty work to maintain proper form.

In general, the gluteus maximus is a powerful hip extensor and external rotator; therefore, the medial hamstring and adductor magnus help balance the gluteus maximus. Specifically, in Warrior 3, the gluteus maximus helps maintain the leg at a level parallel to the ground and the pinkie toe works its way towards the floor.

5. Chair Pose Variation

chair pose variation

Traditional Chair pose is a go-to butt workout. Scooting the booty as far back as possible while maintaining proper alignment is tough. In this variation, the feet lift an inch or two off the mat and the shoulders stay aligned with the hips.

The butt lowers to the ankles, then engaging the inner thighs, the hips and butt lift just slightly higher than the knees. Do micro/small lifts and hold for 5 breaths every lift up, and you’ve got yourself a major booty workout!

6. Malasana or Yogic Squat Lifts

malasana arms spread heart center

Malasana, or yoga squats, can help fire up the glutes when done with a butt lift. From a squat position, slowly lift the hips until the thighs are parallel to the ground and the chest is aligned with the thighs.

Arms can be spread wide when lifting and palms at heart center when lowering to a yoga squat. Take two or three rounds of 10x slowly lift, 10x fast lift, and 10 seconds hold in lifted position.

7. Fire Hydrant Lifts

table top leg lift

From a tabletop position, use the glutes to lift the leg at a 90-degree angle away from the body. Slowing down the movement, and keeping the rest of the body stable and still, isolates the movement to the primary working muscles in the core, back, and booty. Lift the leg 10-20 times on each side, trying to lift the thigh higher than parallel intensifies the work.

8. Locust Pose

Locust pose

Likewise, as in Warrior 3, the gluteus maximus wants to take all the credit as a hip extensor and external rotator. The medial hamstring and adductor magnus are crucial to maintain extension and lift without over rotation. Activation and engagement of the glutes is essential to lifting the thighs off the ground and finding power in Locust Pose.

Does Yoga Shape The Butt?

Yoga can strengthen, lift, and tone the butt. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body and the way to strengthen and build this muscle is to provide it with a balanced stretch after it is engaged in all the other poses.

Does Yoga Make Your Buttocks Bigger?

While genetics contribute to butt size and shape, everyone can have a healthy, firm, strong, and sexy butt. Yoga for buttocks poses will not only work your glutes, but also bring you that sense of relaxation you get anytime you get on your mat.

There ya go! Try incorporating these yoga for butt poses in your next asana practice and work those glutes. 

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