Just in time: this is how you train your butt for summer

Maybe it's because it seemed like it would be autumn all year, but I only realized this weekend that the warm days are really on their way. Finally, we can dream of the beach again, bikinis are being bought, and I'm checking where to order the best calamari. Still, I feel like I've been sitting on the couch a bit too long, so it can't hurt to uplift my derrière for a bit. Literally. Thanks to these sports, we'll soon be parading around with Kardashian-like butts this summer.

Strength training
Of course, with strength training, it's very easy to target a specific muscle group, like doing lunges with kettlebells in your hands, hip thrusts with a barbell, or powerbags around your ankles. This might be the most effective way to train your butt. Exercises like squats, lunges, deadlifts, glute bridges, and hip thrusts can all help strengthen and shape the muscles in your butt.

Running and skating
Whenever I watch athletics at home, I always notice that all the sprinters have great butts. Just like in skating, by the way. In sprinting, the glute muscles are optimally activated. If it's also uphill, you really get everything out of it.

Cycling
The nice thing about cycling is that you can really feel which muscles you're using while pedaling. I like to alternate between my thighs, calves, and also my glute muscles. You're also training your endurance with this, making it an exercise you can sustain for a longer time.

Football and hockey
Especially in hockey, you have to bend down a lot to keep your stick on the ground. The hard sprinting, just like in football, also requires a lot of strength from your glute muscles.

Barre and pilates
The art of barre and pilates is that you have to perform all exercises very slowly. This actually takes more strength than when you use the ‘momentum’ in your muscles. That momentum in your muscles gives a kind of strength boost, making it easier for you. Additionally, there are many exercises in barre and pilates that are specifically aimed at the glute muscles.

Yoga
You might think that yoga is all about relaxation, but in reality, your muscles are really challenged. Just think of a pose like the warrior: it's actually a kind of lunge, but one that you have to hold for a longer time. And there are more poses that require strength from your glute muscles.

Image: @kourtneykardashian