Although full butts may be a popular aesthetic, what’s more important than size is functionality: how well your glute muscles serve you while you’re performing daily activities like walking up steps and standing after sitting at your desk for hours, Gilles says. Walking lunges not only target your glutes and hamstrings, they’re another great exercise for improving your balance, Gilles says. There are countless ways to activate your glutes and legs without any equipment, says Pat Gilles, CSCS and owner of Pat’s Gym in Madison, WI. (Note: While you can begin practicing the following exercises as soon as, well, now , it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting any new kind of exercise routine.) Jessica DiGiacinto is an associate editor at WW. A health and wellness writer and editor based out of New York, she’s contributed to Popsugar, Bulletproof 360, and Galvanized Media, among other media outlets. Whether you describe your butt as saggy, flat, or full, butt workouts can help you sculpt and strengthen your glutes, i.e., the group of three muscles that make up your booty:

When you’re ready to get out and work those glutes, these activities can activate your butt, legs, and upper body—all without heavy weight lifting at the gym: Placing your feet on an elevated surface while performing a bridge increases your range of motion, activates your hip flexors and stretches your glutes at the same time, Gilles says. How to do it: Stand in front of the chair as though you’re about to sit down, feet hips-width apart. Keep tummy tight as you bend your knees, keeping them behind the toes. Just before your butt graces the seat, engage your butt and thighs to return to standing. Do this for two sets,10 to 15 reps per set. How do you know when you’ve challenged yourself enough? When your muscles feel fatigued or your form starts to take a hit, Peterson says.Fitness model and certified personal trainer Anna Victoria can pose with the best of 'em, but that doesn't mean she's out of touch with reality, either. She's well known for her body-positive attitude online and frequently posts photos revealing what goes on behind the scenes to maker her look as good as possible. While running at any incline can benefit your overall health , running uphill calls for greater hip extension, activating the gluteus maximus and hamstrings, Olson says. I post glutes exercise videos day after day to show people that while genetics do play an important role in determining the size of your glutes, significantly growing the muscles is absolutely possible," she told Cosmo.

She says that even if you're born with a tiny butt, you can still hold out hope if you want a bubble butt like hers.While there are a myriad of butt-centric and full-body exercises that strengthen the glutes, paying attention to form and challenging yourself with repetitions of the home exercises above, or adding resistance (i.e., using a resistance band or weights) at the gym will get you the derriere you desire, Schultz says. A sled you see at the gym isn’t the same type of sled you’d use to cruise down a snowy hill: It’s an object designed to carry weight and slide across a surface when pushed or pulled. The benefits of pulling and pushing a sled include strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, and abdominals, as well as overall conditioning, Gilles says. Finding ways to enjoy the process will make reaching your goal far more rewarding, Peterson continues. A few ways to sprinkle in some fun: Hire a trainer, ask some friends to join you during home workouts or at the gym, and vary your workouts.