GYM MADE EASY. Virgin Active personal trainer Laverne Cloete demonstrating sumo squats. Picture: Supplied
“Working your glutes is a great calorie burner and will also help prevent a saggy rear.
“Ideally, to become swimwear ready, you need a total body workout with an emphasis on your abs and glutes. One of the fastest ways to firm things up is by doing squats – but here are four quick and easy exercises to help kick-start the process.”
Cameron says: “The most important thing when engaging glutes is maintaining a neutral pelvis. Consider your pelvis as a full bucket of water and any tilt in your pelvis will leak water at angle. Basically, you need to keep the bucket full at all times.”
Sumo squats (with weights)
Hold the top of the kettlebell with both bands. Make sure your legs are in a very wide stance. Drop down as low as possible, holding the weight. Return to starting position.
Picture: Supplied
Deep squats (without weights)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your weight on your heels. Keeping your abs tight and your shoulders squarely over your hips, sit back and down as if you were going to sit on a bench. Keep your back straight. Then stand up, straightening your legs, and repeat.
Glute bridges
Lie on the floor with a flat back and knees bent. Legs should be about one foot apart. Thrust your hips up and push through heels. Pause at the top and squeeze glutes. Return to starting position. You can step this up a bit by doing a glute bridge, making sure your hips are off the floor so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, keeping your hips parallel to the ground. Then, maintaining that straight line, lift your right knee upwards so your foot comes up off the ground. Then return it to the starting position and lift your left knee the same way. Continue alternating (as if you are marching in place), keeping your butt muscles contracted the entire time for a total of 10 on each leg.
Walking lunges with dumbbells
Picture: Supplied
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, step forward with your left leg and drop the right knee to the floor, keeping your left knee behind the ankle. Then repeat with the other leg. Make sure you are walking in a completely straight line and your knees are always facing forward. Focus the weight on your front leg (heel).
Plank
And finally, to round it off and for an all-over body tone, do the plank. Get in a push-up position with your elbows on the ground, and hold. Make sure your back is level and keep the abs tight. Hold for as long as you can.
