The A - Z of a Fitter You; B is for...

That's more like it.

Buttocks. Bum. Behind. Bottom. Booty. Butt. Beriere. Not sure why they all begin with B. (Ok, not that last one). Yes, a strong body is strong all over, but a strong set of glutes supports and connects your upper and lower body. They help to prevent backache by stabilising your pelvis, enabling you to lift more, safely and protect your knees. They also help with hip extension and forward propulsion, so make running and any kind of movement easier. The things is, you can train this hundreds of times a day, without stepping foot in the gym. All you have to do is... Every time you stand up, squeeze your bum. That's it. A few ways to think of this are: - Imagine it's a windy day and there is a £50 note in your cheeks - squeeze it, as you don't want to lose it! - Ever been on a scary and fast water slide? Remember how if you don't squeeze your butt cheeks together your swimsuit and the water tries to give you an enema? SQUEEEEEEEEEEZE to prevent this You'll soon find yourself squeezing when you stand up at work, on a bus, at the theatre, and this is a GOOD THING. And if you're doing a proper workout and squats are part of it, if you're standing up out of the squat, and you're not squeezing your buttocks, then you're only getting half the benefit of the exercise. The big leg training exercises are generally best for building a strong behind: - Squats - Split squats (foot raises behind you) - Lunges - Deadlifts If you're unsure about any of these, let me know and I'll be happy to talk you through how to build these into your workouts safely. Have fun! Best wishes, Matt "bootylicious" Boyles