Shape and Tone Your Butt with the Jumping Squat

If you want to change the shape or size of your butt then you must get into the jumping squat. It is a tough exercise that will make you sweat but the results are well worth the pain.


How do you do a jumping squat?

The jumping squat is just about the easiest exercise you can do. That is one of the reasons I love it so much. The movement is natural and flowing and because of that natural movement your muscles get worked out just perfectly. I always try to avoid exercises that are contrived and difficult to perform because you just don’t get the same results.


To do a jumping squat simply crouch down in a ball with your fingers on the ground providing balance and with one foot slightly in front of the other. Spring up into the air as high as you can from this position and land with the other foot in front. Allow gravity to bring you all the way down into that crouched position again and once there you should spring straight back up without any rest time.



Why is the jumping squat so good for the butt and legs?

I first had to the the jumping squat at soccer training. The coach thought he would challenge us with some new exercises and I arrogantly thought I would do them with ease. But out of all the exercises it was the jumping squat that hit me the hardest. The next day my legs and butt were sorer than I can ever remember them being from any exercise I had done at the gym.

So, I started using them more often. I would increase the intensity each time I did them and the results kept on coming.

The reason the jumping squat is so good for your butt and legs is twofold. Firstly, the motion is natural and easy to do. The muscles that you target are all hit really well and there isn’t much wasted energy. It all goes into the right places. Secondly, the exercise is extremely explosive. The mixture of gravity and boosting yourself out of the crouched position works amazingly. Your legs just don’t know what has hit them.


A full butt and legs workout from the jumping squat

Although I have talked about the jumping squat on Real Women’s Fitness before I have never mentioned that I use them as a full butt and legs workout. This one exercise is so good that it can provide a complete workout for your entire lower body. The exercise works out your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calfs and everything else in between.

If you are bored of your regular butt and legs workout - squats, lunges, etc. - then you should consider giving jumping squats a go. What is great about the jumping squat is you can shift the position of your feet and it will target a whole different part of your legs.

For example, if you shift your feet into a wide legged position where you feet are wider than shoulder width then you will begin to feel the burn on the inside of your legs and on your hamstrings. This will also give the butt a bit of a different workout.

If you have your feet in close together then you will workout your quadriceps and butt slightly more than the other parts. Feel free to mix up the angles of the exercise to get a complete legs and butt session.


How else can I use the jumping squat for my legs and butt?

If you want to get the most out of this exercise there are a few little things you can do. Some of the main tips and tricks I use are:


Change the pace at which I do each squat so that different muscles get different amounts of work;
Change the pace of which I do each set;
Change the time which I rest in between sets;
Hold a light weight when I do the jumping squat;
Work out muscles I really want to target first before doing the squats. This forces them to be properly worked;
Trying to jumping over an object like a ball or box.


Conclusion
You can do just about anything with the exercise and still get amazing butt and legs results. You just need to be a little bit creative and not be afraid of a little pain!