It makes sense to create effective glute workouts as they can really help with getting that firm butt. Comprising a major portion of the back of your body, your glute muscles are mainly involved in activities such as squatting, performing any type of lunge, walking uphill and getting up and down off a chair.
Developing those glute workouts will allow for strong glute muscles as it is beneficial because it will help to take some of the pressure off the quad and knee joints when you are doing these activities thus reducing the risk of knee injuries.
Additionally, when the glute muscles are strong and defined they will give a very nice curved appearance to your bottom side, which is coveted by many women right now. These muscles, when developed, will also help lift the bum up and prevent the dreaded sagging that sometimes occurs as we age.
The mistake many people make when trying to target this muscle group is performing to many exercises that don't utilize resistance. This would include things such as leg kickbacks, donkey kicks to the side or lateral leg raises. While you may definitely 'feel the burn' after doing 20 or more reps of these, in terms of giving a defined and toned appearance, these exercises are really not your best bet.
A better workout idea would be performing a series of heavy lunges, squats and deadlifts. Those will really target in on the muscles and change the way they look much more dramatically.
As with any muscle group, stretching them is also important. A common stretch for this area is lying on a matt and then crossing one leg over the other. After you are in this position simply pull the crossed-leg knee towards your opposite shoulder and across your body. You will likely feel a deep stretch running from the outer thigh to the top of your bum. Hold this for a few seconds and then switch sides.
So if a great lower body is something you are striving for, don't leave this muscle group out of your programs.
