Now That The Shoes Don’t Work, What To Do About Glutes

Now that it’s clear that toning shoes does nothing for your butt, what should a person do? Jeannine Stein, the LA Times fitness writer, has some advice, passed along from exercise physiologists and fitness instructors who know a couple of things about the gluteus maximus. Jenn Burke, personal training manager at Crunch in New York City, thinks you should start with some cardio work, of all things, because cardio will burn off calories that would otherwise end up as “fat mass” on your rear end. Stein also tracked down Alice Burron, a Cheyenne, Wyoming-based exercise physiologist and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise, the organization that disproved the claims of toning shoe sellers. Burron recommends exercises that work both leg muscles and balance, like this one: Stand on one leg and reach for something with the opposite hand–so if the left leg is planted, reach with the right hand. Try to grab something at waist-level first, then work your way down to the floor, making it more challenging. Wait, there’s more: Shirley Archer, a Florida-based former IDEA Health & Fitness Assn. instructor of the year and author of “The Strength and Toning Deck,” says the squat is the “creme de la creme of lower body exercises.” Archer tell Stein that people should start by standing while holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms at your side. Relax the shoulders and tighten the abdominals to support the back. Inhale as you bend your knees and sit back as if you’re about to sit in a chair. Avoid bending the knees more than 90 degrees, and don’t let the knees go beyond the toes. Then do it again, eight to 12 reps is good, but to build muscle, do higher weights and lower reps.

Read more from Jeannine Stein.