Once upon a time, women used to buy gym memberships so they could shrink their bodies.

But these days many are looking to upsize, and it’s one area in particular getting most of the attention — the booty.

I can no longer hold a personal training consultation without the names Kardashian, Beyonce or Minaj being brought up as examples of ideal figures.

With hundreds of synonyms for this area of the body, the group of muscles in question is technically known as the glutes.

The gluteus maximus is one of the largest and most powerful muscles in the body yet it is often weak and underdeveloped.

It is vitally important for sporting actions such as jumping and sprinting, which should make training this muscle a priority for anyone with aspirations of sporting excellence.

This quadrilateral-shaped muscle attaches the pelvis to the upper thigh bone, and one of its main jobs is to extend the hip.

It also lifts the thigh to the side of the body and rotates it outward.

Making up the gluteal group are gluteus medius and minimus.

These muscles are smaller and sit deeper to the gluteus maximus, and work in unison with their bigger cousin.

A strong set of glutes will not only benefit athletic performance but can make activities of daily living much easier.

Standing from a seated position relies heavily on the glutes, and these muscles also help stabilise the trunk during walking and running.

Healthy glutes prevent the pelvis tilting forward, which can cause lower back pain and result in poor posture.

Glutes can be trained with some very simple exercises requiring no equipment at all.

Lie on your back with knees bent at around 90 degrees and hands placed flat on the floor. Push through the heels of both feet to move hips upward.

Hold for one second at the top position, lower and repeat.

Avoid hyperextending the lower back by keeping it in a neutral position throughout the movement.

Three sets of 15 repetitions is a great starting point.

Try the same move using just one supporting leg for an extra challenge.

Although popular with ladies for aesthetic reasons, training the glutes is one area of the body we can all benefit from working out more often rather than just using them as a cushion to sit on.

Ronny Terry is a Swindon-based personal trainer and fitness writer.
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