The squat is the go-to exercise for toning the butt. It’s easy, can be done at home or in the gym, and with or without added weight. So basically, squats are pretty awesome. But they get old, and it’s always good to switch up your exercise routine to continue challenging yourself.

Recently, the American Council on Exercise conducted a study to determine which exercises are best for toning the glutes and hamstrings. Good old squats and lunges were high on the list, but the top exercise for hamstring and glutes was the quadruped hip extension. What’s that, you ask? You’re about to find out. Read on and check out this quick quadruped hip extension series that can be done easily at home or in the gym.

Quadruped Hip Extension Series

You will do this entire series of three exercises with your right leg, and then repeat the whole thing with the left leg.

1. Begin on your hands and knees. Extend your right leg straight behind you, hovering your toes just off the floor. Lift your leg up so that it is level with your back, and lower down so that your toes are just off the floor. Don’t touch your right leg to the floor until you are finished with the set! Repeat 10 times.

2. Hold your right leg straight behind you, level with your back. Trying your best to keep your leg at the same height, bend your knee and draw your right foot in toward your butt. Then extend your leg straight again. Repeat 10 times.

3. Hold your right leg out behind you, bent at the knee. Now lift your leg up, as if you were going to put the sole of your foot on the ceiling, and lower down again. Repeat 10 times.

Repeat the full series with the left leg.

What I’m wearing: top by Zobha, pants by Soybu, shoes by New Balance

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I have one too many PB&J sandwiches (or bowls of ice cream in the caf) it goes straight to my thighs. I can almost feel the glucose molecules shimmy their way down to my legs…and then I’m left shimmying into my favorite pair of Sevens. It’s uncomfortable, it’s frustrating and it leaves me feeling guilty.

Which is why this week, in honor of post V-day chocolate consumption and cold weather, here are a few easy at-home workouts that not only target everyone’s least favorite trouble spots (i.e. the butt and thighs), but you can bust out during HIMYM commercials! Who said getting fit had to be hard?? Read More »

Sometimes, we may be really enthusiastic when we’re working out (i.e. hot guy at 9:00 and I know he’s watching me work this treadmill). This extra push on the body may cause strain to your muscles and no one wants leg cramps or excessive soreness the following morning!

Stretching is good for us pre-work out because it warms up our otherwise stiff muscles, which get especially stiff in this cold, cold weather. Post-work out, it reinforces your flexibility and rewards those hard worked muscles. Plus, it just feels good. (Tip: Be sure not to bounce when you stretch because it can cause tears in within your muscle fibers – instead, hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds and even it out on both sides.)

Here are a few of my favorites! Cool down with these easy moves in between classes or right after some crazy leg squats. Read More »

With Halloween looming close, it seems that most of the costumes available to us require some (or total) revealing of the leg. To achieve that toned look, try out these killer moves for some sleek quads, hammies and glutes. And there’s no excuse not to – you don’t even need to go to the gym to get your leg toning on.

These exercises are guaranteed to cause some (hard to sit down or stand up…or drop it like it’s hot) soreness, but when that Johnny Depp look-a-alike makes a move on you during that costume party, you’ll forget all about the pain.

Read More »

He’s cute, he’s single, and he JUST asked you out to dinner on Friday night. Unfortunately, access to that 24-hour all-you-can-eat buffet in the caf has left you with the beginnings of a not-so-attractive muffin top. And you barely have time to breathe between classes and activities let alone trek over to the campus rec center.

Have no fear, my friend! You will be sporting that black mini in no time.

Let me introduce to you Pop Pilates, only the best thing to happen to your body since Lululemon hit the U.S.A. Pop Pilates is the product of Cassey, a 23 year-old Pilates instructor who knows her stuff. She makes 10-minute sweat-inducing workouts on YouTube that 1) are free, 2) are private and 3) will leave you feeling sore the next day. And yes, that’s sore in a good way!

From toning up those arms to strengthening your core muscles (hello, six pack that isn’t Miller Lite!), these videos cover it all. And the best part: you can pick and choose the ones you want to customize the best workout for you!

If you didn’t know, Pilates is good for both physical appearance and mental stability. I know we haven’t exactly hit midterm season yet, but stress can become a constant in any college woman’s life and Pilates is a great way to deal with that while also giving you an amazing workout. It’s a core strengthening, flexibility enhancing, and full body toning kind of exercise. And with Cassey, it all happens when and where and how you want. Read More »

The sun is shining, the breeze is warm and Spring is in full swing. Who wants to waste such a beautiful day slaving away on a treadmill indoors? Research shows that sharing your sweat session with Mother Nature decreases your stress levels and ups your calorie burn due to the varied terrain and fluctuating temperatures. It’s time to lace up your Nikes and head to the nearest park.

-Your cardio doesn’t have to be boring when you’re hoofing it under the sun. After a quick warm-up, try jogging backwards. Experts say it burns a fifth more calories and improves your balance by engaging your core. Afraid of looking silly? Don’t be.  All anyone will think would be, “Hey! She knows something I don’t!”

-Now, let’s build our endurance. Find some stairs and sprint from the bottom to the top without stopping or skipping steps. Walk back down and finish up with 4 more sets. Just like having a Stairmaster outdoors, this exercise will increase your heart and lung capacity while building killer legs for those adorable minis.

-How about you pull your forgotten roller blades out of the back of your closet and lace them up? While also a great cardio workout, rollerblading tones your inner and outer thighs along with your beautiful booty. To torch about 450 calories in 30 minutes, alternate one minute of tucked, speed skating with one minute of upright, relaxed skating. Be sure to wear your knee and elbow pads! I hear scrapes and bruises are out this season. Read More »

You pride yourself on your denim collection. Skinnies, bootcuts, trousers – they’re hanging in your closet ready to hug your lower half. But lately, you’ve been longing to tone up that tush and tighten those thighs so that you can really show off your assets.

Well, we found six awesome moves in a back issue of SELF that will make you a blue-jean babe in just one month. Just perform three sets of 12 reps of each exercise three days a week and on non-consecutive days:

Pigeon Toes

Stand with toes together, heels out, hands on hips. Contract abs as you slowly lift heels, rising onto balls of feet. Hold for two seconds. Lower to start and repeat.

Seated Leg Raise

Sit with right leg extended, foot flexed, and left knee bent, foot flat. Grasp the shin of left leg. Raise right leg a few inches off floor and sweep away from body. Hold for one count. Return leg to center. Switch legs.

Glute Sweeper

Start facedown, supported on forearms and right knee. Extend left leg behind you as high as you can, toes pointed. Contract abs and butt and slowly cross left leg behind left foot, reaching toes toward floor without touching down. Return leg to start and switch. Read More »