Step backward with your left leg. Bend both your knees. Your right shin should remain in a straight line with your ankle. Your left knee should be nearly touching the floor. Now with your left foot push up carefully until you are back to starting position. Then swap legs and perform the exercise again stepping back with your right leg. Take your time and keep yourself sturdy. 5. Machine Leg Press
Beginners keep your weights very light to none at all. Sit in the Leg Press machine. Place your feet high on the plate and wider than shoulder width apart. Have your toes pointing slightly outwards. Keep your chest out, back pushed into the back pad and your midsection firm. There should be a lever either side of your seat, which you will need to unlatch to lower the plate down. Keeping your feet stable lower the plate down towards you controlling it slowly down, depending on your flexibility, until you feel the pull in the back of your thigh. If your heels lift off the plate when lowering the plate down then your feet are positioned dangerously too low on the plate. Push, don't bounce, the plate back up to starting position. 6. Butt Tightener - Exercise Ball
Lie face down on the exercise ball with your abs and hips resting on the top of the ball. With your arms reaching out directly in front of you, hold onto a machine frame or a nearby bench with both hands to keep you sturdy.Now with your legs and feet together raise them off the floor while also squeezing your butt holding, if you can, for a count of 2. Your legs shouldn't rise any higher than your hips and abs.Lower your legs back to starting position.
7. Step Ups off a Bench or Step
Standing in front of your step or bench, start with your right foot first stepping up onto the step or bench, bringing your left foot up behind you, making sure your feet are securely on the bench at the top of the movement. Now lower your right foot down again, followed by your left foot. Now swap feet starting with your left foot up first, followed by your right foot. 8. Smith Machine Squat
Position yourself in the Smith machine, resting the bar across your traps and upper shoulders. Place your feet about 8-12 inches in front of your body, just wider than shoulder width apart. Have your toes pointing slightly outwards. Now lower yourself downwards keeping your midsection firm, inhaling on the way down, keeping your feet and heels pushed into the floor. When your thighs are approximately parallel to the floor squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to push yourself back up again. Exhale on the way up. Do not bounce the squat when pushing yourself back up. Keep the movement controlled throughout the exercise. NOTE: To emphasize your glutes in the exercise keep the weights lighter and squat slightly lower than the 90-degree angle. 9. Cable Hip Extension
Place the ankle cuff around your right ankle on the low pulley on the cable crossovers (or the cable machine). Facing the weight stack and holding onto the bar provided (you will need something stable to hang onto directly in front of you to keep you sturdy) lean forwards slightly, turning your right foot outwards slightly. Now push your foot up and back behind you, squeezing your butt. Have your left knee (your supporting leg) slightly bent so it can support your weight sufficiently. Now lower your leg down to starting position. Complete your reps and then swap legs. 10. Glute Extension
This looks totally weird but works. Lie flat on a bench with your legs bent and hanging off the edge. (Your abs and hips should be resting on the end of the bench). Adjust the bench so that your bent knees can touch the floor. If not they can hang there. You have two options for this exercise:
You can use ankle weights with the soles of your feet pointing upwards or you can hold a dumbbell between the soles of your feet with the soles of your feet pointing upwards. Hold onto the bench with your arms. Now with your knees pointing downwards but slightly outwards and your heels facing the ceiling push your feet upwards squeezing your butt. Do not raise your thighs higher than your hips and abs.If you have lower back problems this exercise can also be performed on the floor. Make sure you use an exercise mat. Beginners should not use any weights until they have got used to performing this exercise. BEGINNERS - No weights
Choose 3 of the following exercises performing 2-3 sets of 12 - 15 reps for each exercise. Machine Leg Press Butt Tightener - Exercise Ball Plie Squat Bench Step Ups Glute Extensions INTERMEDIATE - Light to Medium weights
Choose 4 of the following exercises performing 3 sets of 12 reps for each exercise. Walking Lunge Plie` Squat Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift Reverse Lunges Machine Leg Press Butt Tightener - Exercise Ball Step Ups off a Bench or Step Smith Machine Squat Cable Hip Extension Glute Extension ADVANCED - Medium to Medium / Heavy
Choose 4 of the following exercises performing 4 sets of 10 reps for each exercise. Walking Lunge Plie` Squat Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift Reverse Lunges Machine Leg Press Butt Tightener - Exercise Ball Step Ups off a Bench or Step Smith Machine Squat Cable Hip Extension Glute Extension | 
