Battling the Backside- 5 Tips for Your Best Butt!

We asked and you answered! Over on our facebook page, you told us your funny names for a part of your body that you need to work.

Whether you call it butt, booty or badonkadonk- there were several requests for help with the backside! There are several easy moves that you can sneak in at home or as part of your regular workout routine. We recommend a Move class at CLEAR, which incorporates some of the moves detailed below.

Here are 5 of our favorite tips for toning your tush:

1. Take the Stairs

This one might seem simple, but it's a no-brainer if your behind is a target area for you. Taking the stairs will not only work your bottom and legs, it'll get your heart rate up and burn some calories too! If you want to amp up this simple exercise, pick a place where you can run the stairs. Try a school sports stadium or, if you work in an office building, bring your gym clothes for some after-hours or lunchtime stairs!

2. Kickbacks

Begin this exercise on all fours. (It's helpful if you have a yoga mat available to protect your knees- fold it into thirds for extra cushion!)

Lift your right leg out behind you and bring it to a 90-degree angle. With your foot flexed so that it is parallel with the ceiling, lift your foot towards the ceiling. Complete this motion 15 times and then repeat using your left leg.

If this exercise is tough on your wrists, you can also lean forward onto your forearms, clasping your hands together.

If you're looking for a little bit more of a challenge, you can add a resistance ball. Place the ball between the calf and thigh of the leg you are lifting and squeeze as you lift. Don't let the ball fall out!

3. The "Hydrant"

You'll also begin this exercise on your hands and knees. Keeping your right knee bent, lift it out to the side until it is even with your hips. If you feel like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant, you're doing it correctly! Raise and lower your leg at this angle 15 times and then repeat using your left leg.

To take this exercise up a notch, take up the tempo- using your high spot as your low spot and pulsing for 20 seconds on each side.

 

 

4. Hip Lifts

Begin this exercise laying on your back, knees bent, with your feet flat on the floor, hands at your sides.

Lift your hips up off the floor and hold for 3 seconds, then lower, being sure not to let your behind settle in on the ground. Repeat 15 times.

Take this exercise to the next level by lifting your right leg with your foot pointed toward the ceiling as you raise and lower your hips. Repeat 15 times, then switch to your left side.

 

5. Backward Lunges

Begin facing forward, arms at your side or hands on hips.

Step your left foot backward into a lunge, keeping your right leg bent at a 90-degree angle so that your knee is directly over your foot. Your left heel should not be touching the floor. Your left thigh should be perpendicular to the floor. Repeat 15 times, then switch legs.

You can up the challenge on this exercise by adding weights, keeping your arms straight at your sides as you lunge backwards.

The Starting Point: The Story of Why I Quit My Job

Happy New Year!

Okay, January's almost over. I guess it's a little late to wish you a Happy New Year, better late than never! Is everyone sticking to their resolutions? I'm starting out my year right- I'm on day 17 of a 21 day completely vegan re-set. (We'll talk about that later.)  We're also right in the thick of the MOVE Into the New Year special here at CLEAR- classes are filling up quickly and the energy is amazing!

Part of what I love about CLEAR is the people I've met and had the chance to begin forming relationships with. I love being able to sit and talk with people after class. There aren't too many gyms out there where you can feel completely comfortable sharing the story of how you cried over smelling bacon in the hallway.

I've shared with many of you the story of where I'm going, and the events that brought me to CLEAR. Most of the people I've talked to seem genuinely interested in my journey, so I'm going to try to do better at sharing that journey here in the CLEAR-ly Different blog.

I'm just going to start the story at the point where I realized I needed to make a change. In August 2012, I walked the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. We walked alongside breast cancer survivors and people who'd lost loved ones to the disease- it was life affirming, in the way that only something that causes you to face your own mortality can be. Walking 60 miles in 3 days (not to mention all the training you do before the event) gives you plenty of time to think about your life and where you're headed- and I had to ask myself a very serious question:

If this was the end- would you be able to look back on your life and be satisfied with how you lived it?

My answer was NO. Flat out, unquestionably NO. I was doing a job that I hated. I was away from my friends and family more often than I was with them. I made plenty of money, which was nice, but at what cost? The stress from my job was changing my personality. I was lazy and gluttonous, which were symptoms of the true problem. I was depressed.

I was working in the clinical research industry, a tiny cog in the giant machine of Big Pharma. Don't get me wrong, the pharmaceutical industry has done and will continue to do good work. Personally, I felt I was working mostly on drugs for conditions that could be solved with lifestyle changes. I felt like I was enabling people to be in poor health with no personal responsibility for it.

I knew for a long time that I was not passionate about the work I was doing and that the position was not a great fit for me. I loved the company I worked for, my boss and my co-workers. None of that was enough. I had saved a substantial amount of money before I finally pulled the trigger and quit my full-time job.

So there I was, a rebel without a cause, feeling pretty low and directionless, when the wonder that is social media worked its charm. A friend of mine who had been managing the social media here at CLEAR found herself with a new position that didn't leave time for her to manage CLEAR's accounts anymore.  She set me up with Annie- and the rest is history. Actually, it's not history- it's a work in progress. I can't wait to share more of my progress with you in the future!