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You don't get a high, tight butt by sitting on it — just ask certified fitness trainer Amanda Lee (@amandaeliselee), whose butt has amassed more than 1.5 million Instagram followers.
The 29-year-old didn't always have such a shapely figure: She started working out to sculpt the 98-pound frame that plagued her during high school. "There's nothing wrong with being skinny, but I was really self-conscious about it — I didn't have my first boyfriend until I was 21," says the Sarah Lawrence grad, who now works as a certified personal trainer and Pilates instructor. "Working out completely changed my life and confidence."
The Instagram account she began less than two years ago fueled her self-esteem even more — especially after a superfan pitched her to Playboy, scoring her a modeling gig in the magazine. From there, she got a huge influx of fans, who now follow her for butt pics and the workout moves responsible for her increasingly famous backside.
Of course, Amanda's is not the first butt to find fans on Instagram — Jen Selter, who now has 7.4 million Instagram fans, sailed that ship first. "I follow her, but everybody does," says Amanda, who's never met Jen (or any other Instagram stars).
To sculpt a butt that's worth following, try Amanda's tricks and her signature workout (below):
Amanda's Best Butt Tips:
Raise your heart rate up with high-intensity circuit-training instead of straight-up cardio. "I don't do a lot of cardio because it's the most time-consuming," says Amanda, who works out for about 45 minutes four to five times a week. She also worries that cardio will make her lose weight. ("I'm obsessed with not losing weight. If I look at the scale and it goes up, I get excited I gained 2 pounds," she says.) Instead of clocking minutes on the elliptical or stair climber (which is notoriously good for lifting the butt), she goes through stair-climbing motions with other exercises such as step-ups. She'll do a few sets and then move on to another butt builder, like squats. Switch it up. "Variety is even more important than working out regularly," Amanda says. "Try to change it up every time you work out: Instead of doing a regular squat, do it while standing on a BOSU ball, or do a walking lunge, elevated lunge with one leg on a step, or a side lunge."
Mentally focus on your butt. "So many people go through the motions and don't see results because they don't connect the mind and the body to really feel the exercise," Amanda says. "You can't go through the motions — you really have to squeeze your butt and engage your abs to benefit."Push through your heels during squats. Shifting your weight backward from the toes makes your butt burn.Wear clothes that compliment your assets. "Thin fabrics show off your curves, but compression gear sucks it all in," says Amanda, who prefers Nike leggings to Lululemons. Pull your pants up super high.Amanda says it makes the waist look smaller and accentuates the hips for a bigger-looking butt.
Capture your butt from a low angle. Amanda's mom takes most of the photos you see on Instagram, but Amanda directs, advising her mom to crouch down to capture her butt's best side. "We take maybe 50 photos before posting one. With video, it takes about 10 different tries to get the angle right."
Tilt the mirror upward when taking mirror selfies. Like changing the camera angle, it accentuates the butt to highlight your curves.
Amanda's Butt-Sculpting Workout
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"The hamstrings are the most important part of lifting your butt," Amanda says. This combo hits the hamstrings (hard!) plus the butt and outer thighs. Cycle through the exercises, then repeat the entire routine up to two more times.
1. Squat With Side Leg Raise
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How to do it: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, feet facing forward, and hands grasped together at chest-height. From this position, bend your knees to sink into a deep squat, keeping your shoulders over your hips. As you extend the legs to come back up to a standing position, shift your weight into your left heel and raise your right leg straight out to the side. Release the leg to the floor with control to complete one rep. Complete 25 reps, then switch sides.
Challenge: Hold a 9- to the 15-pound weighed bar on your shoulders for 10 to 12 reps.
2. Swaying Bridge
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How to do it: Lie on your back with bent knees and feet flat on the floor with your arms along your sides and palms pressed into the floor. From this position, lift your hips to raise your butt off the ground. Without touching the floor, alternate between raising your left hip then your right hip to complete one rep. Complete 25 reps.
Challenge: Hold a 9- to 15-pound weighed bar or plate across your lap for 10 to 12 reps.
3. Squat Pulse
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How to do it: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart with your feet facing forward and bend your knees to come into a deep squat position. Rise up about three inches, then sink back down to complete one rep. Pulse for 25 reps.
Challenge: Hold one 8- to 12-pound dumbbells in each hand.
4. Clams
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How to do them: Lie on your left side with your left hand supporting your head, your right hand on the mat in front of you, and your knees bent and stacked. Bring your legs forward to align your knees and your hips. Keeping your toes together, lift your top knee and lower it with control. Complete 25 reps, then switch sides.
Challenge: Wear 1-pound ankle weights and extend the top leg.
5. Lifted Clams
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How to do them: Lie on your left side with your left hand supporting your head, your right hand on the mat in front of you, and your knees bent and stacked. Bring your legs forward to align your knees and your hips. Lift your feet up off the ground. Keeping your toes together, open your knees your top knee and close them to complete one rep. Complete 25 reps, then switch sides.
6. Straight Leg Donkey
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How to do them: Get on all fours with your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. From this position, extend the left leg straight out behind you. Squeeze the butt as you raise the leg straight up and lower it to starting position with control to complete one rep. Complete 25 reps, pulsing at the top of the last rep for 15 counts. Then repeat on the opposite side.
Challenge: Wear 1-pound ankle weights.
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