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Curves and Kardashians: Perfect glutes are the fitness world’s evolving obsession

Today’s craze is geared toward confidence, strength and sex appeal

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June 15, 2018 at 8:46 a.m. EDT

Adapted from a story by Elizabeth Kiefer for The Washington Post.

If your browsing behavior is anything like mine, you might have noticed an uptick in photos that emphasize a certain part of the female anatomy, often accompanied by a peach emoji (the new universal symbol for the perfect derrière).

Almost a quarter-century after “Buns of Steel” made its VHS debut, the obsession with having firm, toned glutes is back. Today’s gluteus craze celebrates the curves of Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj — and seems geared toward confidence, strength and sex appeal.

“The focus is on curves, and that appeals to everyone,” says Bec Donlan, a personal trainer and the founder of Sweat With Bec. “But I also want you to be strong.”

Donlan believes this renewed focus on glutes is due, in part, to the body positivity movement’s acceptance and celebration of curvaceous figures. She also thinks we’ve reached a more pragmatic moment in fitness culture.

Physical therapist turned “pre-hab” trainer Stephen Pasterino has a similar assessment: “It’s not about being skinny right now,” he says. “People want that athletic, strong, lean look — everyone is looking for that feminine physique, and the butt is a major part of that.”

Pasterino’s streamable workout concept, P.volve, focuses extensively on shaping the butt, hips and thighs. He acknowledges the influence of Instagram, “where every girl is in a bikini with a butt shot.”

More than 30,000 images on the platform contain the hashtag #TushyTuesday, which was launched in 2010 by Elana Rosenblatt, director of partnerships for the women’s clothing brand Reformation. Rosenblatt credits Jennifer Lopez as her inspiration and says, “I wanted to show that being skinny isn’t the only trademark for beauty.”

She and Pasterino recognize the dark side to the rise in keister worship: The quest to get the full-bottomed look sometimes leads women to go under the knife, or at least the syringe — a trend that made a controversial appearance in last year’s adaptation of “She’s Gotta Have It” on Netflix.

“I think it’s crazy what girls are doing to achieve that look,” Pasterino says. “And I think it’s a result of not knowing how to do it on their own. You don’t have to do plastic surgery or anything like that; you just have to go through the right exercises and motions, and get the right muscles turned on, and you can have it naturally.”

Building a firm, round behind naturally is the only way to attain important muscular benefits. “The butt and the hips are the drivers of everything you do, whether you are an athlete or not,” Pasterino says. “Without a strong butt, the chances of getting hurt are sky-high — it supports your back, it supports your hips, it drives you through motion and accelerates motion, it helps to prevent injuries in the knees, even in the shoulders.”

Most of us aren’t using our glutes, at all — a situation Pasterino calls “dormant butt.” Donlan explains it this way: “For 90 percent of people, their glutes don’t fire, they don’t activate. So instead you compensate with all the muscles around it.” For women, this usually means the quadriceps muscles, which are in the front of your thigh.

Firing up the glutes isn’t done the way most of us think it is. “You just can’t accomplish a perfect round butt with just squats, dead lifts and lunges,” Paterino says. “It’s just not possible.” In fact, you’ll be targeting the wrong muscles, Donlan says. “You can squat for days, and if your glutes aren’t firing, you’re building up your quads.”

To really activate the glutes, Donlan recommends using a ­resistance band, which “instantly forces your body to switch on your medial glutes, the biggest part of your butt. If you make sure your glutes are firing before you lift, or whatever it is you’re going to do, that will help work that muscle more.”

She offers examples of glute-activating exercises: First, kick things off by putting a band around your ankles and doing 20 sidesteps to one side, then 20 to the other. After that, move the band above your knees, get into a wide-legged stance, and squat it out. Then, do some single-leg dead lifts (put the band under one foot, hold it with the hand on the same side, then bend and straighten). “We’ve nicknamed that last one the ‘bend and snap’, like ‘Legally Blonde,’” she says. “It works your hamstrings, the muscles underneath your butt, so it will help your butt as well.”

For those hoping to perk up their glutes, she stresses the importance of not overtraining that area. “Your butt needs to rest and recover after a workout, so it can build muscle., says If you’re constantly working on one muscle group, that will lead to a constant state of fatigue, meaning zero results and an unbalanced workout.”

In his routines, Pasterino also abides by this less-can-be-more philosophy. He uses fitness bands, as well as gliders, ankle weights and mini-squats, “which stay in the range of motion where it’s just the butt and the lower stomach.” But he doesn’t want clients doing more than eight to 10 reps of any move at a time. “I am adamant about this,” he says. “After eight to 10 reps, your ­muscles start to fatigue and overdevelop.”

Pasterino also emphasizes the importance of form. If you decide to attend any of the new fanny-focused classes, your instructor should make sure you’re effectively activating your glutes and not relying on other muscles to do the work. You may not strive to become a belfie icon, but your back and knees will thank you.