I like big butts and I cannot lie!
I don’t know about you, but it feels like everyone and their mother are getting BBLS. What started off as a few celebrities getting a butt lift has turned into an epidemic of BBLS gone wrong.
People are going as far as flying into foreign countries to get theirs for cheap only to end up with botched bodies and thousands of dollars in debt from having to get their Brazilian Butt Lifts redone.
Heck, I’ve personally met someone who had to get hers TWICE because it didn’t work the first time around... 😐
For those of you who may not know what a BBL or Brazilian Butt Lift is, it’s basically a fat transfer from your stomach to your butt that requires risky and intrusive surgery.
And while we’re the first to admit that we love a nice lookin’ peach, we can’t say that we’re a fan of this procedure that has left many women with post-op complications, botched results, and even death.
Yes, that’s right- BBLs have the highest mortality rate of ANY cosmetic surgery, yet that doesn’t seem to stop people from getting them done.
And what's even more mind blowing is that you can achieve the BBL body type without risking your life!
So, I went ahead and put together a list of my favorite exercises that let me get a BBL during quarantine at zero cost right from the comfort of my own home.
Before we get into my BBL workout, let's clarify one thing:
In order to see results, your nutrition has to be on point REGARDLESS of what your goals are. Whether you’re trying to lose fat, build muscle, or both, you need to have your diet in check.
Now, depending on your goals, you should either be in a calorie surplus, deficit, or maintenance. If you need to shred some fat, then you would have to be in a calorie deficit which is when the amount of calories you ingest are fewer than the calories you burn.
If you need to GAIN weight (i.e. Muscle Mass) then you would have to put yourself in a calorie surplus which means you would ingest more calories than you burn.
And for those of you who are looking to do some body recomp (where the emphasis is on burning fat WHILE gaining muscle mass) then you simply need to eat at maintenance so calories in = calories out.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s jump into the part you’re really here for 😉
The biggest mistake people make when trying to achieve that BBL effect is only training legs.
If you only train legs and are expecting to get that curvy hourglass figure I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but that will get you nowhere.
Because the secret to achieving that hourglass/BBL figure is training your upper body. Mhmm...
See, training your upper body will broaden up your shoulders, chest, and back which will give you the appearance of having a smaller waist!
And no, you won’t get jacked- it’s actually very difficult for women to get that “manly” look, so I don’t want to hear any ifs and buts!
The following exercises will help tighten and tone your arms, chest, shoulders, and back all in the comfort of your own home.
1. Tricep extensions
I remember the first time I saw a candid photo of me taken from the back. My eyes instantly went to the back of my arms… “My God” I thought to myself- “THAT’S what my arms look like??”
Besides tightening and toning your arms, strengthening your triceps helps with stabilizing your chest, shoulders, and arms, improving not only your flexibility but increasing your range of motion too!
How to: Step one foot onto your resistance band and take a slight step forward with your opposite foot.
Hold your resistance band over your head using both hands.
Keeping your hands about shoulder distance apart (if possible) slowly bend at your elbows until they form a 90° angle.
Push through the palms of your hands to return to starting position and repeat for reps.
2. Bent over rows
Easily the most underrated part of the female body, a strong back is both sexy AND the best way to work on your posture!
Bent over rows target your upper, mid, and lower back depending on how you position yourself.
How to: Begin by stepping onto your resistance band keeping your feet hip-distance apart.
Holding on to your resistance band with both hands, push your hips back until your arms reach right below your knees.
Keeping your core engaged and your back straight, pull your resistance band up and back towards your hips.
Hold for a few seconds and release your arms back down to starting position.
3. Shoulder press
This killer of an exercise targets your shoulders and your core AND it’s the key to achieving that hourglass figure!
Strengthening your shoulders will help you broaden your upper body which gives the illusion of your waist being more snatched than it actually is giving you that BBL effect we’re all dying to achieve.
How to: Step onto your resistance band keeping your feet hip-distance apart.
Hold your resistance band in your hands and push your palms up to form a vertical line with the rest of your body. This will be your end position.
Lower your arms slowly until your elbows form a 90° angle. This will be your starting position.
Repeat for reps.
4. Bicep curls
Okay, I can’t say this is my favorite exercise in the world, BUT when it comes to shaping and toning, there’s no skipping body parts- that’s the whole point of this article (😅).
Seriously though, your biceps do a lot for you (and I mean A LOT) and strengthening them can help improve your arm strength, elbow flexion, and grip.
Not to mention you’ll never have to ask a man for help ever again- unless that’s the name of your game in which you go girl!
How to: Stand on your resistance band keeping feet hip-distance apart.
Grabbing your resistance band with the palms of your hands, slowly lift your hands up and towards your shoulders, squeezing your biceps.
Release and bring your hands back down to standing position and repeat.
Remember to keep your arms tightly pressed against your body to avoid injury and overcompensation from neighboring muscle groups.
5. Band pull aparts
Last but not least, we have band pull aparts, possibly one of my favorite exercises ever.
Band pull aparts work your rear delts which are located in your upper back. Think of them as the muscles controlling your shoulder blades.
Not only is this exercise a killer shoulder exercise, but it also helped fix my posture- hunchback no more!
How to: start with your resistance band in front of you with your hands shoulder-distance apart.
Keeping your arms as straight as possible, pull your resistance band so that your arms extend fully on each side of your body.
Controlling the movement, slowly bring your arms back to heart-center and repeat.
And there you have it! My top 5 exercises for getting that BBL effect!
Sure, it might not be as quick and "easy" as getting a Brazilian Butt Lift, but the results are much more rewarding and you don't have to risk your life to get them!
If you're new to our Build-A-Booty community and don't know where to start, our Pink Long Body Bands (as seen in our demonstration photos above) are the perfect tool for toning and shaping your entire body!
And with three difficulty settings ranging from light to heavy, you can continuously see results in or out of the gym!
Something about building your own body, by yourself, with nothing but hard work and dedication just does it for me, and I'm sure it will for you too.