These six bum exercises will work all three of the bottom or ‘gluteal’ muscles — the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus — to make your rear end firmer and shapelier.

Although the glutes work as a ‘team’, they all perform slightly different roles in terms of the movements they enable. For example, exercises in which you lie on your side and lift your leg will work the minimus and medius, but you need to externally rotate the hip to bring in the maximus.

Equally, the medius and minimus work hard to keep the pelvis stable during walking, but the hip doesn’t extend far enough behind the body to involve the glute maximus. However, running, hopping, stepping or skipping — where weight is transferred explosively from one leg to the other will work a treat.

Alongside these toning and strengthening exercises, you are going to need to step up your cardio, in order to burn extra calories and ensure your newly honed and toned bottom isn’t buried under a layer of blubber!

So here’s the exercise plan …

• Aim to do the bum workout three to four times a week, and use the alternate days to do 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise.
• See the box below for some ‘kick ass' cardio ideas.
• Ensure you take one day off completely a week. In week one, perform the exercises with no weight, to get a feel for correct technique and gear your glutes up for action.
• Aim for three sets of ten of each double-legged exercise and two sets on each side for single leg exercises. In week two, add enough resistance to enable you to do eight to 12 repetitions at a level where you feel you couldn’t continue by the end of each set. Remember to rest for a minute between sets.
• As soon as you feel comfortable with the weight, repetitions and sets you are performing, it’s time to up the ante don’t settle into a comfort zone. Provided you keep challenging your muscles, and work up a sweat in your cardio exercise, you can expect to be making a very grand exit eight weeks from now!

The squat exercise

Stand with feet eight to 12 inches (roughly 30cm) apart, arms across the chest and hands on opposite shoulders. Take your weight back into your heels and lower your body by bending the legs, leading with the bottom, and with knees directly over the middle toes. Aim to lower to 90 degrees. Pause for a moment, then raise yourself back up and repeat.

To progress:
Use a weighted bar across the fleshy part of your upper back, or a dumbbell in each hand, with arms at your sides, to add overload. Suggested starter weight: 10kg.

Side lying leg raise

Knee drive exercise

Stand with one foot on a step or stair, knee bent, and the other foot on the floor behind you, in a lunge position. Drive up onto the front foot, bringing the back knee up towards your chest, using your arms in an opposite action (as if you were power walking). Come right up on to the ball of your foot, pause, then go straight back down into a lunge position. Repeat all repetitions and then change sides.

To progress:
Add an element of power by allowing the supporting foot to leave the floor altogether as you drive up with the other leg.

Prone lift exercise

Lie on your tummy with forehead resting on hands, legs outstretched and tummy gently contracted. Bend your knee to 90 degrees and then squeezing both buttocks, lift the right knee a couple of inches from the floor. Don’t arch the back or rotate the leg. Pause lower and repeat all repetitions before changing sides.

To progress: Increase the range of motion by performing the exercise on all fours. Keep your back straight and tummy contracted. Start with the knee drawn in towards the chest and then keeping it bent, extend the hip as far as you can without arching the back. When you can perform this comfortably, add ankle weights.

Lunge exercise

External rotation with resistance

‘Kick-ass’ cardio!

• Step machine: 380 calories in 40 minutes
• Step class: 635 calories in an hour (providing step is at least 10 inches high)
• Walking uphill: 200 calories in 20 minutes (10 per cent incline at 4mph pace)
• Kickboxing: 475 calories in a 45-minute class
• Rowing: 270 calories in 30 minutes
• Running: 360 calories in 30 minutes (at 8-minute-mile pace)

Figures based on a 140lb (63.5kg) woman