Well, summer is approaching, whichmakes me think of three very specific things. Firstly, and perhaps mostimportantly, True Blood will be back in just a few weeks, which means we all getto bask in some awesome violence and hot vampire sex. (Ifyou’re into that sort of thing. Which I am. Because it’s awesome.) The second notion is sort of a result of the first. True Blood, like manyshows on premium cable, is filled with people walking around mostly naked (or all naked).Like most shows on premium cable, you can’t watch an episode without seeingsomeone’s ass. Seriously. There are more naked people on this show thanin most porns.Observe::This dude is about to get naked for the ninth time in seven minutes.Now, depending on your perspective on nudity -- and, of course, the ass in question --this is either a very good thing or a very bad thing. Thankfully, most of the time thebooties are in great shape, because, let’s face it, this is HBO, and theydon’t screw around.The third, and most pertinent to you, came as a sortof afterthought when considering the previous two points: If there is anything that shouldinspire you to work your butt into tip-top shape more than looking at werewolf tushie,it’s the mere fact that summer is around the corner and it’s going to be ondisplay.True, for guys, the boo-tay-tay is not on display as much as it is forthe ladies. (Unless you wear a Euro swimsuit. I’ve tried; it didn’t work out.)But, still, if you're a guy who follows the fashions (ahem, me), you’ll be wearingsome tight shorts, so it behooves you to get to work.To that end, in thespirit of summer and gettingyou into the kind of shape that justifies nudity for 40 minutes out of a 60-minutetelevision show, I’ve compiled a list of my top six exercises for getting your buttin shape. Literally.And, before you get all whiny on me, I should mention thatall of these exercises will also improve athletic performance, as well as have carryoverto stuff like squats anddeadlifts.So, ready to get your ass into gear*? Awesome.*NOTE: I fully exercise my right to make as many butt-related puns as I feel like duringthis article. Enjoy.
A Gaggle of Exercises for Glorious Glutes

1) SINGLE-LEG ELEVATED GLUTE BRIDGE

We’ll start with the exercise that is the easiest to perform and requires theleast equipment, the bodyweight glute bridge.While you can do thisbilaterally, I specify the single leg version simply because -- though it’s a tadmore advanced -- it’s really the only version worth doing if your goal is posteriordevelopment. In addition to allowing your body weight to serve as a greater load, allowingfor all the benefits of unilateral training, you’ll need to stabilizeanti-rotationally so you get some corework, too. Here’s a video of both versions:When performing this,it’s important to focus on two things: recruitment andposition.In order to make sure you activate and recruit theglutes to the fullest extent, don’t just think about lifting your hips; instead,think about driving your heel into the bench and focus on using your posterior chain toraise your body. Also, remember to flex and squeeze the working glute throughout theentire rep. To increase activation, lightly rest your hand on the cheek -- it’lllook silly but will help out a bit.As for position, how you finish theexercise is important here. Don’t just drag your ass off the ground and stop whenyou’re in the air -- a fully executed rep ends when your hips are completely“locked out.” To make it simple, raise your hips as high into the air as youcan. In the finished position, you should be able to follow a straight line from your kneeto your shoulder.This exercise is great for development, but I find it worksbest as both an activation exercise during a warm up and a teaching tool for helpingpeople understand and develop increased awareness and activation.
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