If you’re looking to strengthen your glutes and improve your lower body strength, the frog booty exercise is a must-try. This simple yet effective exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles, making it a great addition to any workout routine.
In this article, we’ll dive into the details of the frog pumps exercise, including how to perform it correctly, the muscles worked, and variations you can try to challenge yourself.
What is the Frog Booty Exercise?
The frog pumps exercise is a bodyweight exercise that involves lying on your back with your feet together and knees bent. From this position, you lift your hips off the ground, squeezing your glutes and pushing your knees out to the sides, resembling a frog’s movement.
This exercise is a great way to activate and strengthen your glutes, which are often underutilized in daily activities. It also helps improve hip mobility and can be beneficial for those who sit for long periods.
How to Perform the Frog Booty Exercise
To perform the frog pumps exercise correctly, follow these steps:
- Lie on your back with your feet together and knees bent, so your feet are flat on the ground.
- Place your arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
- Engage your core and squeeze your glutes.
- Lift your hips off the ground, pushing your knees out to the sides.
- Hold for a second at the top, then slowly lower your hips back to the ground.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
It’s essential to focus on squeezing your glutes throughout the movement and keeping your core engaged to maintain stability. Avoid arching your back or using momentum to lift your hips.
Muscles Worked
The frog pumps exercise primarily targets your glutes, specifically the gluteus maximus, which is the largest muscle in your buttocks. It also works your hamstrings, which are the muscles on the back of your thighs, and your core muscles, including your rectus abdominis and obliques.
Additionally, the frog pumps exercise can help improve hip mobility and strengthen the muscles in your lower back.
Variations of the Frog Pumps Exercise
Once you’ve mastered the basic frog pumps exercise, you can try these variations to challenge yourself and target different muscle groups.
Single-Leg Frog Pumps
To perform single-leg frog pumps, follow the same steps as the basic frog pumps exercise, but instead of keeping both feet on the ground, lift one leg off the ground and extend it straight out. This variation increases the challenge on your glutes and core muscles.
Weighted Frog Pumps
For an added challenge, you can hold a weight, such as a dumbbell or kettlebell, on your hips while performing the frog pumps exercise. This variation increases the resistance and can help build strength in your glutes and hamstrings.
Banded Frog Pumps
Using a resistance band around your thighs can add an extra challenge to the frog pumps exercise. The band will provide resistance as you push your knees out, making your glutes work harder.
Elevated Frog Pumps
To perform elevated frog pumps, place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, before lifting your hips off the ground. This variation increases the range of motion and can help target your glutes and hamstrings more effectively.
Tips for Proper Form
To get the most out of the frog pumps exercise and avoid injury, keep these tips in mind:
- Keep your feet together throughout the movement.
- Squeeze your glutes and engage your core.
- Avoid arching your back or using momentum to lift your hips.
- Keep your knees in line with your feet, and don’t let them collapse inward.
- Lower your hips slowly and with control.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When performing the frog pumps exercise, it’s essential to maintain proper form to avoid injury and get the most out of the exercise. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
- Arching your back: This can put unnecessary strain on your lower back and take the focus away from your glutes.
- Using momentum: Using momentum to lift your hips takes the focus away from your glutes and can lead to injury.
- Collapsing your knees inward: This can put strain on your knees and take the focus away from your glutes.
- Not engaging your core: Engaging your core helps maintain stability and prevents your back from arching.
Incorporating Frog Booty into Your Workout Routine
The frog Booty exercise can be incorporated into your lower body or glute-focused workout routine. Here’s an example of how you can include it in your workout:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio, such as jogging or cycling.
- Squats: 3 sets of 12 reps.
- Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps on each leg.
- Deadlifts: 3 sets of 12 reps.
- Frog Pumps: 3 sets of 15 reps.
- Glute Bridges: 3 sets of 15 reps.
- Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of stretching.
You can also add the frog pumps exercise as a finisher to your lower body workout or incorporate it into a full-body workout routine.
Conclusion
The frog Booty exercise is a simple yet effective way to strengthen your glutes, improve hip mobility, and target your core muscles. By following proper form and incorporating variations, you can challenge yourself and see significant improvements in your lower body strength.
Remember to listen to your body and start with the basic frog pumps exercise before progressing to more challenging variations. With consistency and proper form, you’ll be on your way to stronger glutes and a more toned lower body.
