Weight loss: Bum exercises for the four different DERRIERE shapes – which one are you?

Trainer and fitness expert Em Furey has provided an insightful guide to getting the bum you want, based on what it looks like right now.

So which bum shape are you? Are you a perky round shape, or a somewhat lacking in volume invested V shape?

You might also be a curvaceous square shape, or a volume-heavy heart shaped bum type – depending on where you store fat.

Square bum

“The square shapes fall lower on the bottom with excess volume up top. If you have a square shape bum, then it is important to build big glutes to fill out the back of your bikini bottoms,” said Em Furey.

“The focus muscle should mainly be on the gluteus medias for a squared shape bum. Because this particular shape can create that ‘muffin top’ look on the love handles area, the way to eliminate those would be to incorporate rotation exercises such as rotation lunges.

“Rotation lunges will train the abs and trim the waist down by targeting the obliques as well as the abdominal muscles. To perform a rotation lunge, you lunge forward and twist the torso the same side with whichever leg is in the lunge, to add weights to that will increase intensity.”

Round bum

“If you have a round shape bum, your o-shaped derriere has a perky side view however the fat is distributed around the cheeks. In contrast to the square shapers, you do not have an issue with the volume of your bum so toning is the focus here.”

“This is the shape to do glute exercises which hit all angles such as the lunge matrix.

“The lunge matrix is when you forward lunge and then on the way coming back to the other foot you take it out fluidly and laterally to the side in another lunge whilst keeping the other leg straight.

“The change in direction will switch on the other parts of the glutes. Plies is another great exercise for the round bum shape; this is done in second position in ballet terms by externally rotating the hips and turning the feet out so the toes point outwards, lowering into a deep squat position and then coming back up and squeezing the glutes at the top.”

Heart shaped bum

“The heart shaped bums have volume in the gluteus maximus area, however have fat distribution around the lower portion of the bum and thighs.

“The focus is on the gluteus medius here as the heart shaped bum typically doesn’t lack much in the gluteus maximus area.

Training the hamstrings and gluteus medius will help lift the gluteus medius area and can be targeted through single leg squats i.e pistol squats.

Pistol squats are performed by standing firmly on one leg with one leg out in front. Slowly bending down on the standing leg into squat position and bringing it back unto the top relying on that one leg to bring the body back up.

This is a tough exercise but it will engage your core and improve posture as you have to keep a straight back throughout the exercise.”

Inverted V shape

“For those with the inverted v shape bum, means that you’re is lacking in volume compared to the other shapes so requires a lot of focus on the gluteus maximus to add volume and tone as muscles are usually looser.”

“Gluteus maximus is the main focus here in the inverted V shape bum, this needs to get fired up to achieve a lift in those posterior glute muscles. An example of an exercise to do if you have this shape bum would be goblet squats.

Holding a heavy kettlebell to your chest with both hands and with the feet out wide in a squat stance position, you squat down as deep as you can in your range of motion whilst always keeping the back straight and then pushing the heels into the floor.

Once at your maximum ROM, you drive up to the top and squeeze the glutes at the top.”