EMBRACE THE BUMP

What is it with girls and trying to lose their butt? I know girls who work out just so they can get rid of that extra junk in the trunk, but ladies, news flash: dudes dig that (or at least the multitude of dudes I know).

I won't lie. I used to be one of these girls, insecure about carrying a little extra something in the back. In fact, one summer I ran so much that my bottom slowly began to disappear. At the time, I really liked it--but my boyfriend did not. He would joke that I was losing my ass, that I should run less, etc etc. And truth be told, it took me a long time to be convinced by his words and change my perspective.

So what did help to change my perspective? Well, besides my boyfriend that is, and of course, paying homage to my Portuguese heritage (my dad is Chinese, my mom is Portuguese, but I was definitely blessed with the butt genetics from my mom's side)...for all the crap that we see in magazines of celebrities with these 'perfect' bodies and of stick-skinny models, there are a few instances where we might like to commend these magazines for shining light on certain assets (pun totally intended). Take Kim Kardashian, for example, who aside from being a famous socialite and reality television star, has become a household name all thanks to her ass. She's a curvy(er) girl than what we've become so accustomed to seeing in magazines and in entertainment news, but let's face it, guys like that--or as I said, most guys?

Ass inpsiration (Ass-piration)

So then, instead of running our asses off--quite literally--maybe we should embrace our booties. Since my change in perspective, I've shifted from trying to lose my ass to re-building it. I still run and cycle a lot, but for counteracting 'the loss of ass' (as I have officially termed the symptom), I credit squats. Lots of them.

Throw in some lunges, and voilá! A butt workout à la G--check out my current glutes workout:

Squats with 8 lb. dumbbells in either hand x 20 reps
Reverse lunges with 8 lb. dumbbells in either hand x 10 reps each leg
Jump Squats with two 5 lb. dumbbells (or 10 lbs.) x 20 reps

Repeat twice.

Although short, this workout really gets the booty burning (it's a total of 120 squats). For someone who considers herself in fairly good shape, even I was struggling to get through the last set. I think what really kills me are the jump squats--I absolutely love jump squats, but by the last set, I'm working hard to get through those last few.

So, that's what's keeping my ass in check, but what are you doing to maintain your behind or to get rid of it? You've heard my take on the subject. 

What are your thoughts on the whole flat-butt versus bootylicious debate? Are you pro squats to shape a perfectly plump derrière or are you running yourself silly?

image via the artificial vagina and the ny post