Bear Plank Leg Lifts

Introduction

If you are looking to work your quads, thighs and glutes and build a bigger butt, there are many different exercises that will target these areas.

Squats and lunges are two of the most popular exercises that you can do, but there are a few other exercises that are just as effective, such as bear plank leg lifts, for example.

This particular exercise is not commonly included in many leg routines, and is a little harder to perform than some of the other leg exercises because it requires balance, strength and co-ordination, but it will help you develop a round and firm butt if you perform this exercise regularly with correct form.

How To Do Bear Plank Leg Lifts

This particular exercise essentially requires you to start off in a plank position, bend the knee of one leg to 90 degrees and then push the heel of the same leg up towards the ceiling as far as you can, before bringing it back down and repeating with the other leg. So it is not too difficult to do.

Nevertheless, here is a step-by-step guide that explains it a lot clearer:

1. Start off in a standard plank position with your shoulders above your wrists and your back straight.

2. Bend your left leg to 90 degrees so that your heel is close to your butt and pointing towards the ceiling.

3. Push your heel upwards and extend your leg towards the ceiling as far as you can (with your heel still facing the ceiling in the final position), squeezing your glutes together as you do so.

4. Hold this pose for 2-5 seconds before bringing it back down and returning to the plank position.

5. Continue for 15-20 reps before repeating with the other leg.

Variations

As with any exercise, there are always a few different variations of the bear plank leg lift that are available for you to try.

For example, some people adopt the plank position on their elbows, while others prefer to adopt a higher plank position with straight arms.

Similarly, with regards to the actual leg lift, you can also bend your knees ever so slightly in the starting position and bring your legs up from further back, as shown in this video:

If you still find some of these variations to be too difficult, you can forget about the plank element of the exercise and instead place both knees on the floor before you begin your leg lifts.

The key point to remember is that you really want to squeeze your glutes together and focus on extending your leg upwards as far as you can with every rep in order to get the most out of this exercise.

Muscles Worked

If you perform this bear plank leg lift with correct form, you will primarily target the following muscles:

• glutes
• hamstrings
• hip flexors
• abdominal muscles
• shoulders

Furthermore, you can perform this exercise anywhere you like because it is a pure bodyweight exercise that requires no equipment at all.

So any time that you feel that your butt is lacking any real shape or definition, you should consider dropping to the floor and doing some bear plank leg lifts because this is one of the most effective moves that you can do, particularly if you combine it with some other effective moves, such as squats and lunges, for example.