This caught my eye when I came across it. What kind of butt do you have? Is it a bubble butt, flat butt, round butt, low butt, or a square butt? Wait, a square butt? What? This was mentioned in an article by Raphael Calzadilla, a personal trainer over at ediets. He talks about ways to get a perfect butt. Please, tell me, I’d love to know! He says:

a butt that is void of excess fat and has some degree of muscle is the most visually appealing. Having a bit of height, roundness and tightness tends to be an eye-catcher.

Ya think? So, how do we get that bit of height, roundness, and tightness? For starters, he says that you need to strive for a lean and healthy body first. As you’re doing that, the perfect butt will come along. Your butt can’t get tighter until your overall body fat is reduced. It makes sense, but of course it’s easier said than done.

There are workouts specific for getting a great butt, so here they are:

Dumbbell Lunges. I borrowed the image from e-diets that shows what a dumbbell lunge looks like. I’m sure you’ve either done these before, or you’ve at least seen someone else do them.

1. Stand straight with your feet together.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down at your sides.

Movement:

1. Step forward with the right leg and lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor.
2. Contracting the quadriceps muscles, push off your right foot slowly returning to the starting position
3. Alternate the motion with the left leg to complete the set.

While you’re doing these lunges, you’ll want to make sure that you

• Inhale while stepping forward, and exhale while returning to the starting position.
• The step should be big enough that your left leg is nearly straight. Do not let your knee touch the floor.
• Make sure your head is up and your back is straight.
• Your chest should be lifted and your front leg should form a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the movement.
• Your right knee should not pass your right foot. You should be able to see your toes at all times.
• If you have one leg that is more dominant that the other, start out with the less dominant leg first.
• Discontinue this exercise if you feel any discomfort in your knees.

Lying Gluteus Lift: I’ve done a few too many of these! And boy, do you feel the burn (that must mean it’s working, right?).

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
2. Place your arms at your sides for support

Movement:

1. Contracting the glutes, project your hips up toward the ceiling as you lift your glutes off the floor.
2. Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your buttocks touching the floor.

While doing the gluteus lift, make sure that you exhale while lifting your glutes, and inhale while returning to the starting position.

There are additional workouts listed here if you’d like more ideas.

I’m always looking for different ways to cook chicken. It’s healthy, affordable, and versatile. The versatile part is what gets me though, I know there’s so much I can do with it, I just don’t know what. I came across a figure friendly recipe for Chicken Piccata which sounded good, and has pretty common ingredients that are easy to find.

Chicken Piccata

–Ingredients–

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 ounces each
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Flour for dredging
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

–Cooking Instructions–

1. Lay the chicken between two pieces of waxed paper and flatten each cutlet with the flat end of a mallet until thin.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet until hot. While the oil is heating, season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge it in flour.
3. Sauté the chicken over high heat, about 3 minute on each side. Remove to a warm platter and keep warm.
4. Quickly add the chicken broth to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to release any caramelized bits that may be stuck to the pan. Cook until the broth has reduced by half. Add the lemon juice and capers. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

–Nutritional Information–

Source: FoodFit.com