Get a Rock-Hard Rear

START: Hold a weight in each hand above each shoulder, palms facing in. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward. Soften your knees and lift your ribcage away from your pelvis to lengthen your spine. Tighten your core muscles to maintain your posture.

Technique Tip: Shift your body weight to your heels, rather than toes.

1 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

FINISH: Lower into a squat by leaning your straight back slightly forward in a diagonal line as you push your hips out in back away from your bending knees. Work up to lowering your hips to knee level while maintaining good form. Stop when your knees are bent about 90 degrees or greater, and keep your calves vertical, not slanted.

Safety Tip: Move down and slightly forward to keep your neck in line with your spine, instead of arching your neck and looking up at the lowest point of the squat.

Common Error: Bending the back instead of sitting lower

Fit Fix: Do not close the gap between your abs and the top of your thighs as you lower. Keep your chest above your waist and your shoulders above your chest.

2 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

Start: Sit on top of a stability ball with your feet hip-width apart, flat on the floor. Walk your feet forward along the floor and slide your body back to lie on top of the ball. Stop when your head, neck, shoulders and upper back are resting against the ball. Rest your hands on your hips and lower your hips close to the floor.

Technique Tip: Tighten your core muscles to lock your ribs and pelvis together so that your back is straight from hips to shoulders.

3 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

Finish: Squeeze your butt, and in one smooth movement raise your hips up to knee level. Slowly level your hips without bending at your waist and repeat.

Safety Tip: Move in a smaller range of motion if your back feels uncomfortable—try not to drop your hips as low.

Common Error: Tilting your pelvis

Fit Fix: Maintain a strong spine throughout the movement by maintaining your lower back’s natural curve and bracing your abs to stabilize.

4 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

START: Start by standing on your right leg with your hands on your hips. Touch your left toe to the floor behind your hips to help balance. Bend your right knee slightly and push your hips back to shift your body weight to your front heel, rather than toe. Lift your ribcage and elongate your spine while tightening your core muscles.

5 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

FINISH: Lean your straight back slightly forward in a diagonal line from hips to head as you push your hips out farther behind you and bend your right knee to lower yourself into a one-legged squat. Start by moving in a small range of motion—do not try to bend too deep until you feel completely balanced and in control of the action.

Safety Tip: If your knee hurts, lean your upper body farther forward so your hips can push back away from, not into, your knee as you lower.

Common Error: Your front knee caves in

Fit Fix: Keep your supporting knee from wobbling by squeezing your butt tighter, pushing your hips out farther behind you and moving very slowly.

6 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

START: Hold a weight in each hand by your sides, palms facing in, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your ribs high and shift your body weight to your right foot, tapping your left toe on the floor. Press your shoulder blades flat to your rib cage in back.

7 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

FINISH: Reach as far back as you comfortably can with your left foot, landing on your left toe, heel lifted. Bend your front knee to lower your hips until your front thigh is parallel and your calf is vertical to the floor. Bend the back knee at an easy angle—if your knee feels stressed, straighten the back leg more by stepping farther back. Push off your back toe and bring your left leg forward to return to a standing position. Then lower back into a lunge and repeat. Then switch legs.

Safety Tip: Avoid pressing your back heel flat to the floor.

Common Error: Moving forward and backward

Fit Fix: Pressing your body weight into your front knee can strain it. Instead, aim for a lunging motion that goes up and down, keeping your body weight farther behind your front knee.

8 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

START: Hold the ends of one light weight in both hands and lower your body into a squat. Push your hips back away from your knees and bend the knees until your hips are at, or just above, knee level. Hold your ribs high as you rotate your chest to the right, extending your arms to the right of your knees.

Technique Tip: If you feel pressure in your knees, shift more of your body weight back to your heels.

9 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness

FINISH: Straighten your body up to stand, moving the weight diagonally across the front of your body, and rotating to your left side. At the same time that your arms are reaching to the left, raise your right leg straight out to the right side. Stop when your arms are extended and just above shoulder level and your right foot is 3 to 6 inches off the floor. Hold briefly, then slowly return back to the starting position, rotating to the right. Repeat and make sure your head turns with your chest. Then switch directions.

Safety Tip: Keep your shoulders away from your ears as the arms extend up.

Common Error: Kicking the outside leg too high

Fit Fix: Avoid arching your back when lifting the leg: Keep your kick low and squeeze your abs and glutes to stabilize your spine.

10 of 11 Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & Fitness