Pippa Middleton Diet and Workout

All of the excitement over Pippa Middleton’s butt has been nothing short of hilarious. It seems everyone wants to know how Pippa got her fantastic body. Already the claims that “its pilates” are coming in (but seriously, a once per week session is not going to get anyone in bikini shape) – and this drives me crazy! If you want to do pilates, fine but for many women this is a really expensive ($60 per hr or more for a private session) and inefficient (you will not burn a lot of calories) way to get in shape. The good news is – if you want a body like Pippa Middleton – you have a lot of diet and workout options that will get you there!

Why Does Pippa Middleton’s butt look so good?

People love Pippa’s butt because its small but curvy. I think its that simple. Most women don’t feel attractive when their butt are either too wide or too flat. Additionally, you can also tell that Pippa’s butt is really firm and totally defying gravity – there is no droop, jiggle, or cellulite.

In a way, there is no mystery that Pippa could have a great butt. Pippa clearly works out and eats really healthy just like her sister (both love to ski, swim, play tennis and workout in their home gym. Click here to read my earlier post on Kate Middleton’s diet and workout.) Both women are known for being lean and toned – but still really feminine looking. When you are as lean and fit as Pippa, its hard to have a butt that’s too big (short of having hormonal imbalances leading to stubborn fat.) If anything – a flat butt is usually what really lean women end up with.

What determines the shape and size of your butt?

On a basic level, the smallest width (measure from side to side) of your butt would essentially be your pelvis. Of course, everyone will have extra muscle, fat, and connective tissue on top of that. For most women, if you are unhappy with your butt, your problem does not really come from your basic skeletal build (so don’t just assume you can’t improve the problem) but rather what lies on top combined with how you stand.

For the most part when your butt appears to overflow from side to side this is usually caused by two factors – body fat (primarily) and overactive/underactive muscles (I’ll talk about this more later under “gluteal amnesia.) In most cases if you butt is too big or too wide, you are dealing with a case of excess body fat (or the natural width of your pelvis.)

Most women underestimate how much of their butt is actually all fat. You can have fat deposits that are firm and smooth – not just wiggly and dimpled. You want to deal with excess body fat through diet and intelligent cardio workouts – not hours of “toning” exercises that claim to shrink “problem areas.”

Example of arching back to make butt look bigger.

The depth of your butt (measured front to back)  is determined by a combination of muscle, fat, and posture. Usually, this shape and structure is initially caused by how your body naturally stores fat (this may be attractive or not.) Frequently, women who lose a lot of weight end up with flat or droopy butts – this is due to a lack of muscle. Muscle is what creates a firm, cellulite – free curves. Additionally, how you stand will also affect how rounded your butt appears to be. If you have excessive arch in your lower back – this will stick your butt out and make it look larger than it is. Likewise, if you tuck your hips under excessively (and have a flat lower back) this will make you butt look much flatter than it is.

Here’s a great “cute booty” workout from Valerie Waters -

Gluteal Amnesia

By now you know that losing fat and building up muscle is the best way to get a great butt. Before you go out and start doing the exercises I am going to recommend below – you need to know about a problem called gluteal amnesia. Gluteal amnesia is caused by sitting or long hours every day. When you sit for extended periods of time, your hip flexors (psoas, iliacus, rectus femoris, tensor fascia latae) become very tight and prevent your glutes from activating as they normally would. Over time this situation causes your glutes to become weak, hard to activate (even when you are trying), and your body starts to compensate by using other muscles and joints for tasks normally handled by the glutes.

In women, you can frequently see evidence of gluteal amnesia in an excessively arched lower back and an overactive TFL (tensor fascia latae). (if you squat, do you feel it in the outside of your upper thighs? Then you are not working your glutes.)

Why we care -

Other than the fact that this condition will increase your odds of injury and chronic low back pain, not being able to fire your glutes properly will lead to compensation in other muscles when you work out – usually this ends up being your thighs. Exercises meant to train your butt end up working your thighs - causing them to grow while your butt stays flat. This is a big problem for many women.

How to fix gluteal amnesia

1. Foam roll your hip flexors, outside of your thighs, and hamstrings. Foam rolling is great for causing overactive muscles to relax and back off.

2. Gently stretch the tight muscles.

Contract your abs and make sure you are not arching your lower back – that’s a common mistake!

3. Learn to activate (ie. “turn on” or “fire”) your glutes. Here’s a video I really like that includes many great exercises that you can do lying down or one your side without any extra weight. Remember, the goal is to improve your “mind/glute” connection – focus on feeling the muscles deep in your butt (not your waist, back, or thighs) working.

The Best Exercises for a Pippa Middleton Butt!

Exercises to skip – any that primarily work the thighs and hamstrings (back of the thigh.) Examples: leg press, hack squats, leg extensions, and leg curls. Don’t bother.

How often? Work your glutes 3 times per week (just add this in to your regular workout.) Be sure to do your foam rolling, streches, and isolation exercises first. Then go into the exercises below. Keep reps low for squats and deadlifts (think 4 sets of 6-8 reps with heavier weights) and 3 sets of 10-12 for lunges and X band walks.

Category 1 – Squats, or High Step Ups

Squats are one of the best exerciss for working your butt – however, you need to know that many women accidentally end up working their thighs and not their butts when squatting. How does this happen? When you start to squat down you place all of your weight forward and on the balls of your feet. Instead focus on sitting back and on feeling your glutes activate.

Here’s a good video explaining how to sit back from Bret Conteras -

High step ups are a good second option – just make sure that the step you are using is high enough that you are forced to use your glutes to lift your body up and not your thighs.

Category 2: Deadlifts and Romanian Deadlifts

Avoid single leg deadlifts for adding glute size. You are better off doing traditional deadlifts or Romanian deadlifts.

Deadlift

Romanian Deadift

Be sure to squeeze your glutes at the top of the exercise or you will not work your glutes but rather your hamstrings.

Category 3: Lunges and Hip Thrusts

Second exercise shown.

I am a huge fan of Valslide reverse lunges. (No Valslide? Do reverse lunges with dumbbells instead.) I’ve had a Valslide for over two years and I still use it on a regular basis. The Valslide forces you to use your glutes and not your thighs when sliding backwards into a lunge. Simply awesome.

Basic hip thrust

Variation on single leg hip thrust

Category 4: X-band walks

Similar to first exercise show but you can walk side to side.

Thanks for stopping by! On your way out be sure to check out my previous post on Kate Middleton’s Diet and Workout for more diet and cardio advice as well as Valerie Water’s I Want My Bikini Body Workout!