Celebrity trainer Kira Stokes, who works with Shay Mitchell on the regular, recently shared an important booty-boosting tip that could change the game when it comes to your sweat sessions. No matter whether you’re doing her go-to double rainbow exercise (see below, as demonstrated by Candace Cameron Bure) or some fire hydrants, staying controlled and keeping good form is key to getting toned—and that means arching or hyper-extending your lower back to get your leg higher isn’t allowed.
“Remember the goal isn’t to kick your leg to the ceiling, but rather lift to a glute-engaged, core-strong position,” Stokes writes. “Even when you’re working with a greater range of motion during fine-tuning, you need to maintain control of your movement. Mind your muscle and truly squeeze the glute as you lift to all points.”
When you follow her advice, you’ll be surprised at how different the exercises feel: The workout will actually be harder once the movements are slower and more controlled. It looks like you’ll just have to save those sky-high Rockette kicks for another day.
This butt-sculpting workout is so good you’ll want to buy new leggings. Or, try out the butt-boosting move celebs swear by.