J.Lo's Trainer Shares His Top 3 Butt-Sculpting Moves

Some might call it creepy to obsess over a celebrity’s body part, but we prefer to call it a compliment. Take, for example, Jennifer Lopez’s backside. Simply put, it is a thing of beauty. In Shakespearean times, the bard would have written sonnets about its pert, gravity-defying power, comparing its loveliness to that of a summer’s day or even the sun itself. In fact, J.Lo’s entire being is the epitome of #goals: She’s healthy, fit, and toned, and she totally owns it. Someday, in our dreams, we would sit down with the performer and make her teach us her secret to eternal youth—and maybe a dance move or two.

Though that day has yet to be realized, we have the next best thing to an actual workout with J.Lo: tips from her trainer (butt-related tips in particular) so you can replicate her sessions in your own home. David Kirsch works with celebrities like Lopez, Heidi Klum, and Kate Upton, and the man has been called the “master of the ass.” With a title like that, he’s the perfect go-to expert to help us learn how to strengthen, tone, and sculpt the butt we all dream of.

This leads us to our very, very important and totally not creepy question for Kirsch: How can we, too, get a butt like J.Lo’s?

Keep scrolling to see his favorite bum-sculpting moves!

Sumo Lunge

Want a strong, sculpted butt? We don't think there's any other answer to that question but a resounding “yes.” Enter the sumo lunge, Kirsch’s number one workout move for a J.Lo-status backside. Here’s a breakdown, straight from Kirsch himself:

1. Start with your legs slightly wider than hip-width apart, with your hands on your hips.
2. With one leg, do a roundhouse, a side kick, then a frog jump, all in a relatively swift motion.
3. Repeat with the other leg.

“It’s the perfect butt-shaping, hip reducing, lower half–sculpting maneuver,” Kirsch says. “It targets the outer thigh and [can help] lift the butt, which seem to be two problem areas for a lot of women.” He promises that by doing the sumo lunge three times a week, you’ll start seeing results in as little as two to three weeks. How’s that for motivation?

Here’s a video, if you need a visual:

Plié Toe Squat

If you’ve mastered the sumo lunge and want to take things even further, Kirsch says you can try the plié toe squat and platypus walk. “They both [can help] lift the butt, so I love to do them right after one another so you can feel the burn immediately,” he says.

Plié toe squats not only help strengthen and tone the butt, but they also target the inner thighs, an area that is often largely ignored by cookie-cutter strength training programs. Here’s how to perform this move just like J.Lo:

1. Start with a nice wide stance, wider than for the sumo lunge. Plant your feet such that your toes are pointed outward. (If you’re familiar with ballet, you want to be replicating second position). Place your hands on your hips.
2. Squat down, sitting your butt backwards, and simultaneously lifting both heels off the ground.
3. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, press through the balls of your feet to return to the starting position, dropping your heels back to the ground when you are upright.

You can watch Kirsch perform the move here:

Platypus Walk

After perfecting the plié toe squat, you’re already halfway to mastering the platypus walk. This dynamic move is a powerful sculptor of the entire lower body and core. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start in the fully lowered plié squat position so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. However, put your whole foot flat on the ground rather than keeping your heels up.
2. Place your arms up behind your head.
3. Pressing through your heel and mid foot, take a step forward with one leg (remaining in the squatted position), then the other leg, and then backwards with each leg in turn. You’ll want to remain in a squat the whole time, with your thighs roughly parallel to the floor.
4. Aim for 10 steps forward and back per leg or set a timer for 30 seconds.

Kirsch will walk you through it in the following video:

Your butt and thighs are sure to be feeling the benefits of these three powerful moves. Plus, while these tried and tested exercises are guaranteed to strengthen and tone your backside, one of the greatest perks to regularly incorporating them into your workout routine is that you’ll feel the results. You’ll notice a newfound body confidence and swagger that will have you commanding a room and turning heads like J.Lo. And, to better show off your toned butt, we recommend slathering on some Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream ($45). Featuring nourishing Brazilian ingredients (so you know it's legit) like guaraná, cupuaçu butter, açaí, and coconut oil, it promises to tighten and smooth the appearance of your skin.

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream $45.00

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