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PIX: How to get a hot bikini butt!

Fitness expert Brinda Sapat and dermatologist Dr Kolhe tell you how to tone, sculpt and smoothen your butt to get it bikini-ready this season!

With more and more Bollywood babes willing to show off their marvelously toned bodies in swimsuits, its only natural that the common woman (and man, thanks to inspiration from John Abraham!) should want to follow suit. While there's nothing as hot as a well-shaped derriere, there's also nothing as putting off as exposing a badly maintained one. You needs to have a closer look in the mirror and try to fix the flaws before you flaunt.

Now you can get the firm toned and lifted butt that you've always wanted! This routine is suited to all fitness levels and armed to give you results.

Do bear in mind that just doing the exercises listed below is not enough. Your derriere needs a complete plan, including cardiovascular exercise, correct nutrition and skincare, which we will also be outlining.

Cardiovascular exercise pumps up your heart rate, circulates the blood and burns excess fat and cellulite. It must be done 4-5 days a week for at least 30 minutes at a brisk, nonstop pace. Take your pick from walking/jogging, swimming, cycling or aerobics.

Healthy eating requires you to stay away from fattening foods (oily, fried, sweet foods). You need to eat 5-6 small meals a day instead of 2-3 heavy ones. And here's the key -- eat a light dinner three hours before bedtime. Of course, extreme diets are a no-no!

Move to the following pages for the Ultimate Butt Workout!

The Ultimate Butt Workout

Perform the following exercises every alternate day.

Squats

Stand with your feet a little more than hip distance apart. The toes and knees should point forward. Hold your hands out in front of you with fingers linked. Slowly bend from the hip and lower your body till your thighs are parallel to the floor, as if you were trying to sit in a chair placed way behind you. Make sure your knees stay in line with the ankle and don't cross past your toes. Now press your heels into the floor, squeeze your butt as you lift your body up to standing without jerking or locking the knees.

Do 12- 16 repetitions.

Lunges

Stand with your right leg on a step or a 6" pile of books and left leg way behind you (this is the leg you are working). The torso should be centered. Concentrate the weight of your body on the front leg without leaning forward. Place your hand on your waist. Slowly lower your body by bending both knees (do not bend from the waist.) Your left knee should aim for the floor. Make sure the right knee stays in line with the ankle. Now press the right heel into the floor and squeeze your butt as you lift up to standing, without jerking or locking the knees.

Do 12 reps with the right leg, then 12 with the left.

Dead lifts

Hold a heavy water bottle in your hands in front of your thighs. Stand with feet hip distance apart. Keeping your back very tall and tight, bend forward from the hip till your torso is parallel to the floor. Do not round your back. Lift up to standing as you squeeze your butt.

Do 16 repetitions.

Butt crunches

Lie flat on the floor, using a mat. Bend your knees and place your heels on the floor. Your arms are relaxed by your sides. Lift your butt as you give it a squeeze while pressing the heels into the floor. Slowly lower and before you touch down, lift up for the next rep.

Do 16 reps.

If this gets too easy for you, do the same with the left leg lifted up. This make only the right hip bear the body weight and work harder. Do 12 reps, then change legs.

Standing rear leg raises

Stand facing a wall. Place your hands on the wall. Flex your right foot and lift it backwards as you squeeze your right hip. Do not arch your back. Lower it and before you touch the floor, lift up for the next rep.

Do 16 reps with the right, then left.

Donkey kicks

Get onto the floor on all fours and down on your elbows. Now pull the right knee in towards your chest and then push the leg diagonally up and back as you extend the knee. Squeeze the butt as you lift the leg. Be careful not to round or arch your back. Slowly lower the leg.

Do 16 reps with the right, then left.

Repeat all the exercises from squats through to donkey kicks and then  move on to stretches.

Stretches

After all that work, your butt muscles need to be stretched to prevent getting stiff and sore.

• Lie down and pull both your knees in to the chest. Hold for 10-20 seconds.
• Roll over onto your tummy and pull your heels in towards the hips with your hands. Hold for 10-20 seconds. This stretch is for the front of the thigh, which worked in tandem with the butt.
• Come up to a seated position. Bend your right knee and pull your lower leg into the chest, holding it as if you are cradling a baby. Hold for 10-20 seconds. Repeat with the left.

Dermatologically speaking

When it comes to skincare for your derriere, common problems around the area are pigmentation, infections, cellulitis and textural defects.

Infections like heat boils(painful, pus-filled boils) or fungal infections like ringworm (itchy circular patches)or yeast infections (whitish macerated skin especially in the buttock fold) are common in summer months due to trapped sweat in the area.

Medical help is definitely required, rather than trying to self-medicate with over-the-counter preparations. Ask your skin specialist for a course of antibiotics or antifungals, as the case may be.

How to tackle pigmentation

Pigmentation can occur easily as friction triggers colour production in Asian skin and the butt area is perpetually exposed to friction from sitting, tight undergarments and friction due to excess fat in the overweight.

Old infections like boils leave ugly dark spots after settling. Roughness of skin also occurs due to friction and poor blood supply in the area, causing a permanent goosebumps-like eruption.

Some people also have a condition called 'Keratosis Pilaris', in which the base of each hair follicle becomes prominent, makin the skin feel rough.

Home remedies like body scrubs and buffing brushes can only help partially. Chemical peeling with salicylic acid or a glycolic acid-based body peel like 'Refinity' can help to dissolve away the bad skin layer by layer until the desired smoothness and lightening of the blemishes is achieved. These treatments need to be repeated 4-6 times at 15-20 day intervals and are quick, painless and effective.

Aerobics and Mesotherapy for cellulitis

Cellulitis is a condition that is caused by lumpy fat deposits in the buttock or back of the thigh area. The fat , apart from disturbing the smooth contour of the area, also decreases blood supply, giving an unhealthy dimpled or puckered 'orange peel' appearance to the skin.

Aerobic exercise helps to decrease cellulitis, but it's notoriously hard to get rid off completely. Mesotherapy is a great help in such cases. Lipolytic or fat-dissolving medications are injected at multiple points under the skin over target areas using a Meso-gun or special Meso-syringes (an anaesthetic cream is used first, so it's not painful). The medications mobilise the lumped-up fat into the blood stream. The treatment needs repetitions, depending on how bad the problem is.

Lose inches and smoothen!

Cavitation or Laser Lipolysis can also be used as a non-surgical way to bust fat cells in the butt area. However, a little temporary bruising should be expected after these treatments and one should be mentally prepared for that. If repeated 6-8 times with added exercise and diet control, one can lose inches off the butt in weeks.

With changing times and changing mindsets about exposure, its no longer just the face that's important. Hitherto neglected areas of the body like the butt are becoming increasingly cosmetically significant. Its time to pay attention and undo all those years of neglect. With all this, you're good to go. Remember, getting to the shape you want takes time so keep at it!