For many, it must seem as though a firm and shapely rear end is further from reach than the elusive six-pack. Brazilians are famous for them, and Jennifer Lopez managed to shift the focus from the front to the back. But it seems most people have more of a wall than a shelf. While the genetically gifted don’t have to sweat to get a little junk in the trunk, the rest of us have to do grunt work to add even an extra inch to our derrieres. This column will provide you with tips, techniques and exercises to help you get a strong, healthy butt.

It’s always nice to be able to fill out a great pair of jeans, but there’s more than aesthetics to a strong butt. The butt muscles are some of the largest in the body, and they play a significant role in overall fitness. Not only do the muscles help with locomotion, they also provide the upper body stability upon the lower body and help displace the strain of impact from walking, running and other weight-bearing activities. If you’ve got strong butt muscles (chances are you don’t), then you’re less prone to injury both above and below the waist. Those muscles can also help place your spine in a neutral position which can help to reduce lower back strain and keep the knees aligned to limit injury potential. Unfortunately, those muscles are often inactive. Sitting down most of the day trains the butt to be lazy. If you were sat on all day, I’m sure you’d feel the same way. One sure fire way to keep that booty active is to get up at regular intervals. You’ll also probably find yourself more alert and more productive.

As I mentioned before, the muscles of the butt help keep the spine in a more neutral alignment. The truth is, the majority of people don’t use their butts properly which leads to excessive arching of the lower spine and, eventually, lower back pain. One way to counteract this is to learn how to do a pelvic tilt. It can be tricky to learn, but becomes easy with practice. The best way to do this is to stand so that your heels, butt and upper back are in contact with a wall. Reach your arm down into the space between your lower back and wall. Most likely you’ll find loads of space there. Now try to close up that space by squeezing your glutes and drawing your abdominals in. Just focus on trying to pin your hand between the lower back and the wall. This is a more neutral position and is probably very difficult for you to hold. Practice this maneuver several times a day. Over time, try to integrate this posture into your activities of daily living such as standing in front of the coffee maker or going for a walk with a friend. Try to continuously contract your butt muscles as much as possible. You’ll feel like a robot at first, but, with practice, you will find it relatively easy to integrate the pelvic tilt into your daily life.

There really is no better exercise for building a bulbous butt. While you may not be able to achieve J-Lo status, it is possible to increase muscle mass in the rear through regular exercise. The basic squat is pretty simple. Stand with feet hip-width apart and slowly bend your knees while simultaneously pushing the butt behind the body. Try to keep the body as upright as possible without over arching the low back. Try to go so low that your upper leg becomes parallel with the ground. This may take some practice. Then, concentrating on your butt muscles, push back up to start position and perform a pelvic tuck to finish it off. You can also widen your stance, but make sure that your knees and toes are always facing the same direction. A wider stance will also integrate the muscles on the inside and outside of the thigh.

How do the top film stars get in shape for those close-up bum shots? They jump. A lot. Like football players and baseball catchers, increasing size has a lot to do with explosive movements. Basically this exercise is just like the traditional squat except that you jump in and out of position.

Often, people have strength and flexibility deficits, which can lead to compensation patterns on one side of the body. In order to eliminate these deficiencies, I will require that clients perform the exercise on one side then the other. For example, the single-leg squat: It’s just like the regular squat, except you lower your body toward the ground using only one weight-bearing leg. This exercise will also challenge your balance and help all those little assistor muscles grow as well. Once you’ve mastered this exercise add a jump for greater growth.

You may feel a bit like a ballerina, but this sure-fire butt kicker will have you catching dreamy glances in no time. Like the traditional lunge, this variation gets an extra contraction of the glutes to round off those sharp edges. When you come out of the lunge, extend the non-weight bearing leg behind you and actively contract the muscle.

This tried and true exercise will not only help sculpt a sexy ass, it can also help you improve your posture. Lie on your back and bring your heels as close to your rear as possible. Place your feet and knees hip-width apart, and then push your hips up toward the ceiling. You can either hold this position for an extended period of time (a minute is a pretty good length) or you can perform 15-20 repetitions.

A strong butt is not only aesthetically pleasing, it can help reduce your potential for pain and injury. It is important to have enough muscle tissue there to help displace the shock of weight-bearing impact. Also continue to upgrade the challenge by adding jumps or different ranges of motion. Most of all, keep up the hard work and you’ll have plenty of junk in your trunk in no time.