Vegan jeans?
Vegan clothing doesn’t have animals woven into its fabric in any way. No silk. No leather labels.
And quite often, made with organic, sustainable materials. It’s a way of making your clothing speak more than as fashion. Let’s call it fashion with conviction.
Looking great in your vegan jeans
Yes, the fabric and cut of jeans can make a big difference in how they look. Yet bottom line (couldn’t resist that one) your jeans are only as good as what you put in them.
Fortunately, there are some specific techniques and strategies that can help you build a better shape out back. That means a ‘lifted’ seat. Higher assets as you will. And these same strategies give you better posture and protect you from lower back pain. How’s that for a fitness package?
Gluteals take center stage when it comes to how you look and feel ‘out back’.
You would never know that gluteals are actually one of our most neglected muscles. Though they are one of our prime movers, they are often overstretched and underdeveloped from sitting too much, resulting in a flattened shape. And don’t count on your walking or even basic calisthenics routine to do much for your glutes; it’s just not enough challenge to the muscle.
Variation on the quadruped hip extension: Fit Quickies #4
We’ve become so good at letting the lower back and thighs take the workload that the glutes may well have been hitching a ride for years. This can result in poor posture and low back pain. Gluteals are an important core muscle, essential to fluid movement and good posture. All the more reason to get them in gear.
2 workout moves that target your gluteals:
For beautiful shape and back-protecting function of the gluteals, here are 2 exercises you can count on to lift your seat and change your backside profile.
1) Quadruped hip extension: The quadruped hip extension came out on TOP in a recent study conducted by the American Council on Exercise. The study used EMG (electromyography) to compare 8 different exercises that have been traditionally used to target gluteals and hamstrings specifically. The quadriped hip extension was one of those that came on top in terms of most muscle activation to the glutes. So much so that I adapted it to 2 variations that I have named Fit Quickie #4, Gorgeous Glutes and Hamstrings.
The Split Lunge: Excellent for targeting the gluteals for lower body shaping
2) Split Lunge: In this same study, split lunges surprisingly beat squats, which fitness trainers had voted the most likely to succeed in this muscle activation of gluteals during exercise contest. You can view a short video of exactly how to perform this exercise on the Plant-Strong Fitness Expert blog: Lower Body Shaping: The Split Lunge.
Perform each of these exercises for 3 sets of 15 repetitions each 3 – 5 times a week, and watch that back yard change.
Those new vegan jeans will never know what hit ‘em.
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Lani Muelrath, M.A. is Vegan Mainstream’s new Health & Fitness Expert. Watch for regular articles from Lani on how to be a strong, healthy, fit vegan.
Lani is also “The Plant-Strong Fitness Expert” and creator of The Body Transformation Formula and Fit Quickies™. She has a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and over 30 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and trainer. She has received awards for her instruction, created and starred in her own CBS TV Show, and her expertise in the area of health and fitness is called upon by examiner.com, Dr. John McDougall’s Health and Medical Center and Dr. Neal Barnard’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program. She is Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition Certification through Cornell University.
