Results in 21 Days? Yes, It Can Be Done

Entrenched in advice on how to build a toned tush in three weeks, I couldn’t help but wonder if it really could work for me.

The promise of a firm fanny in 10 to 15 minutes a day with some aerobic exercise worked in a few times a week? Who couldn’t do that? If sculpting a muscle was the goal, then my flat backside was the perfect canvas. Without endorsing one particular program, I settled on a daily 15-minute routine made up of the most widely recommended exercises aimed at the derriere.

I concentrated on various squats, lunges and leg lifts by rotating videos that target the buns and going to the gym and working with weights. At the gym I did exercises in sets of three, as suggested, slightly increasing the weight each time. During the day I tried to remember to squeeze my buns in idle moments.

For aerobic exercise I walked / jogged with my overweight Siberian husky, Kayla, 1.5 miles four to five times a week.

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Week One:

I’m spending more time balancing myself and getting the choreography of these tapes down than doing the exercises themselves. I am a big oaf. My muscles ache by the fifth to sixth repetition of each exercise. I’m ready to give up at 10 minutes.

The gym routine goes easier. Using weight seems to balance me. I cannot do the last set at the higher weight the first two times. I go back to the original weight. After two days my buns and upper thighs feel pleasantly sore.

I’m struggling with Kayla during the walks. She thinks we are racing the Iditarod. I feel stronger by week’s end, but see no change, except that the exercise makes me feel good.

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Week Two:

I’m doing the taped exercises more efficiently now, but not as fluidly as the instructor. I still cannot do the entire set. Squats and lunges are killer on my knees; the trick is not letting your knee go any farther than your toes when bending.

At the gym, I lowered my starting weight so I can increase on all three sets. This works. I only went to the gym twice this week and blew off one whole day of exercise totally. I feel guilty.

My kids think the videos are goofy but fun. They join me for two sessions, and then run to the mirror to see if their buns have changed. At least walking Kayla is easier.

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Week Three:

I missed two days of the 15-minute routine. I will adjust my goal for the three total days lost. I can do all the taped exercises with smooth control now. The last two days I used 3-pound weights during lunges and squats. My weight training at the gym remains the same. My 1.5-mile haul has settled into a brisk 20-minute walk.

In three weeks I experienced no dramatic physical change, but my attitude did a complete 360. My posture is better, and I’ve started to see definition in my upper thighs. And yes, my buns feel firmer. I definitely feel stronger. Kayla, meanwhile, has lost four pounds.