While all of society and the media seem to be pushing the idea that thin is in, this week I’ve decided to pay homage to one body part where bigger is better … the butt! Thanks to stars like Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, curves are back. So this week we are going to explore some great exercises to add to your workout routine to get a beautifully sculpted butt.

First there are your two most basic lower body moves that are guaranteed to show results: the squat and the lunge. Both of these exercises can be done with just body weight, hand weights or a weighted bar for added resistance. If you are new to these exercises, definitely start with just body weight to get the form down right and work your way up to adding weight. These exercises target all the major muscle groups of your lower body, the quadriceps (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs) and gluteus maximus (the butt).

For the squat, start with your feet hip-width apart and upper body straight (try and focus on stacking your shoulders right above your hips to start). Begin bending your knees to start the move. The most important thing to remember with the squat is to keep your knees directly over the top of your ankles through the entire motion — so focus on sticking your butt back as you come down. You will need to bend your upper body slightly forward for this move. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor. At the bottom of your repetition, stop and look down at your toes. If you can’t see them, you need to sit back further. You should also be able to lift your toes up off the floor at the bottom of your squat if you are using proper form. Return to the top, and there you have it … the squat! Try for sets of 10 repetitions, and go for three sets.

The lunge is similar to the squat except you are isolating one leg at a time. Start by taking a big step forward with your right leg. Then start lowering your left knee down toward the floor. You want to stop before your left knee actually touches the floor (go for about one to two inches off the ground). At the end of your rep stop and make sure you check the alignment of your right leg. The knee should once again be directly over your right ankle. Remember that the lunge motion is more of a downward motion as opposed to a forward motion. As you did with squats, go for sets of 10 reps and three sets.

There are many other great exercises that just focus on the glute muscles. The first is a very basic glute extension. Stand with your feet together. Then find your balance by holding onto a bar or the wall. Begin on the right side, raise your right foot up off the floor and with your leg straight, raise your foot several feet off the floor behind you. This may look similar to some ballet movements, but don’t we all want dancers’ butts? When you feel a strain in your glute muscle pause for a moment and return to the start. For added intensity, do not allow your right foot to touch the floor between repetitions. Repeat on the left side. Try three sets of 12 (on each side).

The next set of exercises is great for your glutes, your core and, thus, will help with your balance. With all of these moves you will be on all fours in a table-top position. Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders and your knees are directly under your hips. Try to keep your hips flat towards the floor; you will want to open your hips to the side for many of these moves, but keep your hips flat to challenge the glute muscles even more. For the first move, take your right arm and left leg up off of the mat and extend your arm forward and your leg backward. This move is often used in pilates classes. At the top of your rep, your arm and leg should be parallel with the floor. Pause for a moment at the top and bring the elbow and knee together under your body. Go for sets of 12 to 15 reps on each side, and try for two to three sets.

The final exercise is what some fitness instructors affectionately refer to as a “donkey kick.” Start in that same table-top position, but you will just be raising the right and left legs off the ground, hands can stay put. On the right side, keep the knee bent and kick the heel of your right foot up toward the ceiling. At the top of your rep your right knee should be even with your hip and right foot visible in a mirror above your back. This is the donkey kick. Then to vary the donkey kick, kick up in the same fashion, but instead of bringing your knee back down to the floor where you started extend your leg straight out to the right side. This will engage your outer thighs as well at the glute muscle. Go for sets of 12 to 15 reps on each side, and two to three sets.

Try adding these exercises into your workout routine, and you might be pleasantly surprised how fabulous your butt is looking in your jeans.