How to boost your booty WITHOUT going under the knife

Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs) have become one of the most popular forms of plastic surgery in the US in recent years – with doctors reporting a rapid rise in the number of procedures carried out. But the operation also comes with serious risks, prompting medical experts to brand it one of the ‘deadliest types’ of cosmetic enhancement. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of other non-evasive options on offer for those who are hoping to hone the perfect posterior – from expert workout moves to easy, pain-free cosmetic procedures that don’t involve going under the knife. 

More than 61,000 BBL augmentations were performed in the US in 2021, a 37 per cent increase from the previous year. These figures do not include the many women who travel abroad to receive BBLs for a lower price. 

It is known as the riskiest cosmetic procedure a person can undergo, with one in every 3,000 patients dying from complications including fat embolization, where fat from the injection enters the blood stream and travels into the lungs or heart, and seromas, where fluid builds up underneath the site of a surgical incision and could become infected.

If you still want to achieve that curvaceous figure without injections or implants read on for some top tips from fitness and cosmetic experts, with one treatment said to offer the results of performing 20,000 squats in 30 minutes… 

Experts say you can still achieve a bootylicious shape like Jennifer Lopez without having painful injections

‘The equivalent of 20,000 squats in 30 minutes’: Doctor-approved technology to plump up your butt without surgery

Dr Jennifer Levine, who offers both non-invasive and surgical services in New York City, advocates a non-invasive body shaping procedure called Emsculpt Neo that provides simultaneous fat elimination and muscle building.

The treatment, which costs $1,200 for a single 30-minute session, delivers high intensity electromagnetic stimulation, along with radiofrequency. Dr Levine says this serves up the same results as if you were to perform 20,000 squats.

In terms of the number of treatments needed, the plastic surgeon recommends four to six sessions spaced five to ten days apart. She adds that patients can see results as early as a few weeks but it could take up to 12 weeks to see the full effect.

To finish things off, Dr Levine offers an ‘Emtone’ treatment, which is an FDA-cleared radiofrequency device that is used to reduce the appearance of cellulite. A single treatment costs $900 on the buttocks or a package of six can be purchased for $4,500.

She explains: ‘Emtone can also be done as a standalone treatment and is typically completed in a series of four to six treatments done once or twice a week.’

Dr Jennifer Levine, who offers both non-invasive and surgical services in New York City, advocates a non-invasive body shaping procedure called Emsculpt Neo that provides simultaneous fat elimination and muscle building. Pictured above: A before (left) and after (right) shot showing the results of the treatment

To finish things off, Dr Levine offers an ‘Emtone’ treatment, which is an FDA-cleared radiofrequency device that is used to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Pictured above: A before (left) and after (right) shot showing the results of the treatment

‘A painless laser with no downtime needed’: ‘Miracle’ laser will firm your derriere

Dr Michele Green, who is also a plastic surgeon based in New York City, recommends a ‘miracle’ laser treatment to produce a firmer and smoother butt. 

She says: ‘Thermage laser is a gold standard for non-invasive skin tightening.

‘Thermage uses radiofrequency technology to heat the collagen-rich layers of the skin, stimulating collagen production and reducing skin laxity. When the skin firms, fine lines and wrinkles are diminished to produce a smoother complexion.’

While Thermage seems like a great option it is one of the more expensive non-invasive treatments, with each session costing between $1,000 and $5,000 depending on the size of the area treated. However, the skin tightening effects of a single treatment can last up to two years. 

Unlike fat or silicone injects, Dr Green notes that Thermage treatments are ‘painless’. 

She explains: ‘Each time the handpiece touches the skin, there is a sensation of heat that is tolerable. 

‘There is also no downtime associated with the treatment and normal daily activities can be resumed immediately after. The treated area may be slightly swollen and red temporarily, which dissipates within an hour.’

Dr Green’s before and after photos of patients show a noticeable lift of the butt cheeks with smoother skin. She highlights that the effect is more natural than injections and fillers.  

A four-step butt-enhancing workout with ‘excellent’ results  

Kenny Guzman, who is a personal trainer in Tribeca, New York, with a number of celebrities on his roster says he has seen ‘incredible’ results with his four-step butt-enhancing routine. 

His purse-friendly butt-focused workout programs typically last eight to 12 weeks and the same exercises are repeated each session. Two of the exercises use weights and the fitness coach says that the weight sizes can be increased as your strength improves.

He told Femail: ‘To get the best results and a butt on the way to being like J-Lo’s, I’d recommend doing that routine four times per week. Building natural good looking glutes takes time. The exercises listed do an excellent job of not only working your glutes directly but they also build/define the muscles around the glutes. 

‘The combination of both direct and indirect work helps ‘polish’ the lower body and aid in giving off that ‘lift’ of the glutes.’

Here Guzman details the four key movements to unlocking the perfectly sculpted derriere:

1. Banded side lying hip raise

Kenny Guzman, who is a personal trainer in Tribeca, New York, with a number of celebrities on his roster says he has seen ‘incredible’ results with his four-step butt-enhancing routine. The fitness trainer is seen performing a banded side lying hip raise

‘An important part of growing your glutes, isn’t just lifting heavy, but hitting them from different angles as well,’ Guzman says. 

‘You’re not going to need any weight for this one but you will need a resistance band above the knees. 

‘Position yourself with your elbow down on the ground and your knees bent. You’ll sort of be set up in a side plank but with your knees near your hips. 

‘Raise your hips off the ground and open your top leg as wide as you can on the way up. Bring your hips and knees back down to the ground and repeat this for three sets of ten reps on each side. Make sure to keep your elbow right under your shoulder while you complete this exercise. It’ll give you the leverage you need and prevent you getting injured.’

2. Goblet squats

Guzman’s butt-focused workout programs typically last eight to 12 weeks and the same exercises are repeated each session. Above, Guzman performs a goblet squat with weights

 ‘Grab a dumbbell upside down and carry it at chest height and with your elbows down,’ the trainer explains. 

‘How wide your feet are, isn’t so important as long as you can keep your heels planted and your knees facing forward on the way down. Shoulder width apart is usually a good rule of thumb. 

‘You’ll initiate the move by simultaneously bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if there were a chair behind you. Go down until your knees are at about 90 degrees and make sure to keep your chest up through all ten reps. 

‘It’s also quite important that you bring your hip forward and finish with them directly under your shoulders. Perform three to four sets of ten slow reps. PSA: You know you’re using the right weight if you start to struggle on the eighth rep. I call this the eight rep rule.’ 

3. Step ups

Two of Guzman’s exercises, including step ups, use weights and these can be increased as your strength increases

 ‘Grab a pair of dumbbells and look for a knee height bench or box,’ Guzman advises. ‘Pick the side you want to start with and raise that foot onto the box. 

‘This’ll be your working leg. With the dumbbells in hand, step up onto the box without using much, if any of momentum from the opposite leg. 

‘Step back down slowly while keeping the working leg on the box. Complete three sets of ten reps on each side.’

4. Staggered stance bodyweight hip thrust 

‘The staggered stance bodyweight hip thrust is also an incredibly effective and simple way to working on your glutes,’ Guzman says 

 ‘You can consider this a prerequisite to the “barbell hip thrust” which is widely considered the go-to exercise for building glutes,’ he notes. ‘What shouldn’t go unsaid is how hard it is to set up the barbell hip thrust. 

‘The staggered stance bodyweight hip thrust is also an incredibly effective and simple way to working on your glutes. Place a bench against a wall and lay perpendicular to the bench with your shoulder blades resting on it. 

‘Extend one leg and bend the other. This should position you with the heel of the extended leg on the ground and the other foot flat on the floor.

‘You’ll use that side to push into the ground and raise your hips up to bench height. Use the heel on the extended leg to give you a bit of help. Concentrate on squeezing the glute of the working side at the top of each rep. Complete three sets of ten reps on each side.’

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