These Ankle Weights Are Like Dumbbells for My Butt
Editor’s note: We originally republished this post in January as part ofButt Week. We’re republishing it again today because it’s now enabled with ouron-site shopping tool, so you can buy these fugly-yet-effective ankle weights without leaving this page.
I’ve long had an obsession with my butt. In high school, every body-hugging prom dress at Wet Seal made me look like a Saran Wrapped slice of bacon. When my adult curves finally set in, my butt stayed “cute” — my friends assured me — but goingjeans shoppingalways made me feel like Betty White trying on a young person’s clothes. I had to do something about it.
That’s when I discovered the magic of ankle weights. According to celebrity fitness guru Jillian Michaels,wearing ankle weightson a stroll can help integrate a little strength training to everyday workouts, so for a time, I’d wear my four-pound weights every day — going up and down stairs to chuck garbage, grabbing the mail, and unabashedly greeting friends at the door. (This was before I discovered thatMelaniahad the same penchant.) More recently, I’ve learned an even better way to use myfitness equipment— during actual exercises.
I’ve started doing leg lifts, jump squats, and hip extensions with them to increase the resistance to my lower half. The first few sets were always easy — the last ones bordered on excruciating. They created a new soreness to my muscles that I’d never experienced before. I began to think of them as littledumbbellsfor my bottom (half). Unlike other ankle weights, the onesfrom All Proare adjustable — I can add and remove weight as needed. They’re comfy around the ankle and don’t slide around the way other versions I’ve worn at the gym can. They’re not the prettiest things in the world, but wearing them made exercise fun and kitschy and — most surprisingly — something I looked forward to. Soon, I was filling out the seat of my pants just a little bit more. I’ve noticed a firmer crease under my bum where there never used to be one. I’m going to be buying new jeans.
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