Cara Kempf is a certified personal trainer with the Fitness Zone in Carmel and a group fitness instructor with NIFS in downtown Indianapolis. She can be contacted at fitnessblog@theindychannel.com.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Having a killer backside is difficult to achieve and maintain. Lots of fat ends up being stored back there whether we like it or not, so in order to attain such a goal, you really have to work at it.

The key to great glutes is a good butt-kicking routine (pun intended) that will lift and tone your rear to new heights.

Maintaining a good cardio routine always does the glutes good, but if you really want to step it up a notch, you must add (repeat, ADD, not replace) some muscle conditioning moves that will target those muscles. In addition, with the following four moves you will also target the hips and thighs (no harm in working a couple of extra muscles, right?):

Front lunge: Stand with your feet hip width apart, knees soft. Lunge forward with your right foot until your right thigh is parallel with the floor, and your left thigh is perpendicular with the floor. Pause for one count, then push off the right heel and return to starting position. Repeat on the other side. Do eight to 12 reps on each side.

One-legged squat (this is my favorite!): Stand with your right foot on the floor, and your left foot on a raised object directly behind you (a step, a chair, etc.). Balance is necessary for this one! Squat down until your legs are parallel and perpendicular, as above, and them press back up to the starting position. Focus on pressing up through your right heel, not your toes. Do eight to 12 reps on one leg, then switch to the other leg.

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Double-leg squat: Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width, toes pointed out. Slowly lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause for one count, then press back up to starting position. Do eight to 12 reps.

Step-down squat: Stand on a step with two risers underneath (about a foot and a half off the floor), feet about hip width apart. Slowly step down sideways until your support leg (the one on the step) is parallel to the floor. Pause, then push back up to starting position. Do all reps on one leg, then switch to other leg, eight to 12 times.

Tips for these four exercises:

Always make sure you stand with tall posture, abdominals pulled in and eyes forward.

Try not to let your knees bend over your ankles. The knee should stay directly over the ankle to stabilize the knee joint.

To make the moves tougher, hold a dumbbell in each hand while performing the moves.

Do three sets of each move two or three times per week, and you’ll have great glutes in no time!