Now that summer is nearing, more women are scrambling to remedy the sagging state of their derriere after months of being hidden in bulky clothing. Now that we’re about to take our bikinis out of storage, it’s time to work on those glutes to ensure a firm and well-rounded tush when it’s time to sashay around the poolside.

The good news is, you don’t have to add in countless extra hours in the gym to achieve a bubble butt, in fact some of the most effective workouts for a bigger butt can be done at home, without having to wait in line to use the sweaty machines at the gym. Armed with just an exercise ball, you can be well on your way to get the derriere of your dreams in no time.

An exercise ball, also known as a stability ball, helps specifically develop the core muscles, since it challenges one’s sense of balance. With the use of an exercise ball, you get to utilize more muscles when you do your workouts. It distributes the pressure your abdomen and your back when you’re doing strenuous exercises, which also improves your endurance.

How does this help you get a better butt? Most ball exercises target the lower half of your body, and developing muscle on your butt is key to keeping things firm. However, too much pressure on the gluteus maximus during exercises isn’t a good thing as well. If all our exercises utilize the butt muscles alone, too much of the fat in our butt will be burned, which would result to a flatter behind. The way to go about it is to make sure your workouts exercise other areas such as your thighs and abdomen as well. The exercise ball is great in distributing the muscle development to other areas of the body.

If you have an exercise ball lying around (or if this article has convinced you enough to go out and buy one), add these three proven, butt-improving exercises to your daily workout to jumpstart your way to a bikini-ready butt.

1. Leg Curls on a Stability Ball

1.) Lie down on your back and rest your lower legs on the stability ball, making sure that your heels are at touching the center of the ball.

2.) Slowly lift your feet making sure that the brunt of your weight rests on your shoulder blades and feet, and try to pull in the ball as close to your torso as you can. Make sure to flex the butt and hamstrings, but still keeping the weight on your upper body.

3.) Hold the contracted position for about 5 seconds, then slide back to original position then repeat again. Do two to three sets of 10-15 repetitions every other day so she has a chance to make use of her other muscles in exercise routines. If you’re looking to step up a bit, you can also try only keeping one foot in the air, and completing the leg curls with just one leg.

2. Stability Ball Reverse Extension

Contrary to popular belief, in order to get a drool worthy butt, other body parts should just be as toned too, to emphasize her backside even more. A flatter belly and slimmer legs will give you that coveted figure-8 body you’ve always dreamed about.

1.) Lie on the stability ball, face down with your flat hands and toes touching the floor. Your lower torso should be resting lightly on to the stability ball. Think of this form as Yoga’s downward dog with a ball wedged in between (it’s just as relaxing too!).

2.) Keep legs pressed together and slowly lift legs until they are parallel with your torso. You should be feeling the pressure on your core muscles. Don’t overexert yourself, and lift your legs too high up from your body since this would take it’s toll on your lower back.

3.) Slowly and with control, lower legs back to starting position. Do at least 15 reps of this exercise three times a week or more for faster results.

3. Superman Butt Lift

While the original superman lift already does a decent job in firming up your Gluteus Maximus, when you add in an exercise ball, it gets the work done so much faster. It also does your body the additional favor of torching stubborn lower back fat (the dreaded muffin top), so your curvy booty would be emphasized.

1.) Lie facedown on a yoga mat or on the floor, with arms extended in front of you and the sides of your palms touching the floor. An exercise ball should be wedged securely between your calves.

2.) Inhale deeply and use your abdominal and lower back muscles to lift your arms, knees and chest off the floor, taking care not to bend your elbows or knees. Hold this position for 15 counts, then slowly lower yourself back to the original position in a controlled manner.

3.) Do at least 10 repetitions per workout.