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Dear Coco,
How do I get a butt like yours? Exercise? New genes? New... jeans?
—Butt-less in Seattle
Dear Butt-less in Seattle,
It is a little bit of the genes, I was handed down a great pair of hips from my mother and a bubble butt from the dad’s side. Also, when I was younger I was skinny and athletic — I was not as voluptuous as I am now, not even close. Most people wouldn’t believe that. You have to be willing to go to the gym and lift weights. When you go to the gym and just do cardio, you’re only burning fat. You have to do the heavy lifting. I do heavy squats, lunges, anything that promotes a deep groove in your back. There are also three muscles you have to work.
The three muscles are the top of the butt, side of the butt, middle of the butt. So you will have to work all three heavily to get a booty. The problem is women think it’s just the gluteus maximus, but no, there are the others that you have to focus on and put some weight on. I go to the gym and leg press 400 pounds, no joke. Since I have been working out for a long time, I have to keep adding more and more weight as the years go on.
If you look at women body builders for example, before they bulk up they are skinny, with no body to them. But when they build, they work the triceps, biceps, glutes etc. and everything becomes accentuated. If you turn them around, they have a booty. They have to go out there and work out to promote muscle growth.
Most women are afraid to work out with heavy weights because they are afraid of looking like a man, but you’ll never look like that because men have testosterone. Women have a little but there’s no way you can start to look like a man. Also, to help overcome this fear you can do cardio as well. If you build muscle at the same time that you do cardio you’ll be losing fat so it will even out.
I do 30 minutes on weights and 30 minutes on the treadmill. I post
regular fitness tips on my Twitter account @cocosworld first and then they are logged on my blog.
—Coco
Dear Coco,
I'm shy of my body but have always wanted to feel and dress sexy. How do I get past this and feel more comfortable with myself?
—The Bashful Blond
Dear Bashful Blond,
I’ve always told women to pick their favorite body part, then accentuate it. Let’s say you like your waist but you think your hips are big — maybe a try long black casual dress with a wide black belt, so you are accentuating your small waist. So you’re focusing in on that part of you that you want to be seen, but everything else is covered. I work out a lot so I’ll wear skimpier things to show off more of my body, but I have those moments when I’m like ok I’m feeling a little heavy today — then maybe I’ll wear a long dress so I’m covering myself but then add the wide belt, making my waist look small, so I still feel good about it.
And there is not one girl that has ever said no to this suggestion: heels! I’ve always felt good in a nice pair of heels and they can be any height. They don’t have to be super high — you can wear any height you feel comfortable in. I find women become more alive and confident in heels. They are so easy too; you can just throw on a pair of jeans and heels to pick yourself up. I’m heels all the way! To make me feel good! Even in my sweats sometimes I’ll throw on a pair of heels just to start feeling good and get going for the day.
—Coco
Dear Coco,
I am curvy. I have hips. I have big boobs. I can never find swimwear that fits, supports, and flatters my curves. Any suggestions for where a curvy girl should shop?
—Seriously Seeking Swimwear
Dear Seriously Seeking Swimwear,
This is a tricky one because I literally roam the internet looking for cute swimwear. Recently, I’ve been into this new swimwear company Vitamin A, they have wires in the swimsuit tops for support and come in bigger sizes. They also have a lot of pinup styles and I’m really into the pinup look.
Other than that, I would say Victoria Secret always works. They have some really cute swimsuit styles and they come all shapes and sizes so there is something flattering for everyone.
I have a problem with swimwear myself sometimes. Like when I go to the beach it may look different when the paparazzi is around because they are trying to get a good shot. But the truth is, when I’m going to the beach I’m just looking for the smallest swimsuit I can find so that I can get a good tan all over.
I’m covered up more if on vacation, say, and walking around. I want to look fashionable then. If you’re looking for something with coverage and that’s really flattering to most women, I would say try Vitamin A.
Check back tomorrow for part two of Coco's epic advice column, in which she answers your questions about love and relationships.