Browse social media and YouTube and you might believe that squats are the single golden key to a bigger, rounder, firmer butt. Sorry to burst the bubble, but building a shapelier backside takes more than one set of squats.
Your glutes are a major part of your body, and you sit on them all day. If you tend to be a couch potato, you may be doing your backside more harm than you realize. Strong, firm glutes are not just about looks: they help support your lower back and your knees.
If you want to start working out and improve the shape of your butt, you are in the right place. The guidelines and tips below can help you work toward a stronger, more toned rear.
First Things First: Understand Your Butt
Butt selfies are everywhere these days, and most of us have tried (and maybe failed) to take a flattering one. Don’t be discouraged. Before you can train for a Kim Kardashian-style rear, it helps to understand the anatomy of the muscles underneath.
1. Learn About Your Gluteal Muscles
Many of us are not sure what the gluteal muscles actually are. They are a group of three muscles that make up your buttocks:
- Gluteus maximus (G-Max): the largest of the three and one of the strongest muscles in the human body. It attaches the side of the sacrum to the femur (thighbone), drives movement of the hip and thigh, supports your upright standing position, and pushes your leg backward in external rotation. It is also largely responsible for the shape and appearance of your butt.
- Gluteus medius (G-Med): sits beneath the maximus and connects the hip bone to the thigh. It supports a steady walking gait and the internal rotation of the hip when your leg is flexed out in front of you.
- Gluteus minimus (G-Min): the smallest, situated beneath the medius. Together, G-Min and G-Med move your leg out to the side, a movement called abduction.
2. Work on the Gluteal Muscles
Now that you are familiar with the anatomy of your glutes, it is time to start developing them. A consistent, well-structured workout routine is what tends to deliver results over time.
3. Notice How Much Fat Covers Your Butt
You may have a larger but less defined rear at the moment. Those small bumps are cellulite under the skin, which appears when fat is deposited beneath the skin’s surface, creating dimples. Take note of how much fat is covering your glutes. Generally, the less cellulite there is, the easier it is to reveal the underlying shape of the muscle.
4. Reduce the Fat Covering Your Butt
Lotions and creams will not remove cellulite on their own. For more practical, longer-lasting results, combine a healthy diet with exercise, including some glute isolation moves. Isolation exercises work a single muscle group, while compound exercises work more than one group at a time. To target the gluteal muscles specifically, add isolation exercises to your routine.
Four Different Types of Butt Shapes for Women
Your skeletal structure defines the main shape of your body, while your fat distribution is largely influenced by genetics. There are four common female butt shapes. (Source: rebelcircus.com.)
1. Square – the H Shape
With this shape, fat is mainly distributed in the “love handle” area, and the hip bones tend to be higher and more prominent, sitting roughly perpendicular to the ground. That is why this shape is likened to a square.
2. Heart or Pear – the A Shape
The “A” shape usually comes from fuller thighs and buttocks and is often considered the most feminine of the butt shapes. Women with a heart or pear shape typically have a defined curve.
3. Round – the C or O Shape
A quick hint for this shape: Kim Kardashian. Viewed from the side or back, this shape is full and rounded, with fat evenly distributed on both sides of the butt.
4. Inverted – the V Shape
If the line between the pelvis and hips angles inward, you may have a V-shaped buttock. This is often associated with a decrease in estrogen levels in older women, which can shift fat storage from the butt toward the midsection. This shape can also be more prone to sagging.
How to Get a Bigger Butt Beyond Squats
If you assume that squats alone will give you your dream butt, you may be surprised. Squats are valuable, but folding them into a broader routine tends to be far more effective than doing them on their own. Here are some tips for building a bigger butt beyond squats.
1. Eat the Right Amount of Calories for Your Goals
Your daily calorie needs depend on factors such as your sex, age, height, weight, and activity level. Eating far too few calories over time can be harmful to your health, while regularly eating more than you need leads your body to store the surplus as fat. To lose fat, aim to eat slightly fewer calories than you burn. Any specific calorie target should be set with the guidance of a qualified professional rather than guessed at, since the right number varies a lot from person to person.
2. Eat Fewer Refined Carbs and More Protein
When it comes to managing weight, protein is a key nutrient. Protein can help you feel fuller, manage cravings, and curb your appetite, which may support fat loss. Good sources include fish, meat, chicken, and dairy, and there are many ways to include it in your meals. Cutting back on refined carbohydrates and added sugars may also help, since it can naturally reduce appetite. Combined with regular training, these habits can support gradual, steady progress.
3. Add High-Intensity Moves
High-intensity moves are an efficient way to challenge your gluteal muscles. They work the muscles while keeping your heart rate up, and they can burn calories in a relatively short session. Compared with a typical steady workout, high-intensity intervals push the body harder and increase its demand for oxygen. Many of these moves need no equipment, so you can do them almost anywhere. Examples include:
- Jump squats
- Burpees
- Sit-ups
- Split jumps
- Lunges
4. Start Glute Training with Bodyweight Exercises
Many of us train every muscle except the glutes. Begin with bodyweight moves you can do at home, because neglected glutes can contribute to a saggy appearance. A few useful options:
- Barbell squats: a solid foundation, but pair them with lunges and deadlifts. Squats alone work the glutes from only one angle.
- Glute bridges: great for building a firmer, more toned rear. They are not just for women, men benefit too. Done regularly, bridges may help reduce knee and back discomfort, strengthen the core, and improve posture.
Vary your exercises from day to day. Repeating the exact same routine can stall your progress, so keep your training varied.
5. Add Weights and Learn More Challenging Movements
Bodyweight exercises alone can take a while to produce visible results. As you progress, add weights and learn more complex moves. It is wise to get help from a qualified trainer when you start handling heavier loads. Resistance training has another benefit too: it helps support bone density as you age, builds muscle mass, and can help reduce body fat.
Tips for Reaching Your Bigger-Butt Goal
When you are working toward a goal, break the process into smaller steps. Steady progress and positive reinforcement help you keep a healthy mindset along the way. Here are a few more things to keep in mind.
1. Don’t Lift Too Heavy Until You Are Physically Ready
You may feel mentally ready for heavy weights before your body actually is. Don’t push too hard too soon; your body needs time to adapt. Give yourself recovery time by training on alternate days.
2. Train 3-5 Days Per Week and Use Progressive Overload
Never start with weights that are too heavy, as you risk hurting your back or straining a muscle. Progressive overload means gradually increasing frequency, intensity, and volume to reach a target. Start light and work your way up, training around 3-5 days a week so you don’t wear yourself out.
3. Start and End Each Workout with Glute Exercises
Bookending your sessions with glute work puts extra emphasis on these muscles, helping to activate and shape them.
4. Rest and Recover
Skipping rest and overtraining can backfire and often leads to muscle soreness. Some sources suggest muscles need roughly 24-36 hours to recover after an intense session. Depriving your body of adequate rest can slow your progress.
5. Keep Your Expectations Realistic
The shape and firmness of your glutes have a strong genetic component. If one of your parents has a flatter rear, that may influence yours too, just as naturally perky butts are often a gift of genes. That said, if firm glutes run in your family, even a little consistent effort can make a noticeable difference.
Be realistic about results. If you are aiming for an Amber Rose or Heidi Montag silhouette, keep in mind that some celebrity figures are the result of cosmetic procedures such as a Brazilian butt lift (a fat-transfer or implant-based augmentation). The same is sometimes true of figures like Kylie Jenner’s or Nicki Minaj’s. Butt augmentation is not without risk; it can cause health complications and may not look natural. Set goals you can realistically reach through training.
A Quick Word on Safety
Before making big changes to your diet or starting a demanding new exercise program, it is a good idea to check in with a doctor or qualified fitness professional, especially if you have any existing health conditions. They can help you set safe, realistic targets for your body.
Conclusion
There are plenty of practical ways to build a bigger butt beyond squats, including glute bridges, weightlifting, and lunges. Keep your eye on the goal and train with a positive attitude. For inspiration, follow fitness motivation accounts on Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest. Even Kim Kardashian shares clips of her hill repeats and other workouts that you can learn from and try yourself.
