Building a booty!

Adventures of Alice started this discussion · 6/12/2015

Hi all I have naturally strong and muscular legs that I am happy with. Apart from pole practice 3 times a week I cycle approx. 40 kilometres (25 miles for us in the UK!) per week. I also walk quite a bit here and there. My problem is my backside is really flat (not helped by my age I'm sure) and I don't carry much fat on it (that goes on my tummy). I would love a more rounded shape for aesthetic reasons and know I need to start squats, lunges etc to try and build it up. The problem is that my body naturally uses the strength in my legs to do these exercises rather than engaging my butt muscles. Has anyone else experienced this and if so, are there any specific exercises that are good for building muscles in the bum and not in the legs?

9 replies

I polekat I · 6/12/2015
HI NEIGHBOUR!! (i actually work in Bristol too hehe =D ) as you mentioned squats are really good for the boootay, and also if you come to your hands and knees, and do leg raises from this position. you can either do them straight or bent leg, raising your leg behind you, or leg up to the side (does that make sense?) - do say 8 raises, then hold and pulse for 8, then try repeat. i find my butt is always killing after those... ;) if you are feeling super hardcore i saw someone doing it with a dumbbell tucked behind her knee... ive not tried that yet ! if its any consolation i had the flattest ass for my whole life; it just sort of blended straight into my legs and there was nothing pert about it. i have been poling for about a year and a half and stretching my splits for about 7 months, and i have definitely noticed an improvement in my bum in that time - its much rounder and 'juicier' haaaahaha for the first time in my life i like my bum now ;)
Adventures of Alice · 6/12/2015
Hey...thanks for your reply. I know what you mean about it just joining the legs...no definition at all. Guess I need to keep at the targeted exercises and hopefully my old ladies butt will turn into a bouncy little ball! Progress is so frustrating, I want to be strong enough, flexible enough and rocking a hot bod now! But only been poling a few months so guess patience will get me hopefully near there in the end "sigh". Great to see how people have progressed...this website is fab to check out peoples journeys- so inspiring :)
WebJunk · 6/12/2015
Alice. Squats are still the best exercise for building the butt though polekat mentioned another good one and yes with a dumbell wedged behind the knee. It will stay in place as you do not fully extend the leg. Lunges are good too. There are two important things to keep in mind: 1) You build a bigger rounder butt by increasing the muscle mass of the glutes. To build mass (as opposed to strength or toning up) you want to do heavy weights and low reps. Ten reps (failure) or less per set. Lower weight and higher reps will build strength but not as much size. This is why almost all professional weightlifters male & female have big round butts. 2) When doing squats, you want to get to the absolutely lowest point you can. It is from the lowest point that fully engages all of the gluteal muscles plus the quads. That may mean starting with no weight initially until you build strength in those muscles. But not going as low is just cheating and will not be as effective.
Veena · 6/12/2015
Yep squats, walking lunges are great for the butt. Keep in mind that the best way to fire up the glutes and not have the quadriceps take over, and save your knees is to push through the heels, don't let the body weight push forward into the toes. Sit back first don't start and lunge or squatting motion with the knees. Butt first! I agree that squatting low is a good thing, but Alice if you find the quads tend to take over then try doing several squats just to about chair level before going all the way.
Runemist34 · 6/12/2015
This one interests me! My booty was one of the reasons I started running (have you SEEN that runner's butt?), but I've also found that there are some muscles I just don't use much. I have what I call an "english butt," which is to say, it's sort of flat on the sides? So, I had to find some exercises that worked other muscles within that area than just the main one- that is, I needed to work the Medius and Minimus, not just the Maximus! So, I found that doing side-squats (in which you step far to the side, and then squat down on that leg, with the other leg reaching straight out, and alternate) REALLY worked muscles in there that I had never found before! Super helpful, but try not to overdo it. Also, there are many different workout routines, videos, and even whole regiments focused on the butt. I acquired "Brazil Beach Butt" some years back. It's terribly funny, but I imagine it's also very effective! I haven't actually tried it... because, well, I haven't had that much time to dedicate to just my butt! I hope you find your way to a butt you can be proud of! And remember: Butt or not, you're still super hot!
CD Hussey fka Jivete · 6/12/2015
Check out Bret contreas http://bretcontreras.com/ He is officially the "glute guy". And his website is dedicated to glute building.
Bret ContrerasHome - Bret ContrerasWelcome to The Glute Guy — your source for glute science, strength training tools, and evidence-based coaching.
Lucca Valentine · 6/12/2015
^^^ this. Strong Curves (a book/workout program by Bret Contreras) is the only workout program that gave me a crazy booty. I had to stop doing it because for some reason my forearms didnt agree with doing weights + massage + pole and if i had to drop one of the three it was obvs gonna be weights. But yeah Bret's program was a freaking dream and I had a pretty considerable booty in about 4 weeks when i usually have NONE
Adventures of Alice · 6/13/2015
Oh thanks all of you for your suggestions! Really helpful and some great ideas to look into.
Haloanne · 6/13/2015
Whether or not squats are a great booty building exercise is actually dependent on your mechanics - I have to squat really far back, bend my torso down and NOT go below parallel if I want my glutes to do anything while squatting. Otherwise it's all in my hammies and quads. I HIGHLY recommend Bret Contreras' stuff as well. I've been strength training for 10 years, worked as a strength coach and tried every program out there, but Strong Curves was still full of new info, awesome training programs and a great template for designing your own booty-building program. Can't recommend it enough!