If you’re goal is to build a booty then no worries, it is possible. I used to think it wasn’t. I thought that because of genetics mine would never grow bigger. I was wrong.
Sure, genetics play a part. But if you have a good training plan, you can pack muscle mass onto any body part you’d like–especially that bum!
I want to add in the disclaimer that I am not a personal trainer, but this is what I’ve done to see success.
I have personally worked my booty up from a size 2 all the way to a size 6/8. Yes, I added some inches to my quads as well, but that was a secondary goal of mine.
It’s really all about isolating a goal and creating a plan that works toward it. A generalized training plan won’t work as well. You need to train specific to your goals.
Let’s dive into how I was able to build a booty WITHOUT adding to my stomach.
Build a booty with exercise:
First off, it’s important to understand that your glutes are built up of three muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, & the gluteus minimus. Your workout program should hit exercises that target each muscle.
To ensure we hit all three it’s important to incorporate different movement patterns.
Bridge/Thrust movements:
- Hip Thrust
- Glute Bridge
- Frog pumps
- Variations of hip thrusts like single leg, staggered stance/b stance, triple contraction…
- Single leg glute bridge
Squat/Lunge movements:
- Barbell squat
- Hack squat
- Goblet squat
- Front squat
- Box squats (really has helped me increase strength in my normal back squat, plus it’s safer on the knees!)
- Heel elevated squats
- Lunges
- Reverse lunge
- Walking lunge
- Bulgarian split squat
- Dumbbell step up
- Pistol squat
- Leg Press
Hinge/Deadlift movements:
- Romanian deadlifts
- American deadlifts
- Sumo deadlifts
- Single leg deadlifts (fave)
- Hex bar deadlifts
- Stiff leg deadlifts
- Good mornings
- Rack pull
- Kettlebell swing
- Cable kickbacks
- Back extension
Hip abduction movements:
- Side lying clam shell
- Hip abduction machine/ band seated abduction
- Cable abduction
- Side lying hip raise
- Fire hydrants
- Banded side steps
How to structure your workout:
Okay, I love to follow @BretContreras1 on instagram. If you don’t know him, he is great. They call him the glute guy. He posts tons of research based info on training. He suggests that the best combo of exercises for your glute is as follows:
1 bridge/thrust movement, 1 squat/lunge movement, a hinge/deadlift movement, and a hip abduction movement
When it comes to rep range, it is good to have a variety. I personally keep my reps lower with heavier weight on those compounds and then will have a lighter weight with higher reps on the accessory exercises. I tend to stick in the mid rep range on some lunges, step ups, and certain variations of bigger movements like the single leg deadlifts or heel elevated squats.
Progressive overload.
Progressive overload is basically just continuously demanding more of your body. You are constantly improving. Whether that be by increasing the weight, increasing the reps, or even shortening the rest between sets or increasing the number of sets you complete.
The only way to signal to your body that you need more muscle/strength is to push it harder in some way. This doesn’t have to be a major increase. In fact it shouldn’t.
If you lift the same weight for the same reps and sets day after day, year after year it is unlikely that you’ll see any improvement in muscle size or strength.
Progressive overload is the most effective way to work toward your goal to build a booty.
To ensure I am constantly progressing, I like to track my workouts in the free version of the Strong app.
While I mentioned that you shouldn’t keep the same weight and reps forever, that doesn’t mean you need to switch up your exercises too often.
The myth is that your body adapts and you need to constantly switch it up. It’s not true. Yes, your body adapts to that level of stress, but focusing on progressive overload is enough of a change to combat this.
And honestly, if you’re constantly changing the exercises you perform there will be no real way to see if you’re improving because you’re not performing the same exercise consistently enough.
I repeat my workouts week after week for about 2 months before I change up my routine. I personally do 3 lower body days per week. Keep in mind, I had to work up to this. Originally I only did 2 lower body.
How long does it take?
It takes a while. The average woman only gains .5-1 pounds of muscle per month and the average man can put on about 1.5 pounds of muscle.
Those are actually the rates for when you first start lifting. Did you know that as you become more advanced with lifting, you grow muscle at a slower rate? Crazy.
The takeaway is to be consistent with your workouts. Don’t give up if you don’t see immediate results because it takes time. Focus on progressive overload and make sure to eat enough food to fuel your body.