Why get a bigger butt?

Whether you want to improve your posture, climb stairs faster or simply garner the compliments of your companion, building a bigger, strong butt (or ‘Gluteus Maximus’) can accomplish all these things and more. Having a strong set of rear muscles creates the illusion of a smaller waist while reducing the risk of back pain and injury. Indeed, having a big butt isn’t just a genetic gift from the gods – these muscles can be trained and built like any other, and it will serve you well to do so!

What do the glutes do?

The glutes serve a few functions, with the primary action being hip extension or, in simpler terms, thrusting the hips forward. A few real-life examples of this: picking up a heavy box off the floor, jumping in the air as high as you can and sprinting. The glutes are a large muscle group with a lot of fast-twitch fibers which provide them with much power so heavy weight training is required to build them.

Tips before you get started:

For maximal muscle recruitment If you’re struggling to grow your butt, it is likely that you’re having trouble recruiting your glute muscles. There can be many reasons for this, but the most common two are 1) using the wrong technique and 2) poor muscle activation due to mobility issues.

For the glutes to adequately contract, the hips must be in a fully extended position at the top of any butt exercise. For example, when performing a barbell hip thrust, if you are struggling to reach the full range of motion, it is likely that you are using too much weight. If you take all the weight off and you still struggle to get your hips into a fully extended position, then your hip flexor muscles may be too tight.

Sitting down for long periods during the day (especially if you work in an office job) is a breeding ground for hip flexor tightness, which will limit your range in any hip extension. Therefore it’s a good idea to perform a quick hip flexor stretch every day for 1-2 minutes, or at least before your workout.

Try these 3 exercises to get your glutes into shape:

Building any muscle group takes time and patience, but with the right exercises, you can get there while minimizing the risk of injury. It’s always a good idea to have a trusted spotter or trainer on hand to guide you through the movements.

The Workout

Exercise 1 – Sumo Deadlift (Below)

Sets: 4, Reps: 10-12

This is an advanced exercise, so be sure to have a trusted coach or experienced training partner cuing you. With the right technique, this can build butt muscles better than almost any other exercise while poor technique and weight selection can result in injury.

Adopt a wide stance with the barbell crossing through the middle of the foot. Use a shoulder-width, overhand grip, and bend your butt down and back while keeping your knees wide. Keeping your chest up, begin the movement by pushing your feet into the floor (we call this leg drive) and keep the bar close to you as you pull. Finish with a fully extended position, with the glutes flexed at the top.