I’m just gonna come right out and say it: for most of my life, I had no butt. At all. Like, my butt was practically concave. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I was not happy with my non-existent butt. Seeing all of those uber-booty’d Fashion Nova models and knowing I couldn’t fill out my jeans like that was just not a great feeling.
For a while, I was embarrassed to wear shirts short enough to where you could see my non-butt. But eventually I’d had enough and I decided that if I wasn’t naturally blessed with a booty, then I was going make one. So I set out to find the best way for a booty-less babe to get some junk in the trunk. And even though I’m still not exactly Meg Thee Stallion, I got a lil somethin’ after a few months of dedication. Here’s a list of the best tips I could find!
1. SQUATS ARE NOT THE KEY TO BOOTY GAINS
The media tends to feed to us that if you want a butt, you gotta go ham on the squats. But that’s not true. Squats are what are called “compound movements”, which means they target multiple body parts. Since our leg muscles, which are also targeted in squats, are bigger, they take over and butt muscles don’t get worked at all. Keep reading for what exercises are effective for booty gains.
2. GLUTE BRIDGES, DONKEY KICKS, AND HIP THRUSTS ARE YOUR BFFS
Squats aren’t that effective, but these are. These isolate your glutes, which means that your glutes are the primary muscles doing all the work, so they’ll get the maximum impact. I usually use glute bridges and donkey kicks as a warm up.
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Glute bridges: First, lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Then, slowly lift your butt up off the ground as much as you can without moving your feet, all the while flexing your glutes. Slowly lower your butt back onto the ground. I usually like to do about 3 sets of 15 of these, but when you’re first starting out, I recommend 2 sets of ten. I like to add a resistance band above my knees for that extra oomph, because it makes you work a little harder.
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Donkey kicks: These are like a permanent push up bra (but like, for the booty). They mostly work your lower booty, so when your lower booty grows, the upper booty looks like it’s been lifted. To do donkey kicks, get on your hands and knees. Slowly lift one leg up into the air straight up behind you (but make sure not to straighten it too much, we don’t want anybody busting their knees) and then lower it back down. Make sure you’re flexing your glutes the whole time (honestly, any time you work out any muscle, you gotta flex it as much as possible for maximum results). I usually do two sets of 25 per leg (I do one set of 25 on one leg, then switch legs, then go back to the first leg again).
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Hip thrusts: These are kinda similar to glute bridges in that you lift your butt into the air but I use a barbell for these (and a resistance band too). You start off sitting down on the floor, leaning against a bench with a barbell across your lap/hipbones and your knees bent with your legs out in front of you and feet flat on the floor. Make sure the barbell’s not too heavy, and I suggest using a barbell pad/cushion to make sure the heavy steel doesn’t hurt your hipbones (trust me on this one, I speak from experience). Slowly use your glute muscles to elevate your hips and the barbell, then hold for a second or two once you’ve lifted your hips as much as possible. Then, slowly lower your hips back down to the floor. I believe I started out with a 25 lb. barbell, but start with whatever weight feels comfortable for you.
3. CONSISTENCY IS KEY!!!
Make sure you’re working out your glutes around 2-3 times a week for maximum growth!! I usually have one specifically glute day per week, and two days of legs + glutes, but do whatever works for you. Make sure you don’t work them out two days in a row, and don’t work your glutes out more than four days a week. This is because the way muscle growth works is by tearing (when you work your glutes out enough) and then rebuilding stronger, firmer, and bigger. If you don’t give your muscles enough time to repair themselves, they won’t be able to grow, and you’ll just have a sore butt that isn’t growing, which isn’t effective. So contrary to what you may think, more isn’t always better when it comes to muscle growth.
4. EAT A LOT OF PROTEIN
Eating a lot of protein is key to muscle growth because proteins are made up of amino acids, which are essential for muscle growth. However, too much protein isn’t great either if you’re looking to gain muscle but not fat, as too much protein may increase body fat levels. Looking online at a macro calculator (which tells you how many grams of fat, protein, and carbohydrates to eat per day for your body size, activity level, and goals) is a great way to make sure you eat a good amount of protein.
5. MAKE SURE TO GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF LOVE
With all of these tips being said, the most important thing is making sure you’re showing yourself plenty of love. I know it can be hard to not see the results you expect, but make sure to give it time. As long as you’re eating right and working out properly and consistently, that booty’s gonna be poppin’ sooner or later! Remember, your body’s working hard to keep you running, so show it a lotta love and compassion!
All images are courtesy of the author, Shruthi Tuplur