How to Develop Your Gluteal Muscles - Butt Shape

 

Your Glutes or Gluteal Muscle is the largest single muscle in the body. As the main part of your butt, recent trends have shown that it has become increasingly a focus of workout regimes and exercises. Understanding your butt muscles is the key to gaining size and shape. 

Your Gluteus Maximus

Not only is the gluteus maximus the largest muscle in the bum, it's your main muscle.

There are actually 3 main butt muscles, oft refered to as your "Glutes", and are pretty simple to remember;

  • Gluteus Maximus
  • Gluteus Medius
  • Gluteus Minimus

What Does Each One Do?

Your butt owns the largest single muscle in the body (well two of them actually) but what do they do?

The gluteus maximus : First and foremost it is upper leg extension. For example moving the upper leg or thigh backward when you stand up from a squat position.

The gluteus medius : On the outside surface of the pelvis, it's covered by the gluteus maximus at the posterior third and anterior by the gluteal aponeurosis. SO anterior helps to flex and internally rotate the hip, the posterior helping to extend the rotate the hoip externally. Anterior and Posterior work together to abduct the hip and stabilise the pelvis.

The gluteus minimus : the smallest of the three muscles, it lies deep within the gluteus medius. Hip stabilisation and abduction is it's main function.

Will Squats Build Your Glutes?

An often asked question of personal trainers. Squats will help you build bigger glutes, but do not think it's a 'one stop shop' or quick fix. Also, don't fall for the bigger weight bigger butt routine! Some of the bigger butt is down to genetics, but you can build the muscle with carefully chosen exercises that you perform properly.

For example, double kettlebell squats are good to develop your gluteal muscles - but only if you squat properly. You cannot rely on this exercise alone if you want a rounder and fuller butt.

Genetics determines that a narrow waist and wide hips generally gives a bigger looking butt, whereas a wide waist and smaller hips will make it appear to be smaller. To tackle this, working the glutes will give the best chance of shaping them. Excess body fat will result in a larger but softer rear end, shredding fat on the butt will expose shapely musculature, you can minimise fat storage by refining calorie intake for a rock hard and toned glute muscles.

How to Create Strong Glutes

It is important to maintain a variety of movements with the proper form and intensity to create strong glutes. Whether you are looking for a stand out butt or not, strong glutes means a strong back which is a really useable functional strength. Buttock augmentation is the fastest growing area of plastic surgery but you can achieve the dream butt through exercise.

The exercises don’t have to be complicated; keep your routine simple and interesting; this way you are more likely to enjoy your workout and will want to continue the routine. Bodyweight exercises are easy to adjust to your everyday life as you can do them anywhere without it costing you a penny. In this case, your body provides all the resistance you need to challenge your muscles safely.

Use Your Bodyweight

No need for expensive equipment if you can't afford or can't fit in to your apartment or home - use your own body weight.

What are the advantages of bodyweight exercises?

  1. You can burn fat quickly
  2. It's easy and convenient
  3. Satisfying once you have finished
  4. Improves your balance
  5. Improves core muscles and flexibility

Example Bodyweight Exercises

Bridge - AKA Butt Lift, Hip Thrust, Glute Bridge

These mainly work your glutes and do not require any equipment.

How To

  1. Firstly, lie down on floor on your back
  2. Place your hands next to your side, palms down
  3. Bend your kness and keep sole of foot on floor
  4. Place feet shoulder-width
  5. Pushing through your heels, push hips off the floor keeping your back straight
  6. Breathe out and hold when as high as you can go - for one second
  7. Clench your buttocks during this one second
  8. As you then breathe in, slowly lower your hips back to floor

 

Flutter Kicks

Start with no weights, then as you get stronger you can add ankle weights.

How To

  1. Firstly, lie face down on your bench
  2. Your hips should be placed towards the end of the bench pad
  3. Keep your legs straight
  4. Keep toes off the floor and arms on top of the bench, holding the bench
  5. Time to squeeze your glutes and hamstrings
  6. Then at same time straighten legs so level with your hips
  7. Keeping your legs straight, raise left ankle and leg higher than right leg
  8. Then lower left leg as you lift the right leg in same way
  9. Continue alternating this movement to reps you want to achive.
  10. Relax for 1 min and repeat three times

 

Glute Kickbacks

All you need is a floor mat - or just comfortable carpet.

How To

  1. First off kneel on the floor or exercise mat
  2. Bend at the waist down to the ground with arms extended in front
  3. From the kneeling push-up position, place arms are at shoulder width
  4. Look forward and create a 90-degree angle at your right knee
  5. Lift your right leg until the hamstrings are in line with your back as you exhale whilst keeping the 90-degree bend. Contract the glute muscles during this movement and hold this at the top for a second.
  6. Go back to the position you started as you inhale and then repeat the movement with your left leg.
  7. Continue to alternate your legs until you have completed the recommended repetitions.

 

Example Barbell Exercises

Kneeling Squat with barbell

How To

  1. In a power rack, set the bar to your chosen height. Kneel behind the bar, you could place an exercise mat underneath in order to make this more comfortable. Slide under the bar, racking it across the back of your shoulders. Your shoulder blades should be retracted with the kept tight behind your back. Un-rack the weight.
  2. Whilst looking forward with your head, sit back with your butt until you touch your calves.
  3. Reverse the motion and return your torso to an upright position.

 

Barbell Hip thrust

How To

  1. Sit on the floor with a FID bench behind you
  2. Put a loaded barbell across your legs (use pad or cushion between legs and bar for comfort)
  3. Move/Roll the bar until it is directly over your hips
  4. Lean back against the bench pad
  5. Push down on the floor through your feet to raise your hips
  6. Support your weight using your shoulder blades on the back of the bench
  7. Push your hips as far as possible
  8. Then reverse theprocess to return to the start position