How to Develop Your Gluteal Muscles - Butt Shape
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workouts squats lunges hip thrust gluteus glutes

 

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, but it's also your main muscle.

There are actually three main butt muscles, often referred 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 an upper leg extension. For example, moving the upper leg or thigh backwards 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. The SO anterior helps to flex and internally rotate the hip; the posterior helps to extend and externally rotate the hip. 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 are its main functions.

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 give 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, and you can minimise fat storage by refining calorie intake for 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 mean a strong back, which is a really useful 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 into 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 the floor on your back
  2. Place your hands next to your side, palms down
  3. Bend your knees and keep soles of your feet on the floor
  4. Place feet shoulder-width
  5. Pushing through your heels, push your hips off the floor, keeping your back straight
  6. Breathe out and hold as long as you can - for one second
  7. Clench your buttocks during this one second
  8. As you then breathe in, slowly lower your hips back to the 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 the same time, straighten your legs so they are level with your hips
  7. Keeping your legs straight, raise your left ankle and leg higher than your right leg
  8. Then lower the left leg as you lift the right leg in the same way
  9. Continue alternating this movement to the reps you want to achieve.
  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 your  arms 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 exhal,e 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 muscles 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 a pad or cushion between your legs and the 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 the process to return to the start position