How to build a bigger butt?

jaysiekemso

So when I first started doing weights about 5 months ago my quads were the first things I noticed that changed the most. I do legs once a week and every glute exercise I do I feel it in my quads more. My butt has gone a little bigger since I started doing weights training but my quads are getting a bit too muscley.. I don't really mind them though. I just want to know if there's a way I can build a bigger butt without my quads getting bigger faster than my butt is? And does anyone else have the same problem? I don't even do close stance squats lol only wide stance.. And I still feel it more in my quads

bmanlatour

Deadlifts, lunges, step ups, hip thrusts, glute bridge, and kettlebell swings all work the glutes. Especially hip thrusts; they activate your glutes more than any other exercise. When doing squats and the other listed exercises, at the top of the movement, lock out your hips and squeeze your glutes to make sure you get full contraction.

jaysiekemso

bmanlatour wrote: »

Deadlifts, lunges, step ups, hip thrusts, glute bridge, and kettlebell swings all work the glutes. Especially hip thrusts; they activate your glutes more than any other exercise. When doing squats and the other listed exercises, at the top of the movement, lock out your hips and squeeze your glutes to make sure you get full contraction.

Yup I do all those exercises and I do focus on my glutes and squeeze them. A PT at the gym reckons my quads are my dominant muscles lol

jonniemarie1

Start doing hip abduction prior to your squats, it may help with activating your glutes.

sardelsa

Hi OP, I primarily focus on hip thrusts, all other leg/glute exercises (for me) are secondary since I am also very quad dominant. You may find these articles by Bret Contreras helpful:

bretcontreras.com/growing-glutes-without-growing-the-legs/

bretcontreras.com/women-squat-dont-want-big-legs/

jaysiekemso

sardelsa wrote: »

Hi OP, I primarily focus on hip thrusts, all other leg/glute exercises (for me) are secondary since I am also very quad dominant. You may find these articles by Bret Contreras helpful:

bretcontreras.com/growing-glutes-without-growing-the-legs/

bretcontreras.com/women-squat-dont-want-big-legs/

Thank you glad to know there's someone out there like me. I find glute bridges the most effective. Will check out the links soon thanks

jaysiekemso

jaysiekemso wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Hi OP, I primarily focus on hip thrusts, all other leg/glute exercises (for me) are secondary since I am also very quad dominant. You may find these articles by Bret Contreras helpful:

bretcontreras.com/growing-glutes-without-growing-the-legs/

bretcontreras.com/women-squat-dont-want-big-legs/

Thank you glad to know there's someone out there like me. I find glute bridges the most effective. Will check out the links soon thanks

Just had a read. Love the idea of doing glute bridges. I feel like that's the only exercise that activates my glutes the most without working my quads. I usually do it with 3 10kg plates though. I'll try it with a barbell next time.

jemhh

jaysiekemso wrote: »

jaysiekemso wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Hi OP, I primarily focus on hip thrusts, all other leg/glute exercises (for me) are secondary since I am also very quad dominant. You may find these articles by Bret Contreras helpful:

bretcontreras.com/growing-glutes-without-growing-the-legs/

bretcontreras.com/women-squat-dont-want-big-legs/

Thank you glad to know there's someone out there like me. I find glute bridges the most effective. Will check out the links soon thanks

Just had a read. Love the idea of doing glute bridges. I feel like that's the only exercise that activates my glutes the most without working my quads. I usually do it with 3 10kg plates though. I'll try it with a barbell next time.

I recommend padding the barbell. I use a Squat Sponge to prevent bruising. You can add weight to these pretty quickly too.

dawnna76

Pauline Nordins butt bible

mike_bold

sardelsa wrote: »

Hi OP, I primarily focus on hip thrusts, all other leg/glute exercises (for me) are secondary since I am also very quad dominant. You may find these articles by Bret Contreras helpful:

bretcontreras.com/growing-glutes-without-growing-the-legs/

bretcontreras.com/women-squat-dont-want-big-legs/

+1 for the glute guy!!!

rainbowbow

I was also a very quad heavy person for about 2 years. I felt it almost always in my quads and never in my glutes.

I had to change to REALLY REALLY REALLY focus on squeezing my glutes. This required me to drop down the weight and focus slowly on squeezing and MAKING them do the work and not relying on my quads.

I think inverted leg press (again lower the weight so you can focus on glutes) with my feet as high up on the pad as possible, switching to weighted lunges and stepping out as far as possible and when coming up not allowing my back leg to touch the floor, and glute bridges have worked wonders.

SERIOUSLY, i was so frustrated with the same thing and just *couldnt* figure it out for 2 years. The above i was seeing results in 2 months.

Drewlssix

Agree with pretty much everyone's responses but the one thing that has not been mentioned is time under tension. To get a bigger butt through exercise you need to create hypertrophy in the target muscles. Compared to a sedentary base line like many of us have experienced almost any type of exercise will result in more muscle mass. But beyond a point it requires specific actions to gain more size, as size and strength are not related at a 1-1 ratio simple strength cardio or athletic training will not result in significant gains in size. Whatever movement works the chosen area to your satisfaction you may want to alter your weight/reps to reflect your goals for that area. With time under tension as rule number one you want a moderately heavy weight or resistance that you can just complete 10-12 reps with, take very short breaks between sets and continue well past the point where you feel a strong burn in your target area. Take your time with your lifts, you don't need to drag things out to much but you don't want to waste your efforts banging out the first five reps of every set much faster than the last few. I would try for a 1-2-3 tempo throughout the set. This might not be necessary once you find a way to get your flutes working but if you want more size somewhere to satisfy a sense of proportion hypertrophy is the way to go.

gio14

+1 as to adding time under tension to gain some mass, ur sets need to last 30-40seconds if ur done in 10 seconds ur moving to quickly thru the movement, that's part one, part 2 is u need to actually activate the glutes thru the movement u may just be quad dominant in movements like your squats. Try this on your next squat sessions..change your tempo to incorporate negatives this will increase time under tension. Squat low..*kitten* to the grass, for a count of 4seconds, that will engages your hamstrings and glutes, on the way up explode for a count of 1 and push your knees out as u rise, think about corkscrewing your feet into the ground as u rise and squeeze, that will force your glutes to fire, don't pause at the top and repeat for 8 reps. These negative sets are harder u may need to decrease your weight but a guarantee u'll feel it and they'll help get some mass back there good luck!

Drewlssix

Gio, good tip. I also have trouble consistently activating my glutes even when I'm making gains. I have found that very slow squats or holding even a light squat halfway down will cause them to come in almost by them selves. I will actually feel the load transfer from legs and back to the glutes. I still have to actively engage them but it's easier when you can feel the from a previous workout.

terar21

Agree with everyone else's suggestions.

I had a similar issue. Mess around with your positioning. I had to tweak my leg positions with hip thrusts because my quads kept taking over. I really have to make sure my feet are turned out and mentally focus on not using quads as much. And try single leg versions as well. My butt is on fire after just a small amount of weight on single leg version.

sunglasses_and_ocean_waves

Bret Conteras and walk/run whatever steep hills. A big butt needs strong thighs so walk/run in 2 foot water when you can. I know some of my suggestions are different but I've got the butt

nyusha

jaysiekemso wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Hi OP, I primarily focus on hip thrusts, all other leg/glute exercises (for me) are secondary since I am also very quad dominant. You may find these articles by Bret Contreras helpful:

bretcontreras.com/growing-glutes-without-growing-the-legs/

bretcontreras.com/women-squat-dont-want-big-legs/

Thank you glad to know there's someone out there like me. I find glute bridges the most effective. Will check out the links soon thanks

I have the same situation. Back extension is also a great glute-isolating exercise.

jaysiekemso

Thanks everyone will try what you guys said

suziemohamed

I have the opposite problem. I wish I could give some of my bum away. Lol!

lili61

I'm a few weeks into a Strong Curves program (Bret Contreras) and have already noticed results. I'm doing the glutes only program. The Strong Curves PDFs are free and can be found with a quick google.

Drewlssix

suziemohamed wrote: »

I have the opposite problem. I wish I could give some of my bum away. Lol!

In that case you of course want to bring your body fat down via calorie control but for exercise you will probably want to avoid the kind of things recomended above.
Instead, when you do weighted exercises for the butt area up the weight and drop the reps to 3-5.