Do squats really work the butt?

Add some real weight to these squats and lunges and get back to me if you don't both feel it and start seeing results in your butt. Right now you're essentially doing bodyweight exercises and wondering why you aren't getting the results you want. If you want your body to change, you have to force it to adapt. And the way to do that is by giving it a challenging weight to handle.

Bump! Will try this.

add weights to y our squats... it makes all the difference!!! I promise it will work. also, make sure you're squatting to depth... hip crease below the crease of your knees. @$$ to GRASS!! Lunges are great too!!

Easy to do with no strain on your knees.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing outward just a bit. Stand on the balls of your feet, lifting you heels off the ground. Squeeze your butt while keeping your heels off the ground and pushing your shoulders back a bit. Hold until the burn is too much. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Best part is you can do this anywhere. In an elevator, while you do dishes, while you wait in line...if you are standing, you can be squeezing.

Only looked at the first page but these:

Add some real weight to these squats and lunges and get back to me if you don't both feel it and start seeing results in your butt. Right now you're essentially doing bodyweight exercises and wondering why you aren't getting the results you want. If you want your body to change, you have to force it to adapt. And the way to do that is by giving it a challenging weight to handle.

Heavy squats, Bulgarian split squats(ouch), deadlifts, and more deadlifts.

Do a heavy set of *kitten* to grass squats one day instead of those sissy sets of 50 non-weighted ones and get back to us the next day LOL. See how those glutes feel then. #wheelchair

I also have really bad knees. Doing bodyweight squats "until it burns" causes me a lot more pain than doing heavy squats. And building your leg muscles will help your knees.

I recommend taking the advice of the above posts...Also as for your comment...

I should have also thrown in the that I have rheumatoid arthritis in my knees. So I can only go so low, and I can only do so heavy, but I do them to the point it burns.

Basically wanna know what are other things I can do that aren't so hard on the knees.

Great replies so far!

I have arthritis also. Plus I'm unusually flexible which doesn't help (weak points). Do not do squats to the point it burns. That can cause problems, expecially with repetitive movements + arthritis. I still suggest squats, but weighted ones (yep, even with arthritis). The point of weight training is progressing in weight. What feels 'so heavy' now isn't going to feel heavy later if you do it right. The point isn't to go in and hef around something that can break your back. It's to work up the strength so you can hef around that amount of weight

Also weight training HELPS rheumatoid arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation even says so: http://www.arthritistoday.org/news/why-lift-weights.php

You need to LEAN BACK when you're doing a squat, or you'll work the anterior muscles. Stand in front of a full length mirror, and make sure you're leaning back; weight into your heels, your toes almost come off the floor. You might need to hold onto something to get the feel of it at first.

The answer to this question is yes and no. The reason I say that is because the shoes you wear while doing your workouts heavily impact whether or not the butt is being properly worked. Running shoes, and any shoe that has a heel raised significantly higher than the front of the foot, takes the load off of the glute and hamstring and places it primarily on the quadriceps muscle. Whereas if you were barefoot or wearing flat-soled shoes that did not have a raised heel, these three muscle groups would be splitting the load evenly.

I didn't know that! That maybe explains why I've seen guys at the gym squatting with their heels on a piece of wood. I thought it was a flexibility thing, but they're probably trying to target their quads.

That or they just want to see bigger numbers on their lifts. When you squat with a raised heel you can lift more. Also, for some people, it can be a flexibility thing. But they need to try to improve it, not work around it like that.

I actually squat less with a raised heel becuase it limits the glute/ham action. I often put a plate under my heels specifically because I want quad hypertrophy.

I should have also thrown in the that I have rheumatoid arthritis in my knees. So I can only go so low, and I can only do so heavy, but I do them to the point it burns.

Basically wanna know what are other things I can do that aren't so hard on the knees.

Great replies so far!

I, too, have rheumatoid arthritis in my knees. And I thought I would never be able to do these movements. (I've had the arthritis since I was a teen - good times).

Go for Quality over Quantity. Make sure your form is 100% bang on. 100%. If the form is correct, there is less pressure on the knees. You don't need to do 50 squats to see benefits - lower quantity with correct form is going to get you a lot further.

You want to hear the REALLY Awesome of squats? It will strengthen the muscles in your legs and butt, and that in turn will make things easier on your knees in your daily life. It's awesome. AWESOME.

I should have also thrown in the that I have rheumatoid arthritis in my knees. So I can only go so low, and I can only do so heavy, but I do them to the point it burns.

Basically wanna know what are other things I can do that aren't so hard on the knees.

Great replies so far!

I didn't feel like reading through the whole thread so I apologize if this is a repeat, but how about kettlebells? I notice my booty is firmer since I started...swings are great for the butt. You can also do tactical lunges, single leg dead lifts, and deck squats, with the kettlebell. I started by using Iron Core Kettlebell DVDs by Sara Lurie. Give it a try!

You want to hear the REALLY Awesome of squats? It will strengthen the muscles in your legs and butt, and that in turn will make things easier on your knees in your daily life. It's awesome. AWESOME.

This, and like the link I posted said, strength training is great for arthritis. It worked for me:

Deadlifts are the best for your butt. Use a heavy wait and make sure you back to straight. Deadlifts won't hurt your knees doing it correctly. Good luck!

bump for later.

I used Jessica Smith's - 10 Minute Solution - Belly, Butt And Thigh Blaster. When I was doing this religiously my butt/felt great! I usually did 30 mins (so 3 ten min workouts) mixing it up each time I did it. It hurts so badly...you won't be able to walk well the next day if you do it correctly!

Yes and in a major way if you do a lot of them (over 40) with correct form: But out and down, using your core & butt muscles to push you back up.

You could also do weighted pelvic thrusts

^^ These. You may look ridiculous but they work the butt like crazy. Also deadlifts and bulgarian split squats. Pair these things together and you won't walk straight for days

http://www.blogilates.com/legs-thighs

I did this work out video 2 days ago and my thighs and bum are still hurting from it. I didn't feel a burn too much from 30DS squats, these one though, holy *kitten*!!!