Squats and Big Booties

Lol, I'm sorry, but you must not have seen some real black girl butts. You'd think they were fake lmfao. Like I don't have a HUGE *kitten*, but it was big when I was skinny & big when I was bigger lmfao. It wasn't budging, and I don't think there was huge amounts of fat. I think the muscle around my *kitten* was just bigger. And also I have a deep arch in the small of my back plus wide hips which may give my butt the appearance of being bigger than say someone whose back and butt are one plank.

Lol, I'm sorry, but you must not have seen some real black girl butts. You'd think they were fake lmfao. Like I don't have a HUGE *kitten*, but it was big when I was skinny & big when I was bigger lmfao. It wasn't budging, and I don't think there was huge amounts of fat. I think the muscle around my *kitten* was just bigger. And also I have a deep arch in the small of my back plus wide hips which may give my butt the appearance of being bigger than say someone whose back and butt are one plank.

I've been around black girl butts all my life, and trust me, most of what you think of as a big butt is really a fat butt. Yes, there can be a greater amount of muscle on certain black people's body types, including my own, but until the OP, or you, or ME is carrying sub 20% bodyfat (sub 12% for me as a male) it's ridiculous to make claims about how much muscle is being carried back there. It's fat. It's faaaaaaaaaat. On every single one of us. And I don't care what the rap videos say

ETA: But the main thing to keep in mind, is that no matter how much of a person's *kitten* is muscle vs how much is fat, if they are losing weight, their butt will get smaller. If a person is in the middle of losing 30-40 pounds like the OP is, I don't care if she squats 400 pounds her behind is going to be smaller. A LOT smaller. This is the fact that most of us have been trying to get across. Have you heard the phrase "a rising tide lifts all ships?" It's like that. All your bodyparts will generally move in the same direction as your weight gain or loss. "A smaller body shrinks all hips" would be the corollary, I guess.

Am I reading this wrong? If you want to cut fat and maintain muscle the best suggestion is to lift heavy and focus on macros. Why suggest any other way if that is the best/most efficient? (Again if I misread, which I do on occasion I apologize).

And again, FTR, I am the same shape as the OP is. I have before and after pictures.

The OP doesn't want to do it that way. She doesn't want to or enjoy it. I HATE Jillian Michaels even though so many people love her routines. They claim it's best for beginners, but it just bores me so I don't do it. Perhaps this is a similar situation the OP is in? Either way, it doesn't matter. If she doesn't want to lift, she doesn't have to. How about we throw out ideas of how she can get the same results but a different way since we already know she doesn't want to lift/lift heavy.

I thought she had said that she lifted for years? I guess I am too far behind in the thread.

Yeah, exactly.

The "reason" she doesn't want to lift heavy is that it'll make her legs/hips bigger or otherwise less proportionate and aesthetically pleasing.

But that "reason" is nonsense and she just refuses to accept it.

Perhaps it made her bigger because there was still fat on top of her muscles? Or does lifting burn enough calories to also burn fat?
Idk I'm genuinely asking because I'm eventually going to lift so I can do gymnastics to be a better dancer..

If you lift while on a calorie deficit, you won't get bigger. Nothing gets larger. Everything shrinks.

Just got this from livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/101686-exercises-smaller-butt/

It says that heavy weight/low reps increase muscle size.

Got this from another site: http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/exercise-small-butt-10420.html

Says to decrease resistance & increase repititions and also mentions more cardio.
Now I'm confused. I was all for compromise until I did my own research.
Perhaps yall are assuming that the OP's natural butt sizeis from fat and isn't from muscle?

Unrelated question:
is there a point to cardio as more than a warm-up? Or is it important to integrate into a weight loss regimine. I know some of you do like 'leg day' 'back day' blah blah blah. Is there a cardio day or no? Or is the burn that people use cardio forwhat the deficit does when doing high resistance/low rep? Does this make sense?

ETA: cardio as in bike, treadmill, walking, running etc... Given that my goal is to become smaller, leaner, but still toned.

Lol, I'm sorry, but you must not have seen some real black girl butts. You'd think they were fake lmfao. Like I don't have a HUGE *kitten*, but it was big when I was skinny & big when I was bigger lmfao. It wasn't budging, and I don't think there was huge amounts of fat. I think the muscle around my *kitten* was just bigger. And also I have a deep arch in the small of my back plus wide hips which may give my butt the appearance of being bigger than say someone whose back and butt are one plank.

I've been around black girl butts all my life, and trust me, most of what you think of as a big butt is really a fat butt. Yes, there can be a greater amount of muscle on certain black people's body types, including my own, but until the OP, or you, or ME is carrying sub 20% bodyfat (sub 12% for me as a male) it's ridiculous to make claims about how much muscle is being carried back there. It's fat. It's faaaaaaaaaat. On every single one of us. And I don't care what the rap videos say

ETA: But the main thing to keep in mind, is that no matter how much of a person's *kitten* is muscle vs how much is fat, if they are losing weight, their butt will get smaller. If a person is in the middle of losing 30-40 pounds like the OP is, I don't care if she squats 400 pounds her behind is going to be smaller. A LOT smaller. This is the fact that most of us have been trying to get across. Have you heard the phrase "a rising tide lifts all ships?" It's like that. All your bodyparts will generally move in the same direction as your weight gain or loss. "A smaller body shrinks all hips" would be the corollary, I guess.

Meh. When I was dancing, I had a big butt and I was SKINNY. As did my sister &cousin. Not saying it wasn't made up of fat. Probably my fat deposited in my butt and skipped my stomach. But I do think I have more muscle down there than others, but that's probably because I developed it through working out (volleyball--which is constant squatting, dancing and just being active). Now, it's just straight up fat lmfao.

I kind of get it now in terms of as long as you're eating less, you won't bulk. But the OP was asking at what point do you get bulky. None of us read her question right. Not even me. She wanted to know what causes the bulk so she can avoid it<< maybe do everything up until that. Now answer that, because that, I'd like to know. I'm training to start gymnastics and god, some of the girls there are so built because they just don't stop training! What's the safe boundary? Is it like, stop increasing weight when you hit a certain fat percentage, or never go above a certain weight?

You're still asking the same question as if the answer will change. You want an effective leg exercise? That means squats. And heavy squats. Bodyweight squats are a waste of time and needlessly hard on your knees. If you're in a calorie deficit you're not going to gain muscle mass and if you're not on a hypertrophy program it's really not a concern anyway. Plus it's not like women easily put on tons of muscle.

If you continue to lose weight (read: calorie deficit) I promise you that your thighs will get smaller. There's plenty of fat to lose in those areas without worrying about how much muscle you're going to build

Is it too late to invoke Sir Mix-a-Lot?

You're still asking the same question as if the answer will change. You want an effective leg exercise? That means squats. And heavy squats. Bodyweight squats are a waste of time and needlessly hard on your knees. If you're in a calorie deficit you're not going to gain muscle mass and if you're not on a hypertrophy program it's really not a concern anyway. Plus it's not like women easily put on tons of muscle.

If you continue to lose weight (read: calorie deficit) I promise you that your thighs will get smaller. There's plenty of fat to lose in those areas without worrying about how much muscle you're going to build

Question for everyone out there, I have a similar body type, small on top, thick legs & butt. Never a problem until a knee injury two years ago. I can squat but with absolutely no weights. I do use the leg press machines and squat/lunge, but I'm not getting the results I used to.

Right now I'm using two 45 lbs weights on the incline leg press and so 4-6 sets of 12. Should I go lower weight/higher reps?

Thanks in advance for your input.

The programs you are recommending are in line with what I usually see recommended for women who are extreme pears who don't want to increase in size: HIIT, cardio, no heavy weights directly on the lower-body. They also usually recommend heavy or heavier weights on the upper body to create more balance by building up your shoulders, arms and chest.

I am 44 years old - and dedicated my fitness to heavy-lifting (free weights) for the last 18 months. Before that, it was 25+ years of cardio, cardio, cardio.

I can say that the improvements that have been made over the last 18 months are, to me, UNBELIEVABLE. A true "pear", I aimed to become as close to an hourglass as I could, recognizing that I have zero boobs and I am unwilling to seek surgery.

I am 5'8.5" tall. I weighed in at 146 lbs, today.

I started taking "photos" and "measurements" on January 1, 2012 - 18 months ago. It's now June 29, 2013 - here are my photos and measurements:





I still have 2" to shave off my hips and 0.5" to shave off my natural waist....I'm still not that "happy" with my lower body - but I do like my upper body.



Remember, all things are possible! I have a full-time job. I have severe asthma. I have a husband and a family to take care of. But, above all else, I believe that I owe it to myself to take care of myself. First.

Here's to the next 18 months!!