Butt Still Skinnyfat After Strong Curves
estherlion
Posts: 86 Member
Hi all,
I've been on the Strong Curves program since February. I haven't noticed much improvement after introducing heavy (for me) lifting. Am I just genetically destined to have a flatter butt? Is there anybody out there that has had success in this area in converting their flat butt?
I've been on the Strong Curves program since February. I haven't noticed much improvement after introducing heavy (for me) lifting. Am I just genetically destined to have a flatter butt? Is there anybody out there that has had success in this area in converting their flat butt?
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Replies
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Can you post a pic of your butt? Or, better, a side by side before and after?
It's only been four months. Maybe the changes are minimal?0 -
Building muscle takes time. Like, a lot of time.
Are you still eating at a deficit? Because you really aren't going to add a lot of butt-meat without a caloric surplus. Bulk/cut cycles might help you build up those glutes.
Also, what is heavy (for you)? Have you been steadily increasing the weight you're working with?0 -
so like 4 months...that's it? you don't just work out for a handful of months and voila...fitness body...a fitness body is derived by living a fitness lifestyle over months and months and years and years...
also, if you're dieting you're not going to build muscle...also, you may be in fact genetically predisposed to having a flat posterior. There's tons of guys who lift and squat, etc who don't have an *kitten*.0 -
PeachyPlum wrote: »Building muscle takes time. Like, a lot of time.
Are you still eating at a deficit? Because you really aren't going to add a lot of butt-meat without a caloric surplus. Bulk/cut cycles might help you build up those glutes.
Also, what is heavy (for you)? Have you been steadily increasing the weight you're working with?
That is it. Muscle mass = Eat at a surplus0 -
PeachyPlum wrote: »Building muscle takes time. Like, a lot of time.
Are you still eating at a deficit? Because you really aren't going to add a lot of butt-meat without a caloric surplus. Bulk/cut cycles might help you build up those glutes.
Also, what is heavy (for you)? Have you been steadily increasing the weight you're working with?
This is the big question. I think that Strong Curves is a great program but the best results are going to be achieved when you eat at maintenance or above. I ran it when I was at and slightly above maintenance and saw some improvements. When I was cutting, I didn't see improvements but didn't see anything get worse either. Now I'm back to maintaining but haven't been for long enough to say one way or another.0 -
Wow, you guys are good. Never thought of some of your questions, you are much more experienced than I am! I've been eating at maintenance for only about a month. A deficit prior to that. The weird thing is that notice lots of improvement in my upper body and legs, just not the butt. Heavy for me is (I'm a newbie and never lifted anything heavy before) started out at body weight, increased to 10lb dumbbells and have increased to using the barbell with an additional 10lbs, so at 55 lbs now. As far as bulk and cut, I obviously won't bulk in just the butt area, and don't want to reverse all the progress I made in my weight loss. For reference, I am 5'3 and weigh 129lbs female.
Maybe it's time to increase the weight even more and be patient. I would still like to hear if anybody has been successful at reversing their flat butt and what they did to get there.
Thanks for responding.0 -
PeachyPlum wrote: »Building muscle takes time. Like, a lot of time.
Are you still eating at a deficit? Because you really aren't going to add a lot of butt-meat without a caloric surplus. Bulk/cut cycles might help you build up those glutes.
Also, what is heavy (for you)? Have you been steadily increasing the weight you're working with?
This is the big question. I think that Strong Curves is a great program but the best results are going to be achieved when you eat at maintenance or above. I ran it when I was at and slightly above maintenance and saw some improvements. When I was cutting, I didn't see improvements but didn't see anything get worse either. Now I'm back to maintaining but haven't been for long enough to say one way or another.
Are you still doing Strong Curves or other program?0 -
You just really have to keep at it. Which exercise are you doing at 55 pounds? Or are you using that for all the barbell exercises--squats, deadlifts, RDLs, hip thrusts, glute bridges, etc.?
If you want to see a lot of before/after pictures, join the SC Ladies group on Facebook. It is the Strong Curves group that Bret Contreras and Kellie Davis post to.estherlion wrote: »
Are you still doing Strong Curves or other program?
I'm doing another program now but I still do exercises that I started with SC. On my 2 lower body day I'm still hitting quads and hamstrings and then also adding in 5x10 hip thrusts. If I have time I'll add in either seated or lying abductions. Plus I do one shorter day of just band and bodyweight glute stuff.0 -
You just really have to keep at it. Which exercise are you doing at 55 pounds? Or are you using that for all the barbell exercises--squats, deadlifts, RDLs, hip thrusts, glute bridges, etc.?
If you want to see a lot of before/after pictures, join the SC Ladies group on Facebook. It is the Strong Curves group that Bret Contreras and Kellie Davis post to.
Yes, for all the barbell exercises you mention.0 -
estherlion wrote: »
Are you still doing Strong Curves or other program?
I'm doing another program now but I still do exercises that I started with SC. On my 2 lower body day I'm still hitting quads and hamstrings and then also adding in 5x10 hip thrusts. If I have time I'll add in either seated or lying abductions. Plus I do one shorter day of just band and bodyweight glute stuff.estherlion wrote: »You just really have to keep at it. Which exercise are you doing at 55 pounds? Or are you using that for all the barbell exercises--squats, deadlifts, RDLs, hip thrusts, glute bridges, etc.?
If you want to see a lot of before/after pictures, join the SC Ladies group on Facebook. It is the Strong Curves group that Bret Contreras and Kellie Davis post to.
Yes, for all the barbell exercises you mention.
Good work. Just keep on progressing and you will get there. I am not sure if it is just coincidence that you are on the same weight for all but just in case you do not know, it is okay to up the weight for one exercise and not another. You will likely be able to go up in some quicker than others.0 -
Are you engaging your glutes? --any soreness? I feel sore after the single leg glute bridges. And, yesterday, I felt a good stretch in the hams and glutes with the cable pull-through. I'm on weeks 1-4 of the Gluteal Godess.
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If you aren't feeling it, you may need to up the weight or practice form.0
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Are you engaging your glutes? --any soreness? I feel sore after the single leg glute bridges. And, yesterday, I felt a good stretch in the hams and glutes with the cable pull-through. I'm on weeks 1-4 of the Gluteal Godess.
Single leg glute bridges are ridiculous with the soreness. I will not do them for awhile and then decide to do them, forgetting how challenging they are. Same with leg curls on a ball. I always seem to forget (repress) how much I feel them in my hamstrings.0 -
Best exercises for building my butt (my butt may be different from your butt) have been squats and split squats. On squats I'm between 145-250lb (depending on the rest of my routine, and how many reps I'm going to do) and on splits I'm between 45-145lb (again, depending on the rest of my routine, reps).
If you're not working out on a rack, I used to do elevated split squats (back foot on bench) holding two 20lb-45lb (went up as strength grew) dumbbells, reps of 15, 12, 10, 8 (one minute rest in between). Hurt my butt something fierce! I find that split squats work my butt a bit better than regular squats (I really have to watch my form on regular squats to work the back - focusing on pressing through the heels, with little to no pressure on my toes).
I'm very obese, so I'm able to build muscle while still on a deficit, although I do focus on replenishing a lot of protein on lifting days (typically with a shake). Maybe give split squats a try and see if they work better for you? Might have to eat a surplus too if you are at goal weight.0 -
PeachyPlum wrote: »Building muscle takes time. Like, a lot of time.
Are you still eating at a deficit? Because you really aren't going to add a lot of butt-meat without a caloric surplus. Bulk/cut cycles might help you build up those glutes.
Also, what is heavy (for you)? Have you been steadily increasing the weight you're working with?
This is the big question. I think that Strong Curves is a great program but the best results are going to be achieved when you eat at maintenance or above. I ran it when I was at and slightly above maintenance and saw some improvements. When I was cutting, I didn't see improvements but didn't see anything get worse either. Now I'm back to maintaining but haven't been for long enough to say one way or another.
^This. I saw significant improvements with SC but I was bulking so my results may not be as helpful to you. Keep at it while at maintenance and you should see better results. As others said, glute building is often a slow process.0 -
Lots of women underestimate how much they can really lift. I get this a lot on the leg press. Many put on just 25lbs on each side a call it "heavy". For many, that's MUCH less than half their body weight.
One of my female clients watched me put 2 45's on each side of the leg press for her and she said I must be smoking crack. I asked if she ever tried that much, and she replied she never even tried 1 45 on each side. So I told her to go ahead and give it a try.
She's now up to 3 45's on each side doing 5x5 and DOESN'T have "bulky" looking legs.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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If you have no injuries or disabilities or pain preventing you from lifting, you can definitely push yourself a bit.
Here are strength benchmarks for the squat for women
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/SquatStandards.html
Pounds
Squat - Adult Women
Body Weight Untrained Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
97 45 85 100 130 165
105 50 90 105 140 175
114 55 100 115 150 190
123 55 105 120 160 200
132 60 110 130 170 210
148 65 120 140 185 230
165 70 130 150 200 255
181 75 140 165 215 270
198 80 150 175 230 290
199+ 85 160 185 240 305
Ok I can't tab these over. The first column is the person's body weight. There are four categories after that. Or just check out the link
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Are you engaging your glutes? --any soreness? I feel sore after the single leg glute bridges. And, yesterday, I felt a good stretch in the hams and glutes with the cable pull-through. I'm on weeks 1-4 of the Gluteal Godess.
Is this a butt program? I'd like to target my butt a bit more too... I'm going to look into this.0 -
Thank you! No, I was on my own program, but it's not that different from a program called PHUL. I did an Upper-Lower split and did pretty much all compound lifts with a few accessories. I followed the Upper-Lower template for almost a year, then switched to a powerlifting program called the Texas Method in Oct 2014 because I wanted to focus strictly on strength.estherlion wrote: »
Honestly, any program will work as long as you're doing compound lifts, eating at a decent surplus, and you're patient. 4 months won't give you a 'fitness model'-looking body no matter what the program if you're skinny fat. It's a hard body type to change.
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Lots of women underestimate how much they can really lift. I get this a lot on the leg press. Many put on just 25lbs on each side a call it "heavy". For many, that's MUCH less than half their body weight.
One of my female clients watched me put 2 45's on each side of the leg press for her and she said I must be smoking crack. I asked if she ever tried that much, and she replied she never even tried 1 45 on each side. So I told her to go ahead and give it a try.
She's now up to 3 45's on each side doing 5x5 and DOESN'T have "bulky" looking legs.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
How much weight is the leg press before you add additional weight to it?0 -
I've never used a leg press and wouldn't have the faintest idea of how much weight to put on it. I just started doing leg curls recently and started with 25 and then had to keep adding 5 pounds to figure out what I really needed.0
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