Squatting
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MoiAussi93 wrote: »It didn't matter how many squats I did, or how many days a week I did them, I never saw results in my butt (I wanted a larger one...genetics gave me a pancake *kitten*!) Granted, I did body weight squats, but I have zero interest in weights.
What DID very quickly give me a better butt was 1) running sprints two days a week. 2) Later I started hiking a couple of days a week...that also helped develop my butt. They gave me pretty fast results when all the squats I could do did nothing for me.
The issue here doesn't seem to be the squats themselves but the lack of progressive overload. If you are just doing bodyweight squats over and over you aren't challenging the muscles enough for growth. On the other hand your sprints and hiking seemed to offer a level of progression and added resistance. I'm not saying you need to do squats or heavy lifting but saying squats did nothing when they weren't performed properly for muscle growth can be a bit misleading.
She could change the tempo up. 3 seconds down and oh...say 4 or 5 up? That'll do it.
For muscle maintenance maybe but growth is very difficult. You really have to give reason for that muscle to grow.
I agree sardelsa, OP seems pretty set on no weights though. Kind of limits the options.
Since she is trying to "tone up" bodyweight can be effective if done properly. In that case I would recommend a program like Strong Curves which has a bodyweight section. Also adding reps, resistance bands, dumbbells etc can help progress over time.1 -
Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
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So by results i am not expecting like a bigger butt , if that happens you know great but i mean toned thighs and a nice toned butt. I believe that can be achieved by workouts you know.What kind of results?
There really is no straight or simple answer to your question. You would require enough stimulation and overload to preserve muscle of you are eating in a deficit. How much depends on many factors. I only squat once or twice a week. I am very quad dominant so for me they aren't a great exercise for me and my goals. Rather I incorporate other exercises such as hip thrusts and deadlifts as well as other accessories. I work legs 3-4x per week, but I followed a program at first so I didn't overtrain, undertrain, had the right muscle balance and recovered adequately. If you are doing random things it is more likely you will get random results.
Cardio and strength training
Strength training to build lean muscle (which also burns more calories than fat)
Cardio to burn fat to reveal those muscles
Good luck!
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Teabythesea_ wrote: »Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
Glad someone said it! This is what I was thinking as I read through this. Squats aren't really the best exercise if you are wanting to target your glutes. They should help with your thighs though. And I would agree with those who are recommending following a program - they really do work.8 -
Strong Curves has a great body weight program. You can find it online. I’d also recommend eating .6-.8g of protein per lb of body weight to maintain whatever muscle you might have right now.0
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[MoiAussi93 wrote: »It didn't matter how many squats I did, or how many days a week I did them, I never saw results in my butt (I wanted a larger one...genetics gave me a pancake *kitten*!) Granted, I did body weight squats, but I have zero interest in weights.
What DID very quickly give me a better butt was 1) running sprints two days a week. 2) Later I started hiking a couple of days a week...that also helped develop my butt. They gave me pretty fast results when all the squats I could do did nothing for me.
The issue here doesn't seem to be the squats themselves but the lack of progressive overload. If you are just doing bodyweight squats over and over you aren't challenging the muscles enough for growth. On the other hand your sprints and hiking seemed to offer a level of progression and added resistance. I'm not saying you need to do squats or heavy lifting but saying squats did nothing when they weren't performed properly for muscle growth can be a bit misleading.
She could change the tempo up. 3 seconds down and oh...say 4 or 5 up? That'll do it.
If OP is at only doing body weight squats at a dose that helps disrupt homeostasis, this is a reasonable option to apply more stimulus with a slight overload.
Pause squats could work as well.
All in all its going to matter what level of adaptation and strength the OP is currently at.
That being said, one would have to keep a close eye and a creative open mind on how to continue the progression.0 -
Completely agree.MoiAussi93 wrote: »It didn't matter how many squats I did, or how many days a week I did them, I never saw results in my butt (I wanted a larger one...genetics gave me a pancake *kitten*!) Granted, I did body weight squats, but I have zero interest in weights.
What DID very quickly give me a better butt was 1) running sprints two days a week. 2) Later I started hiking a couple of days a week...that also helped develop my butt. They gave me pretty fast results when all the squats I could do did nothing for me.
The issue here doesn't seem to be the squats themselves but the lack of progressive overload. If you are just doing bodyweight squats over and over you aren't challenging the muscles enough for growth. On the other hand your sprints and hiking seemed to offer a level of progression and added resistance. I'm not saying you need to do squats or heavy lifting but saying squats did nothing when they weren't performed properly for muscle growth can be a bit misleading.
She could change the tempo up. 3 seconds down and oh...say 4 or 5 up? That'll do it.
For muscle maintenance maybe but growth is very difficult. You really have to give reason for that muscle to grow.
I agree sardelsa, OP seems pretty set on no weights though. Kind of limits the options.
Since she is trying to "tone up" bodyweight can be effective if done properly. In that case I would recommend a program like Strong Curves which has a bodyweight section. Also adding reps, resistance bands, dumbbells etc can help progress over time.[MoiAussi93 wrote: »It didn't matter how many squats I did, or how many days a week I did them, I never saw results in my butt (I wanted a larger one...genetics gave me a pancake *kitten*!) Granted, I did body weight squats, but I have zero interest in weights.
What DID very quickly give me a better butt was 1) running sprints two days a week. 2) Later I started hiking a couple of days a week...that also helped develop my butt. They gave me pretty fast results when all the squats I could do did nothing for me.
The issue here doesn't seem to be the squats themselves but the lack of progressive overload. If you are just doing bodyweight squats over and over you aren't challenging the muscles enough for growth. On the other hand your sprints and hiking seemed to offer a level of progression and added resistance. I'm not saying you need to do squats or heavy lifting but saying squats did nothing when they weren't performed properly for muscle growth can be a bit misleading.
She could change the tempo up. 3 seconds down and oh...say 4 or 5 up? That'll do it.
If OP is at only doing body weight squats at a dose that helps disrupt homeostasis, this is a reasonable option to apply more stimulus with a slight overload.
Pause squats could work as well.
All in all its going to matter what level of adaptation and strength the OP is currently at.
That being said, one would have to keep a close eye and a creative open mind on how to continue the progression.
Yes sir. A decent set of dumbells (and bands as sardelsa suggested) take up minimal room and can make quite a difference, especially for someone newly into lifting/resistance training.0 -
So what do you recommend to target my glutes , gain muscle on my thighs and perk up and grow my butt a little ? Over all thigh and butt toning , also excercises for side love handles.Teabythesea_ wrote: »Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
Glad someone said it! This is what I was thinking as I read through this. Squats aren't really the best exercise if you are wanting to target your glutes. They should help with your thighs though. And I would agree with those who are recommending following a program - they really do work.
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So what do you recommend to target my glutes , gain muscle on my thighs and perk up and grow my butt a little ? Over all thigh and butt toning , also excercises for side love handles.Teabythesea_ wrote: »Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
Glad someone said it! This is what I was thinking as I read through this. Squats aren't really the best exercise if you are wanting to target your glutes. They should help with your thighs though. And I would agree with those who are recommending following a program - they really do work.
Have you tried Pilates? There are lots of Pilates moves that target lower body and pretty much all work your core too.
Additionally for legs and glutes - hip bridges, forward lunges, reverse lunges, side leg raises, donkey kicks to name a few options1 -
So what do you recommend to target my glutes , gain muscle on my thighs and perk up and grow my butt a little ? Over all thigh and butt toning , also excercises for side love handles.Teabythesea_ wrote: »Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
Glad someone said it! This is what I was thinking as I read through this. Squats aren't really the best exercise if you are wanting to target your glutes. They should help with your thighs though. And I would agree with those who are recommending following a program - they really do work.
You cant spot reduce fat, so there aren't really exercises that can target your "love handles."
As for targeting the glutes, hip thrusts, glute bridges, hip/back extension, kick backs, abduction exercises, etc. The glutes are actually three different muscles so variety is important, but any of these would be better than squats alone and can be done bodyweight. However, you definitely wont see as much growth as you would if you incorporate weight.2 -
And now how many days should i work on hip thrusts , kick backs , fire hydrants and ect ect ? Thank you for all the info tho i honestly appreciate it !!!Teabythesea_ wrote: »
So what do you recommend to target my glutes , gain muscle on my thighs and perk up and grow my butt a little ? Over all thigh and butt toning , also excercises for side love handles.Teabythesea_ wrote: »Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
Glad someone said it! This is what I was thinking as I read through this. Squats aren't really the best exercise if you are wanting to target your glutes. They should help with your thighs though. And I would agree with those who are recommending following a program - they really do work.
You cant spot reduce fat, so there aren't really exercises that can target your "love handles."
As for targeting the glutes, hip thrusts, glute bridges, hip/back extension, kick backs, abduction exercises, etc. The glutes are actually three different muscles so variety is important, but any of these would be better than squats alone and can be done bodyweight. However, you definitely wont see as much growth as you would if you incorporate weight.
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I do a few of them on my leg workout routine now , do you have any idea how many days a week i should follow these workouts ?
So what do you recommend to target my glutes , gain muscle on my thighs and perk up and grow my butt a little ? Over all thigh and butt toning , also excercises for side love handles.Teabythesea_ wrote: »Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
Glad someone said it! This is what I was thinking as I read through this. Squats aren't really the best exercise if you are wanting to target your glutes. They should help with your thighs though. And I would agree with those who are recommending following a program - they really do work.
Have you tried Pilates? There are lots of Pilates moves that target lower body and pretty much all work your core too.
Additionally for legs and glutes - hip bridges, forward lunges, reverse lunges, side leg raises, donkey kicks to name a few options
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I do a few of them on my leg workout routine now , do you have any idea how many days a week i should follow these workouts ?
So what do you recommend to target my glutes , gain muscle on my thighs and perk up and grow my butt a little ? Over all thigh and butt toning , also excercises for side love handles.Teabythesea_ wrote: »Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
Glad someone said it! This is what I was thinking as I read through this. Squats aren't really the best exercise if you are wanting to target your glutes. They should help with your thighs though. And I would agree with those who are recommending following a program - they really do work.
Have you tried Pilates? There are lots of Pilates moves that target lower body and pretty much all work your core too.
Additionally for legs and glutes - hip bridges, forward lunges, reverse lunges, side leg raises, donkey kicks to name a few options
That’s going to be really individual so I can’t really. I incorporate a lot of lower body strength moves with my cardio twice a week when I go to Jazzercize. I also lift heavy a few days a week - I choose which muscles to work at the gym based on what isn’t sore or hasn’t been worked recently. I also enjoy boxing and trail running. My personal training is more about diverse workouts that keep it fun and ensure my whole body is working during the week.1 -
I do a few of them on my leg workout routine now , do you have any idea how many days a week i should follow these workouts ?
So what do you recommend to target my glutes , gain muscle on my thighs and perk up and grow my butt a little ? Over all thigh and butt toning , also excercises for side love handles.Teabythesea_ wrote: »Cahgetsfit wrote: »Oh - and by the way - I have seen people squat their butts off and have almost no results because not actually squeezing the glutes. You should be squeeeeeeeezing them glutes HARD.
No, you really shouldn't. People see minimal to no glute growth with squats because squats are not a glute dominant exercise. When squatting, your glutes are the most engaged at the bottom of the squat, which is why people say that you can target the glutes more by going "a** to grass" or doing pause squats. However, most people don't do this when squatting, hence the lack of glute growth. Squeezing them really hard in a position where they're not engaged does about as much as standing and repeatedly squeezing your glutes does. On top of that, excessively squeezing them can cause a posterior pelvic tilt which can cause an injury under a heavy load (obviously this doesn't pertain to OP). I'm not really sure where the idea of excessively squeezing the glutes in a squat came from but what you should be doing is externally rotating the hips. While this does cause you to squeeze your glutes some, it's not for the purpose of activating them, but rather to prevent your knees from going inward and neutralizing/stabilizing your lumbar spine.
Glad someone said it! This is what I was thinking as I read through this. Squats aren't really the best exercise if you are wanting to target your glutes. They should help with your thighs though. And I would agree with those who are recommending following a program - they really do work.
Have you tried Pilates? There are lots of Pilates moves that target lower body and pretty much all work your core too.
Additionally for legs and glutes - hip bridges, forward lunges, reverse lunges, side leg raises, donkey kicks to name a few options
That is where following a program comes in handy, even a bodyweight one like Strong Curves. It tells you the exercises, sets, reps and days to workout.4 -
I was also thinking OP, if you absolutely do not want to follow a program (which of course I will add is the most optimal way) until you get more comfortable or ready, an alternative I found if you YouTube Bret Contreras glute circuit/home workout or Sohee Lee Glute circuits. Keep in mind they are only glute focused so no upper or anything. They are pretty good and you can do those 3x per week to start. You might need small resistance bands or even dumbells to make it challenging and they are fun to do and will get you introduced to the movements. I do these when I am away from my home gym.2
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Walking lunges may do the trick better than squats for your glutes. Focus on the glutes to lift not the back leg when rising. Strong Curves is a good program and can help you achieve the focus. Also it can help with progression.1
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Look up Hip Hop Tabata on YouTube with Keira Lashae (spelling of that name may not be quite right). I've been adding these into my weekly picks, I only do at home workouts. There is a reason the video vixens all have such fine legs (oh my thighs!).0
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