A personal trainer reveals how to build a stronger booty
Trying to build a booty on a body that wasn’t blessed with natural ASSets is a tricky endeavour. Putting in hours at the gym without seeing any changes, or feeling like you’ve tried everything and being disappointed is enough to put even the most gym-motivated gal off her game. In order to stop wasting time and help to get your fitness goals on track, we asked personal trainer, powerlifting coach and non-clinical nutrition advisor Maddie Graham (@maaddiegraham on Instagram) our most burning butt-lifting and strengthening questions.
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How many times a week should you be working out to see changes in your butt?
Finding the right balance when working out is important and Maddie recommends working out your lower body 2-3 times a week: two days a week if you’re a beginner, with a third workout added if you’re more experienced with working out.
What are the biggest mistakes you see people making when they’re trying to build muscle in the butt area?
Consistency is key when trying to build muscle and Maddie says the biggest mistakes she sees people making are “not executing exercises properly, not following a structured program and giving up when they don't see results within a couple of weeks”.
What are some of your favourite butt-building exercises?
Turns out there should be more than just squats in your routine. The main exercises Maddie utilises with her clients are “barbell hip thrust, conventional deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts and kettlebell swings”.
Are there any special foods we should be eating to help encourage muscle growth?
Maddie emphasises the importance of staying away from detox supplements that promise fast results, saying “they provide no nutritional value to the human body … and I made all those mistakes when I began my journey”.
“I always promote eating 'colourful'. Aim to eat quality sources of protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables and healthy fats - both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated”.
Do you need to join a gym to get a stronger, firmer butt?
For all the booty builders on a budget, Maddie says that at the beginning home workouts can make a difference. However, after a while, “your body will adapt to that amount of stress and if you don't progressively overload your glutes, by gradually increasing the amount of work your glutes are put through, then you may have trouble seeing further changes”. In short, if you’re further into your fitness journey and have stopped seeing progress through home workouts, it might be time to look into joining a gym so you can lift heavier weights and continue growing your glutes.
Is there such a thing as 'too much cardio'?
As someone who hates cardio with a passion, I was happy to hear the only cardio Maddie recommends at the beginning of your fitness journey is hitting 10,000 steps a day. Maddie says “I believe you can overwork yourself too much; if your body is in a deficit, then your body will find it difficult to grow significant amounts of muscle. You will also feel exhausted and out of energy if you are doing large amounts of exercise”. So if you’re lifting weights multiple times a week, overloading yourself with cardio on top may be too much for your body to handle.
Are there any exercises that we should be avoiding?
It’s not so much the exercises you should be avoiding, but how you do them. “If you don't know how to do an exercise, I would recommend getting a coach or a trainer to help you. This is because if you execute an exercise incorrectly and injure yourself, you can set yourself back.” Maddie also recommends staying away from all those over-complicated workouts you see on Instagram - keep your workouts to the basics.
How long does it take to build a stronger, firmer butt?
The impatience is real when you’re waiting to reap the rewards from your gym sessions, but Maddie says “if you are following a program you will see results within 6-12 weeks, however solid muscle growth can take up to a year to see significant changes.” Patience is a virtue people!
What's your top tip for building muscle?
"Get a coach, follow a program and don't give up”.
Do you prefer working out in a gym or at home?
56 Member Comments
I prefer working out at home, doing the lawns and chores, lol. My exercise is walking, stairs and slopes are a good butt and leg work out.
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Lots of good advice here...especially the point of getting a coach...someone motivating you is invaluable on a training schedule!
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Agree with getting a coach. Sometimes it's hard to motivate yourself. Plus having a coach can teach you the right techniques.
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I have never subscribed to these workouts to be honest. I just row 3-4 times a week for 30mins and feel like it is generally enough to keep me feeling healthy especially if I watch what I eat.
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What is the obsession with having a big bum???As someone with a flat bum, I don't get it??? Ha ha!!! I do love a good walk outside and just being in nature...
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I've started running again, loving the breeze and music
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I am just happy being healthy and at my age I am pleased with walking daily to stay as fit as I can. I was really thin when I was younger and it wasn’t fashionable.
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Great advice! I used to love working out and feeling strong. Now I have a longterm injury that prevents this, and I really miss it.
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I don't think i will go after it.
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I think a lot of people go into routines/diets/gym with unrealistic expectations of this working within weeks or even months without realising that everyone reacts to diets and exercises in different ways. If they don't see results quickly and just give up. I have gotten back into regular exercise for the last year and I do believe that if you change the way you think, just persist and go in with "I showed up today, I made the effort today, I'll come back and try again tomorrow and do it again" mind set you will slowly but surely notice the difference. Besides, anything that works too quickly is bound to be a little harmful in the long run.
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The famous words - just don’t give up. If you are having a bad week just do something so you don’t blame or be hard on yourself!! Great article - love the hip thrusts so will keep up with them
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When I was a young woman, the female ideal was presented as big boobs, small waist, and small, firm bum. This was great for me at the time, as, although my boobs were small, I did have a small waist and small bum. Nowadays, the ideal is even more unattainable for a lot of women. We are expected to have huge boobs, tiny waist, huge round bum, a thigh gap, and huge, plastic surgery lips. For many, this combination is only attainable through cosmetic procedures. I will be so glad if the trend becomes more natural again. That is, that no matter what size or shape you are, you are beautiful as you are.
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Sprints are also a great way of increasing muscle mass around the lower body. Squats are great, but they need to be done properly to effectively use the glutes.
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I think it should be mentioned WHY we should be strengthening our glute muscles (there are 3!). You can also work out your glutes and building strength without you getting a "big butt", it just depends on what you are doing.
If this article puts you off, don't let it - add some glute strengthening exercises to your routines (even if you just walk a few times a week).
Clam shells are a great one - if you can't do more than 20 on each side you have seriously weak glutes!
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Thank you so much for mentioning clam shell exercises. I'd never heard of them, so looked them up, and they sound fantastic for my injured back and sciatica. I found it very hard (muscle cramping) but managed 20 lifting my right leg, I found lifting the left leg a lot easier and completed 30 before I felt a little cramping. Going to keep doing these!
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I like the idea of eating a rainbow and working out in moderation, but I’m feeling more and more as I get older that the notion of not being "blessed with natural ASSets” is a mistake. We are all blessed with the bodies we have and we should certainly look after ourselves, and exercise and eating well is important, but so is self-acceptance. The body you have now is perfect, just as it is. No need for patience, people. Just change to how we perceive beauty and the way in which unrealistic body image is perpetuated by social media. Beauties, your butt is beautiful - big, small, muscular or soft.
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Gyms intimidate me, so I prefer to workout at home. I'm slowly getting back into it now that spring is here. I've got what I consider to be a pretty good booty thanks to all the stairs I have in my house (and the hilly streets that surround me), so I'm not interested in growing my peach. I'd like to tone & lift it a bit more, but my butt's already well rounded.
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I like outdoor workouts instead of the gym.
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I am kind of looking at the picture above and thinking, I wouldn't want to look that thin. I think I did have a tiny waist like that in my teens and hated it. Nothing fitted in the adults shops.
Hard to do great exercises here these days. Just walking and even that I can't do a lot of.
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I don’t want to make my butt bigger but I wouldn’t mind improving my overall strength.
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To be honest, I don't like working out at all. A nice brisk walk suits me to a tee. A toned bum is all I need, not a bigger one.
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