The question of how to get a bigger butt is becoming more and more popular today, with the likes of celebs like Kim Kardashian, Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, J-Lo and Jen Selter popularizing the sexiness of having a bigger butt.

beyonces butt
Photo: yayimages.com / ImageCollect

While that’s all well and good for those lucky bootylicious gals, it can leave the majority of us who might have a smaller or average sized butt feeling less than adequate.

Well get ready to change that attitude, because in this article you’ll learn how you can get a bigger butt no matter what your starting size.

 Who is this article for?

This article is for anyone who wants a bigger butt and is willing to commit to the work required to building one (yes, you will need to get off your butt first in order to make it bigger). If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how to get a bigger butt, I assume you also want it enough to work for it.

How to get a bigger butt through exercise
photo credit: david_shankbone via photopin cc
Why would I want to get a bigger butt?
How to get a bigger butt
“I’d be smiling even more if I had a bigger butt!”

‘Bigger’ can be a vague word. Of course, when it comes to butts, everyone’s perception of beauty is different, so it will depend on what you want your butt to look like as to whether or not you should read ahead.

When I talk about getting a bigger butt, I am predominantly referring to gaining muscle mass, not fat, to increase the size of our behinds. The pleasant side effect of this is not only a bigger butt but also one that’s firmer, rounder, higher and tighter to boot!

A bigger butt can be extremely attractive to the opposite sex – that goes for both men and women. Contrary to popular belief, women appreciate men’s butts as well. Attracting compliments is not the only reason to work on your butt, but it sure is a nice side effect.

Understanding the Anatomy of the Butt

In order to understand how to get a bigger butt, we first need to understand what the butt is actually made up of. I present you with a summarized version of Butt Anatomy 101:

What makes up a butt?

The main factors which make up your butt and are responsible for the way it looks are:

  • Bones
  • Muscle
  • Fat

Bones provide the structure for the body and while you may not associate your skeleton with having a nice butt, it does provide the framework for it (think hip width, for one). This is probably the only thing about your butt you can’t change, as your pelvis and thigh bones (femur) aren’t really all that adaptable.

There are 4 muscles which make up the gluteal muscle group [1], but really only 3 of these (the gluteus muscles, or glutes for short) contribute to the shape of the buttocks:

  • Gluteus maximus
  • Gluteus medius
  • Gluteus minimus
  • Tensor fasciae latae muscle

Here’s where the gluteal muscles sit:

Gluteal muscles anatomy
Gluteus Maximus (Yellow), Gluteus Medius (Blue) and Gluteus Minimus (Red) are the main muscles that contribute to the shape of the buttocks. image credit: CFCF via Wikimedia Commons cc

The other main determining factor on the way your bottom looks is the distribution of fat tissue (aka adipose tissue), the main purpose of which is to provide cushioning when we are seated. The buttocks consist of a considerable thickness of fat which sits layered above the gluteal muscles and it is this which has the most influence on the shape of the butt.

If you’re interested, you can find out more about each of these components in my full article on buttocks anatomy.

Your Butt shape, Genetics, and How to Stop Your Butt from Shrinking as You Age

Butt shape

While all butts may be made of the same stuff, not all butts are created equal. I’m sure you’ve noticed there are all kinds of different butt shapes out there, and some have even gone so far as to categorize the different butt shapes as round, heart, square, etc.

GeneticsGlute genes

Genetics plays a major role in how your butt looks. Some lucky individuals have great genetics for a nice ample butt (commonly Brazilian or African American women), while others of us are stuck with a flat non-existent butt.

Data from one study [2] looking at gluteal muscle volumes showed that there can be a huge variation between the glute composition in different individuals (up to 500% for the gluteus maximus – meaning the most muscular individual in the study had gluteus maximus muscles 5 times larger than that of the least muscular individual).

Similarly, fat quantity and distribution also has strong genetic factors. Some people just have more fat storage in their butt, in all the right places.

The good news though, is that while you can’t change your genetics, you can influence which genes are expressed (‘turned off’ or ‘turned on’) through lifestyle factors [3], and it is the effect of both environment and genetics which determines our final outcome.

How aging affects our behinds

Degeneration of the fatty layer in the buttocks over time occurs as a natural side effect of aging and is called atrophy. Atrophy of the fatty layer is what primarily causes ‘butt sagging’.

Muscle tissue also can atrophy and shrink after the age of 30, unless combated with physical exercise [4]. This can cause a butt to look ‘flat’.

flat butt at the beach

What does this mean for those of us who want to know how to get a bigger butt?

Since we now have a good understanding of the anatomy of the butt, we can work towards stimulating further growth in order to make our buttocks larger.

There are two main ways you can increase the size of your butt, and its important to understand the difference between these two because they can look very different. These are: changing the amount of fat, or changing the amount of muscle in your butt.

Muscle versus fat

Increasing Butt Size by Increasing Fat Content

Fat distribution is mainly due to genetic factors and generally it is assumed that not much can be done to change this. Losing and gaining weight overall can have an impact on the fat stored in this area but it’s widely accepted that it is not possible to ‘spot reduce’ fat or customize the specific distribution of fat on your rear.

Attempting to increase the size of your butt by increasing the amount of fat content in your butt area will require you to increase whole-body fat, which may not always be a good look.

Increasing Butt Size by Increasing Muscle Content

Muscles can be encouraged to grow in size (called hypertrophy) through causing micro tears to the muscle fibers as is done through targeted exercises. When the muscle repairs, it repairs stronger than it was previously. This leads to reinforcement of the fibers and more muscle fibers equals more muscle mass, which equals a bigger butt if you work on building the glutes.

It’s the exact same principle used by body builders who want to get bigger arms or chest muscles.

increase size by increasing muscle

The good thing about increasing butt size by increasing muscle content is that you can specifically target individual muscles that you want to increase in size, unlike fat content. This means that you can perform exercises that specifically or heavily focus on the butt muscles, and build a bigger butt.

 Exercises for a Bigger Butt

Okay, so to get a bigger butt, we know that we need to focus on exercises that build muscle mass in the glutes. To build additional muscle mass rather than just toning existing muscle, you’ll need to get yourself a good workout routine that is designed for building muscle – these will typically involve a few sets using heavy weights and low reps [5].

Weightlifting
You’ll need to lift heavier than this to gain muscle!

You’ll need to increase the weight as soon as you are able to, and will see best results by training to failure (load up the weights so that you simply can’t perform another rep once you near the end of your set).

What are the Best Butt Exercises to do for a Bigger Butt?

There are many butt exercises out there and finding the ones most effective for how to get a bigger butt may take some experimenting to see what works best for you. A routine doesn’t need to be complicated to work. As a starter, try these ones on for size.

Glute Bridges

  • Do 3 sets of 10 with a weight that has you failing on your last rep.
  • If you don’t have weights, hold the contraction and focus on squeezing the glutes at the top for 5 seconds for each rep.
  • Progress to single leg bridges to make the exercise more difficult.
 Squat

  • Do 3 sets of 10 with a weight that has you failing on your last rep.
  • If you don’t have weights, perform the exercise at a slow rate (5 seconds down, 5 seconds up). Pause at the bottom for 1 second, focusing on contracting the glutes as you rise on each rep.
  • Only lift heavy weights if you have correct form, as incorrect form under heavy weight can lead to injury.
 Donkey Kick

  • Load up using ankle weights or a cable weight machine if possible.
  • Do 3 sets of 10 on each side with a weight that has you failing on your last rep.
  • If you don’t have weights, perform the exercise with a 5 second glute contraction at the top of the movement, at the end of your final set, pulse the leg up and down in a short range of motion at the top for 1 minute.

Other Ways to Get a Bigger Butt

We looked at how the butt is made up of different tissues and how we can influence those tissues to grow to give us a bigger butt, but there are options other than exercise as well.

While I won’t go into great detail on all of these, there are a number of other things you can do that can increase the size of your butt that I want to mention for completeness.

Supplements and/or creamsButt enhancing tablets

Butt enhancing pills and creams are all over the internet, but do they actually work?

The general marketing for these types of products goes like this: the pills usually contain a mixture of natural products designed to stimulate and regulate your hormone levels which then can trigger your body to store fat on the hips and butt, as well as assist in building muscle in the glutes.

After reviewing a number of butt enhancing pills (Major Curves, Dime Curves, Brand New Booty, and Gluteboost), my pick would have to be Gluteboost pills. This company seemed a lot more reputable than the rest. I’m still not entirely convinced, but if I was going to try these, I’d be going with the Gluteboost brand.

Butt enhancing creams are a similar story – applying the cream supposedly activates fat cells to grow in size and increase in number. Volufiline is one promising  natural product that is supposed to help your fat cells grow!

Others have reportedly seen results from regularly massaging fish oil into the buttocks.

Based on the above, I’m not entirely convinced but wouldn’t rule these methods out until I have done more detailed research or tried them myself.

Butt-Enhancing clothing

If you need to have a bigger looking booty and can’t wait for it, then you could always consider butt enhancing clothing, like butt enhancing underwear or specially designed jeans which make your butt look bigger.

There are a range of products available for purchase in this area these days – from butt lifting/shaping underwear, to padded underwear, to butt pads that you can insert under your clothes. The resulting effect is not as silly as it sounds, and can get you some pretty good looking results instantly.

Butt Augmentation

butt augmentation surgeryThere are a number of cosmetic surgery procedures now widely available to give you a bigger butt, with practices ranging from butt lifts, fat transfers and butt implants to help you get the shape you desire. However, keep in mind that surgery can be a costly and risky process.

Setting Goals and Developing a Program

If you’re serious about getting a bigger butt you’ll need to develop a program for serious muscle gains and stick to it. Not being consistent in following an effective exercise routine will be your number one reason for failure.

How can you counteract this? You’ll need to have the right kind of motivation to keep you going when the thought of working out becomes too much.

The ‘why’ always comes first. Write down and visualize why you want this goal and read over it daily. Picture yourself with a bigger butt and all the compliments you’ll attract. View forums and blog posts or motivational pictures. Know what you want and focus on your end result – the motivation to do what it takes to get there will follow naturally.

Not sure how to develop your own program, or what exercises to do? Check out this list of butt-focused workout programs as a starting point.

Tracking and Reviewing Progress

Monitoring and reviewing your butt-building progress is what will keep you going when you feel like giving up. Take pictures and measurements before starting.

For pictures, take these indoors (preferably at night under artificial lighting) in the same room and in the same location of the room so that the lighting is consistent in all your pictures.

MeasuringDon’t make the mistake of measuring/evaluating too often, as a lack of results can be demotivating. I recommend 2 weeks as a minimum to re-measure and take progress photos.

As for your scales – throw them out the window. This is not about a number that comes up on the scale; rather, it is about visual, measurable results.

Finally – experiment. Track your workouts and write down what you do.

See what works for you, and scale it. Take what doesn’t seem to be working and ditch it. The path to how to get a bigger butt is yours to find, tweak and master.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to get a bigger butt, I hope you’ll put the above into practice and come up with your own plan for building your own butt bigger and better. Why not try one of our butt challenges to get you started?

If you’re not sure where to begin then a bigger butt building program like this one is a great way to get started.

Let me know what you think about this article – I’d love to hear your comments on what has worked for you in the past when it comes to getting a bigger butt.

 References:
[1] Wikipedia, “Gluteal muscles,” [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluteal_muscles. [Accessed 30 September 2014].
[2] Preininger B, Schmorl K, von Roth P, Winkler T, Matziolis G, Perka C, Tohtz S, “The sex specificity of hip-joint muscles offers an explanation for better results in men after total hip arthroplasty.,” Int Orthop., pp. 36(6):1143-8, 2012 Jun.
[3] D. Ornish, “Changing Lifestyle Changes Gene Expression,” 3 December 2008. [Online]. Available: http://edge.org/conversation/changing-lifestyle-changes-gene-expression. [Accessed 4 October 2014].
[4] B. Agin (MD) and S. Perkins, “What Happens to Aging Muscles,” in Healthy Aging For Dummies, For Dummies, 2008, p. 384.
[5] P. Nordin, “Building Muscle Mass!,” 5 August 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/pauline5.htm. [Accessed 4 October 2014].
How to Get a Bigger Butt
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7 thoughts on “How to Get a Bigger Butt

  • October 8, 2014 at 3:03 pm
    Permalink

    I want a bigger butt! haha I must say I loved reading this really informational post. Tons of good stuff here, and your writing style is so engaging.

    Angie

    Reply
  • October 8, 2014 at 3:09 pm
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    I’ve been working out at home, focusing on squats for the glutes – I don’t have any weights, so I appreciated the tip about slowing down the squats. I’ll have to try that for sure.

    I’m actually joining up at a gym soon, hoping to find some more effective tools (and motivating environment). Can you recommend an exercise machine that targets the glutes and would be effective in the same way?

    Reply
    • October 9, 2014 at 8:50 am
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      Hey Angie, the leg press machine at the gym is a great machine alternative to squats, as it predominantly works the quads, hamstrings and glutes.

      I like to do these slow (5 sec up/5 sec down), but it can be difficult on the knees over the whole range – I know mine can be a bit iffy sometimes.

      If you want to really target your glutes rather than the quads, you’ll find that at some point near to the lowest point in the motion (where your knees are more bent) you’ll really feel your glutes working. If you really slow down the motion in this range, even doing slow pulses for that range where your glutes are working, you’ll be getting a great butt workout. Don’t forget to mentally focus on engaging the glutes to do the work.

      I try to do these to muscle failure, meaning I can’t possibly do any more, and with a weight such that I will fail on around the 6-7 rep mark. It might take a few sessions to learn what this weight is for you. 1 set like this is fine but if you feel like you want to do more you could also do up to 3 sets to failure.
      Don’t forget to give it at least 1-2 days between working out like this to give the muscles time to rebuild. Good luck!

      Reply
  • October 9, 2014 at 11:42 am
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    Wow, thanks so much for your reply Jolie! This is extremely helpful. I will definitely keep your tips in mind and head straight for the leg press machine! Well, maybe a warm-up first would be in order hehe 😛

    Reply
  • January 13, 2015 at 12:57 am
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    Hi Jolie
    Loved this article. You seem to be having quite a bit of fun building your booty :-). You definitely have me thinking of taking up the challenge and I am thinking I can also utilize the stairs at work to help in the process. What do you think? I am thinking, my thighs can get a work out that way as well. Would love to hear your opinion.

    Reply
    • January 13, 2015 at 9:13 am
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      Hi Vanessa, stairs are absolutely fantastic for butt-building! Take them two at a time or in bigger steps to get a better burn. I’m a big fan of taking the stairs over the lift, glad to hear there are others like me out there!

      Reply

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