How can a skinny girl build a big butt?

Let’s face it. A lot of women aren’t satisfied with their “backyard”. But not everyone has the same complaint. Some complain they have a saggy butt, some hate it because of its unevenness. Some are upset because they think they don’t have one(not exactly).

Well, your butt; a.k.a. tushie, ass, derriere, caboose, unit, booty, moneymaker, hiney, bum, arse, or fanny. We all have one.

So how can we care for it and develop it? Let’s check it out.

GeneticsYour body type is determined by the genes you inherited from your parents at birth. You can have a pear shaped body that stores fat in the butt or a body type that stores fat in the abdomen and hips. Even if you lose weight and reduce body fat, your body type and overall shape usually remains pretty much the same. Genetics plays a role in the size and shape of your butt and other muscle groups. This is why you will find some women who have naturally bigger busts or butts while other girls are flat all over. This being said, there are ways to help add size and muscle mass to your glutes.

Targeting the GlutealsWhen you think of the muscles in your butt, the ones that get the most attention are the ones you sit on, your gluteus maximus. However, your glutes consist of three specific muscles that, together, give you a full range of motion as you go about your day. Targeting each section of your glutes with exercises such as the squat and lunge will keep you supple and flexible and give you a firmer and stronger lower half.

The other two smaller butt muscles are the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus. These muscles, which can become just as notoriously weak as the gluteus maximus, primarily work when you’re supporting your body on one leg, as you might do when you’re walking, running, or climbing stairs.

Lets look at some exercises, shall we?

• Deep SquatsSquatting deeper requires more work from the muscles—particularly those of the posterior chain (calves, hamstrings and glutes). When you squat to full depth, your muscles are stretched further and are better activated than if you were to just perform a parallel squat. With all that tension in your muscles, you can generate more power when coming out of the bottom position. Furthermore, when you squat deep, your hips take more of the load than your knees and ankles, and hip extension torque is increased. Not only does that allow you to drive out of the hole with force, but it also helps to prime your musculature and increase the PAP effect for subsequent power exercises (such as sprinting and jumping).

• Sumo Dumbbell Squat

1. Hold a dumbbell at the base with both hands and stand straight up. Move your legs so that they are wider than shoulder width apart from each other with your knees slightly bent.
2. Your toes should be facing out. Note: Your arms should be stationary while performing the exercise. This is the starting position.
3. Slowly bend the knees and lower your legs until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure to inhale as this is the eccentric part of the exercise.
4. Press mainly with the heel of the foot to bring the body back to the starting position while exhaling.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
   
   Caution: Failure to keep your back straight can result in back injury.

• Leg pressesWhile at the leg press, go higher on the sled to increase the degree of hip flexion and extension while reducing the range of motion around the knees. This more strongly targets the glutes and hams.

• LungesStand with your torso upright holding two dumbbells in your hands by your sides. This will be your starting position. Step forward with your right leg around 2 feet or so from the foot being left stationary behind and lower your upper body down, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance. Inhale as you go down. Using mainly the heel of your foot, push up and go back to the starting position as you exhale. Repeat the movement for the recommended amount of repetitions and then perform with the left leg.
  Another variation to this is the walking lunges.
  Note: As in the other exercises, do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, as this will put undue stress on the knee joint. Make sure that you keep your front shin perpendicular to the ground.
  Caution: This is a movement that requires a great deal of balance so if you suffer from balance problems you may wish to either avoid it or just use your own body weight while holding on to a fixed object. Definitely never perform with a barbell on your back if you suffer from balance issues.

• Bulgarian Dumbbell Split SquatPosition yourself into a staggered stance with the rear foot elevated and front foot forward. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, letting them hang at the sides. This will be your starting position. Begin by descending, flexing your knee and hip to lower your body down. Maintain good posture throughout the movement. Keep the front knee in line with the foot as you perform the exercise. At the bottom of the movement, drive through the heel to extend the knee and hip to return to the starting position. After a desired number of reps, perform it with the next leg.

• Glute KickbacksThere are several variations of the kick-out motion, but each involves you bending at the waist and kicking out behind you, preferably with your heel going higher than your low back. You can get in a crawl position and kick-out (easy version), use a kick-out machine at the gym, or attach a cable or elastic band to your leg and kick-out. Perform 3-5 sets of 10-20 kick-outs per leg.

• Glute BridgesLie flat on the floor on your back with the hands by your side and your knees bent. Your feet should be placed around shoulder width. This will be your starting position. Pushing mainly with your heels, lift your hips off the floor while keeping your back straight. Breathe out as you perform this part of the motion and hold at the top for a second. Slowly go back to the starting position as you breathe in.

Each time you workout, try to increase the weight progressively. This will enhance your strength.

Consume more protein rich foods. If you have a high metabolism, go fore a high calorie diet. Macro and micro nutrients intakes also count.

Thank you for asking.

Happy training :)