Photography by Erin Trimble Photography

I always receive questions about glute exercises! So, today’s fitness post is all about building those glutes — here are my 5 Tips for Growing a Bigger Booty.  It’s taken me awhile to build even somewhat of a booty.  It definitely takes patience, hard work, and a lot of food {yes, food!}.  I used to have a completely flat butt, until I started incorporating these 5 tips:

1. Glute Activation: Activating your glutes before a workout is extremely important.  If you have stubborn glutes like me, you can activate your glutes beforehand either with or without a resistance band.  Standard exercises like glute bridges, hip extensions, and body weight squats can really activate your glutes and get them ready for leg day.
2. Multiple Leg Days: I have 3 leg days a week with all different exercises. One is typically including exercises like squats and deadlifts, but two of the three days include glute isolating exercises like kickbacks, walking lunges, hip thrusts, and alternate leg exercises {where you really focus on each glute}.  Focusing on your glutes and making that mind-to-muscle connection can really aid in muscle growth.  Also, don’t forget about your hamstrings! Hamstrings play a key role in the overall tone and shape of your butt.   The hammies have a few key muscles that attach near the glutes. The stronger your hamstrings are, the better your butt looks.
3. Eat, Eat, Eat: This is the fun part.  Shredding will not allow you to build a booty.  Focus on eating healthy carbs around your workout {before and after} and eating plenty of protein, especially post-workout.  If you’re wanting to shred for a certain amount of time, I would still do glute exercises, but you won’t see a huge difference in muscle growth.  In order to build muscle, you must ‘bulk’ for a certain period of time {I typically do it in the winter where layered clothes are a staple}.  This allows you to increase your calories and strategically build muscle {especially after leg days}.
4. Power Cardio: Think cardio that activates your glutes.  I love doing the stairmaster, walking on a steep incline {at 3o%}, walking lunges around the track {this really gets your heart rate up}, and step-ups.  Do these all while having that muscle-to-mind connection with your glutes.
5. Weight Progression: Make sure that you’re getting stronger over time.  Don’t become accustomed to the same amount of weight on that barbell.  Add weight as you go — whether it’s 2 lbs, 5 lbs, or 10 lbs.  As you build muscle, the more weight you will need to add. {side note: you should have enough weight that it’s challenging, but not too much as to cause injury}.

Hope y’all love my 5 Tips for Growing a Bigger Booty! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!