Trying to build a bigger bum? PT-approved moves to grow your booty
Aesthetic purposes aside, there are *so* many reasons your fitness routine should contain booty exercises. From building power and strength to improving posture and stability, working on those glutes is about more than just looking good in your new pair of jeans. (although we'll admit, that is always a plus.)
But for many (us included), there's a high possibility that our workouts haven't been as effective as they could be when it comes to building a bigger bum. Whether it's a couple of hip raises here and a few squats there, sadly the quest for a rear that rivals a Kardashian takes a little bit more work than this.
Which is why we’ve put together the ultimate guide to growing your butt, covering everything from the best bum exercises to the booty-building tips - all tried and tested by the experts, of course.
So, without further ado, here’s everything you need to know to set you on the path to a perkier peach…
The best bum exercises you need to know
We spoke to Lucie Cowan, a personal trainer at Third Space in London, who explains that building a firm, toned bum is all about strength. (See, we told you!) She says that while squats and lunges might be some of the best moves out there to build muscle in your glutes, if you want to really shape and change your butt, it's all about adding weight to these moves as well as trying out a variety of different exercises.
So, what are they?
The deadbug
Get into a tabletop position with your arms raised straight above your head. Pull your ribs down, tense your core and hold it down into the mat.
Next, lower and stretch one leg straight down as you lower the opposite/diagonal arm.
Bring back up and repeat. Try for 10-15 per side as a warm up.
Hip raises
From table top, lower your legs down.
Pull one knee into your chest and thrust up with the other leg, putting the pressure in the ball of your foot rather than the heel and tensing your glute on that leg as hard as you can at the top.
Try for 10 on each side to warm up.
Kettlebell swings
Stand with your feet a bit wider than hip-width apart. Lift the kettlebell, keep your ribs down and core tensed, with your chest 'proud' and facing the mirror (resist the urge to look up and keep your chin down).
Swing the kettlebell back between your legs. As nasty as it sounds, you then want to imagine someone is electric shocking your butt, causing you to tense your glutes as hard as possible and thrust forwards. Use the momentum to swing the kettlebell forward and up, ideally to chin level.
Repeat this, but try to hinge from your hip rather than bending your knees. Remember that it's that big glute tense creating the momentum to push the kettlebell forward.
Banded walk
With a resistance band, step both of your feet onto the band with about 1ft between them. Pull the band tight so it's hard to move in either direction.
Twist the band around so that each hand is holding the end part of the band that's under the opposite foot.
Now, lead with your knees and walk sideways like a crab, in a squat position, keeping your core tensed, your back straight, shoulders up/back/down and your butt down.
Walk 10 steps one way and back 10 steps the other, repeating for three sets.
Bulgarian split squats
Never heard of these before? They're somewhere between a squat and a lunge - with one leg balanced behind you on a bench/box and all of your weight in your front leg, which you bend down from the knee.
Aim for three sets of 15.
Deadlift
While this is the most challenging move of all, it's a peak all-body workout, and essential for building bigger glutes. We'd really advise learning this with a PT, even if you've done a barbell deadlift before.
Standing in the middle of the bar, get a good grip on each handle. Your feet should be a little wider than hip-width apart.
Squat down so your bum is as far back and down as you can get - it should feel like you're just about to fall backwards if you go any further. All your weight should be in your heels and your toes should be almost lifting off the ground.
Lift the bar just up until the point where it feels like it's about to leave the ground (this will activate your shoulder and back muscles and stop you from snatching it up too quickly), take a deep breath in and lift straight up.
Big glute tense at the top, and lower the bar back down to the ground.
Weighted reverse lunge
With a dumbbell in each hand, stand upright with your core tensed and your shoulders up back and down. Then, step backwards with one leg, lowering your knee to the ground.
Then return to upright. Start with bodyweight if you've never done lunges before and gradually build yourself up to 12kgs or 14kgs.
How to get a bigger bum: dos and don'ts
Listen to your body
No one ever said building a bigger booty was easy! PT Cowan says the last 1-2 reps of every exercise should feel pretty much impossible. So, when your current weights become bearable, it's time to up the kgs. Even if you have to lower your reps a little from 10-12 to 8, she says it's crucial for upping your ability.
Equally, if by your last set, you're so fatigued you can feel your form is going, lower the reps. Cowan notes that 8 great reps alone are better than 8 great reps followed by four where your back is arching, your core isn't switched on and your heart isn't in it.
Focus on your form
Obvious? Yes, but you can’t just go all-in and assume you’ve got a perfect technique straight away. It takes time and training to get it right, which also eliminates the risk of injury.
Level 3 personal trainer Yanar Alkayat stresses: "Squatting isn’t just for Instagram, it’s for life. Get the form right in the gym and not only will you build a stronger booty, but you’ll support your body for every day." She also adds that squatting will strengthen your bum muscles (glutes), your thighs (quads) and your core.
So how do you nail the move? Alkayat first instructs placing your feet just wider than hip distance apart and pointing your toes so they’re facing slightly outwards (imagine the left foot is pointing to 11am and the right to 1pm).
Then, with your hands lightly together in front of you (or out in front for extra balance), send your bum back and drop your hips down towards the ground like you’re going to sit on a chair.
The PT states that you don’t need to stress about dropping into a deep squat right away. Rather, how deep you go all depends on your strength and mobility.
She explains: "Aim for your bum and hips to be parallel to the ground or lower than your knees if you can. Keep your heels flat on the ground, your weight in the heels and your chest out. Sending those knees out will stop you from collapsing forward."
Keep your exercises varied
David Wiener, Training Specialist at fitness app Freeletics told us that squats, lunges and deadlifts are by far "the most-used exercises for training the glutes," But, to see results he says you need to exercise a larger part of the glute area.
He explains you can build more muscle by adding variations to simple squats and lunges, which will help you to make sure you’re targeting the full muscle group.
"Switching up your workouts regularly will mean your body won’t know what to expect, helping to accelerate results," he adds. Alkayat echoes that mixing up your squat styles will not only build up your strength and power, but give you a fuller, bigger bum shape overall.
Add in resistance
Like we said earlier, if your workouts start to feel like a walk in the park, it's likely you're not putting in the work you need. Wiener explains that the glutes are a big muscle group and as such they can take a lot; likely more than you think you can handle.
So, if you really want to build your bum, you need to "make sure you’re pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and adding some heavy resistance," he says.
Build your booty diet, too
We know that diet and exercise go hand in hand, so it's no surprise that eating a glutes-friendly diet can contribute to your perfect peach.
Wiener states: "If you think because you’re training hard that you can eat whatever you like, then I’m afraid you’re mistaken."
In this instance, he notes that sticking to a healthy diet packed full of vegetables, lean protein and good fats (coupled with the exercises above) can help build muscle and burn fat.
He adds: "Lean protein will help your body to repair and build the muscle fibres which are torn during training, helping them to grow bigger and stronger."
Disclaimer: while there are no specific foods to increase your bum size, a healthy overall diet could work wonders.
Set realistic goals
Fact: you don't need to be full on, all the time. Prioritising time out is also important, especially if you can feel your body telling you to slow down.
Wiener explains: "In this day and age, we’re surrounded by images of the perfect body which results in unrealistic body goals and ideals which simply are not achievable. You can only work with what mother nature has given you, and if you’re failing to hit your goals, maybe it’s time to stop and think that they might not be realistic for you and your body type."
However, Wiener also notes that the glutes react well to consistent and varied training. Therefore "most people will be able to add size and definition to this area, but only in proportion to their body as a whole."
Prioritise rest days
To reiterate, rest days are extremely important as they give your body the chance to recover. Which then means you're physically ready to pick back up where you left off in a healthy way, reducing the risk of burnout.
"If your heart is set on meeting a certain goal then you may think you’re wasting time by resting and taking days off from visiting the gym," Wiener says. But, because the glutes are the largest muscle group in the body, he explains that the body needs time to repair in order to build and grow."
Also, he warns that not taking regular rest days could result in injury, which will definitely set you back on your quest to a bigger backside. Instead, he says you "should be aiming to take at least two rests each week to give your body the chance to recover from intense training."
Now all that's left to do is build that booty..
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