The buttocks are the largest muscles we have, so it is convenient for men and women to have them large and strong, since they will not facilitate lifting more weight in basic exercises and avoid injuries . Do you want to get perfect buttocks with a few simple exercises?
To properly train the buttocks we must first know their anatomy, find out what factors affect us having them more or less large and finally the most interesting: the exercises that will allow us to develop perfect buttocks both in the gym and at home.
Basic anatomy of the gluteus
The gluteus is mainly made up of 3 muscles:
- Gluteus maximus
- Gluteus medius
- Gluteus minus
Gluteus maximus
This muscle is the largest of all those that make up the buttocks. Its main anatomical function is the extension of the hip, like the movement we make when raising the squat from the lowest position.
Other movements in which the gluteus maximus is heavily involved are the deadlift , the momentum we give to run sprints or push the thigh back, as seen on some glute press gym machines.
Gluteus medius and gluteus minimus
The gluteus medius begins in front of the anterior gluteal line and converges with a tendon attached to the lateral surface of the hip joint.
For its part, the gluteus minimus has its origin in front of the external surface of the ilium (the largest bone in the pelvis), between the anterior and inferior gluteal lines.
Both muscles have similar functions, depending on the position of the knee and hip joints.
In summary, taking into account the anatomy of the buttocks, the best movements to work them are:
- The hip extension (gluteus maximus)
- Hip abduction (gluteus medius and minor)
- Internal hip rotation (gluteus medius and minor with the hip flexed )
- External rotation of the hip (gluteus medius and minimus with the hip extended )
4 keys to strengthen your glutes
1. Do squats make the glute bigger?
This statement is heard very often. It is true that squats are a very effective exercise for the development of the buttocks, but it does not make sense to say that only they will give us the buttocks we want. In fact, you can have a very good squat mark with weak glutes if you engage your lower back and hamstrings more during the movement.
There are other exercises, as we will see later, that also allow us to stimulate the glute a lot, so the free squat is not the only alternative .
2. Does genetics influence the size of the buttocks?
Genetics play a very important role in the size of our buttocks, for that reason many people find it difficult to develop their buttocks no matter how much they isolate and train them thoroughly.
Despite that, we are going to offer you a large number of exercises with which you will have better weapons to fight against the limitation of genetics.
3. Ratio of the hips and buttocks
The fact of having more or fewer hips and a wide or narrow waist is another factor that depends on genetic inheritance. If you are lucky enough to have a narrow waist with wide hips, you will probably have large buttocks , while if the opposite happens, you will probably have more difficulties in showing off a good glute size.
4. Buttocks and body fat
If we have a high amount of body fat we will probably have large buttocks, but they will not be shaped. If our goal is to have well-formed buttocks, it is important that we have a low percentage of body fat and work them properly.
The best glute exercises
We have many exercises to choose from, even to dedicate an exclusive day to our routine. Any glute training that we do must be composed of hip extension and abduction exercises.
Gluteal and leg exercises
- Back or front squat with bar, dumbbell or machine.
- Dumbbell sumo squat (jump on discs to add deficit and increase travel)
- One or two leg presses that allow full range of motion.
- Barbell, dumbbell, or machine lunges.
- Explosive strides without weight.
- Reverse lunges.
- Bulgarian squat.
- Romanian deadlift or stiff legs or one leg.
- Kettlebell swings
- Buttock / hamstring lift.
- Gluteal presses on machine.
- Extensions in multi-hip machine.
- Step-ups.
- Step-downs with dumbbells or on the machine used to do dips and assisted chin-ups (place your foot on the platform and push down).
Gluteal and hip exercises
- Seated abductor machine.
- Standing machine hip abduction.
- Low pulley hip abduction.
- Banded glute bridge.
- Clam with bands.
- Banded Fire Hydrant.
The last 3 exercises on the list are very comfortable because you only need resistance bands to perform them. You can use them as activation exercises before a glute training day. In each of them you must pay attention to tighten the abdomen well.
Another exercise that will allow you to lift very large weights and develop a lot the strength and power of your glutes is the hip-thrust. However, we have not included it in the list because it can be a bit uncomfortable to perform if you do not have the necessary equipment.
If that is your case, you can substitute the hip-thrust for the glute bridge with elastic bands, since it will also give a great stimulus to the buttocks to grow and it will be much more comfortable for you.
How to tone your buttocks?
Possibly you have already tried many of the exercises that we have named, but apart from doing them you should review the following:
- Take care of the technique of the exercises, since it is possible that inadvertently we are involving the hamstrings more than the buttocks .
- The intensity and quality of the workouts is very important: it is preferable that the workouts are not very long and that you rest less between series.
- In case you genetically have a small butt, increase your caloric intake to try to add more muscle there, always being careful with excess fat.
References
- Kelso, T. Buttology 101: How to Enhance Your Gluteal Muscles.
- Waterbury, C. Glute Training Science at MPI.
- Waterbury, C. One of My Favorite Glute Builders.
- Onunkwo, D. The 6 Best Exercises for a Bigger, Stronger Booty.
