How to Really Make Your Booty Grow

So you're doing a 100 squats a day and you still don't see any growth?
I will try to help with some a couple of tips.

1.  If you don't "feel it" in the glutes, either during or after your workout, chances are your legs are doing most of the work.  To fix this I suggest doing exercises that specifically target the glutes like hip thrusts or hip extensions (even better at the beginning of your workout, then progressing to more compound exercises like squats).

2. Another suggestion would be to do this without weight until you really can use the glute muscles.  I say this all the time but you have to squeeze the glutes to activate them.

3. Don't just do squats.  I feel like I better results with walking lunges, barbarian lunges, hip thrusts, split squats, and deadlifts, than just squats alone.  The truth is I don't do many squats because of my bad back.  When I do squat I don't do a bunch of reps (between 4-7) because of my back, but I do try to lift heavy.

4. The other things that can halt results is not eating enough.  I think this is another reason women who do tons of weight lifting are not growing.  I try to always get a surplus of calories on the days I work my glutes.  This is sometimes difficult if you are eating healthy, so plan ahead.

5.  If you don't already drink protein shakes, START! I saw the biggest change when I consistently drank my protein shakes.  I use GNC ampliflied wheybolic.  I don't know a bunch about supplementation, but this stuff works!! It's waaaay better than other proteins I've tried.

6.  Be consistent and patient.  I work glutes twice a week almost every week.  Its not easy for women to build muscle, its takes time.


Good Luck!

Thoughts on Carb Cycling

Just to be clear I am a amateur.  I don't want to look like a figure model. Or at least that is not my immediate goal.  I am  just beginning to test carb cycling.  I've been eating low carb on days I don't weight train and high carb on glute days.  While I've seen short term results on my ab (yes!) I found I wasn't getting enough calories on low carb days.  I have not yet mastered tons of eggs or meat.  I'm going to start becoming a bit more flexible on my diet and start listening more to body.  I want to ensure I get enough calories and protein to support my weight training.

On another note, I finally got a sugar craving after 5 weeks without sweets (like cakes, brownies, donuts) and I think it has something to do with the lack of carbs I've been consuming.  I do not like where that is going because I feel like it might lead to a worthless cheat.   I'd much rather use that for a date with my man.  So I gave in a ate some pineapples (big whoop) and I kinda of felt bad but why?? I need to be positive and love myself and body.  Negativity and guilt associated with pineapples sounds sad..another reason I don't see myself competing.

As for the carb cycling, I think I'll just avoid carbs at dinner, except on weight training days.  Breakfast and other meals I feel NEED carbs.  I'm a student! I need energy and brain power.

Good Morning!

 

 I woke sore and satisfied.  I'm still not doing my entire workout for building glutes because of my back injury.  It feels a lot better, but until I get my core strength majorly improved  those will be avoided (mainly deadlifts and heavy squats)

The workout:

deep step ups

walking lunges until failure
side lunges with bar
4x10 deep step ups

walking lunges until failure
3x10 plie squats

2x10 each leg hip hyperextension
walking lunges until faiure
3x10 hip thrust with bar

then-> 10 minutes of hill sprints



Remember! I used light weights, but you must continue lift heavier and heavier weight to make real gains + surplus of calories.  I can tell a slight difference in growth, but I changes in shape and it's becoming firmer.

Hill Sprints for Bigger Glutes!

 

Hill Sprints for a Bigger Booty!!

 

I'm lucky to have such a steep hill close by.  Hill sprints are great are for your glutes, legs, heart and overall body composition.  You will definitely feel the burn in the butt shooting up those hill.  Sprints are a good idea for high intensity cardio and are perfect if you're short on time.  Remember to also have a protein shake after to build up what you tore down!

 

Unless you've got a good bit of weight to lose, I don't recommend running if you want bigger glutes.  Running eats away at your fat stores and possibly muscle over time.  Stick to sprints and uphill walking for cardio.

Single Leg Glute Exercises

Single Leg Glute Exercises

 

These are a big tougher of on form, but it gets better with time.  I'm still practicing on my single leg exercises.  Just a reminder to build bigger glutes you want to incorporate these into bilateral exercises too, like squat variations, hip thrusts, etc. AND lift heavy weights (with progressive).  I am recovering from a back injury so I'm avoiding those exercises as of right now.

 

 

 Bulgarian Split Squat (lunge)

Single leg Deadlift

 Hip Hyperextension

Alternating Butt Lift

 Step Ups

 Walking Lunges

 I forgot what this is called!

Alternating Hip Thrusts

 

 

This was an okay alternative workout, but I'm not counting it as actual "weight lifting."  These exercises can help shape your glutes and help them become more perky, but are not the best option for putting on mass.  This workout was more like a short session of high intensity cardio, which I finished off with hill sprints.

Glute Workout After Low Injury

Back pain is not something I'm unfamilar with.  I've been told I have a degenerative spinal disease which sounds like what everybody would have as the aging process goes on...but maybe mine just started earlier. 

Last week I hurt my back during an glute workout when I went up on the weight.  I thought it was just a little issue and continued workout for the next couple of days.  When the pain didn't subside, I played it smart.  I'm going to be nurse so I need my back! I've been resting for 3 or 4  days.

So I'm going to take it easy for my 1st glute/leg workout tomorrow.

The plan

 1) going naked-naked squats, naked lunges, hip hyperextensions because weights can aggrevate my lower back.  I don't particularly enjoy this because this is hindering my muscle growth, but better safe than sorry.  I don't want hinder growth in the long term.
2) core exercises-I need to work on strengthing the core strength I've lost over the holidays.  Lack of core strenth+increase in weights is just asking for a back injury
3) single leg workouts-single leg squats, lunges, split squats, bulgarian lunges, skater squats, single leg deadlifts. 

This will be my first glute workout of the week and I'm hoping to be able to put the weights back in by Thursday, if not then Saturday..we will see!