Building up the glutes

[Love4Life]

I am wondering what stance and types of squats would be best to put the focus more on the glutes and less on the legs? I am happy with my legs at the moment but not thrilled with my butt. I'd really like to tighten up that area without adding too much more mass to my legs.

Normally I do lunges, SLD's, sumo deads & squats (front & regular). Should I just keep doing what Im doing? I know these are all good for the glutes, but Ive noticed a lot of improvement in my legs and not too much in my backside

Any suggestions? Thanks!

[Amanda76]

I like walking lunges for glutes (or stationary...but don't keep your back leg planted. You'll need to bring your back leg foward and stand up all the way on your front leg to more fully engage the glutes).

If you have a smith machine, if you place your heels ahead of the bar (play with the distance) it throws the weight more to your glutes and hams. Do both wide and shoulder width (if it bothers your back at all, do not use the smith--it's typical for people to have issues having their feet directly beneath them on the smith). On the same token, when doing leg press, placing your feet high on the plate and pressing through your heels will throw the weight to your hams and glutes.

All the above will still involve your quads, of course.

Keep doing your deads and SLDL's. Make sure you're finishing every rep (get your hips pushed forward).

[Outdoor Girl]

I am really just a newbie at all of this, but on leg day I do regular squats, hack squats, and one legged lunges (which really seem like one legged squats to me). I can really feel it in my butt and have gone from hardly any glutes to a growing butt. (I have a pic up in my profile.)

I have been happy with the routine, but don't know how much these exercises stress the other parts of your legs. I looked for a video on the lunges I do but can't find one, I can have someone video me tomorrow during leg day if you are interested.

[freebirdmac]

My trainer tonight had me do a variation of the feet high placement on the leg press. Not only were my feet as high and as wide as possible, but he had me turn my toes way out (heels are then closer together). That really did hit the glutes.

Amanda's point about squats on the Smith machine with the feet forward made my butt more sore than anything I've done so far. Of course what I did on the leg press tonight may change my mind in a day or so.

[Sunshineslynn]

yeap you got it freebird....feet wide and high on hack, leg press etc....to target the glutes. GHR's and step ups also.

[Maleficent238]

Okay, so I'm taking notes. But how much is too much? I'm so anxious to build up my glutes. I'm willing to work them twice a week. Even three? Where should I draw the line there?

[Love4Life]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the replies. Ill give these ideas a shot today =)

[freebirdmac]

Okay, so I'm taking notes. But how much is too much? I'm so anxious to build up my glutes. I'm willing to work them twice a week. Even three? Where should I draw the line there?

I've worked mine twice a week just for a couple of weeks over the holiday. It was tough but doable. Just give your legs several days a rest in between sessions. More than 2 days and your legs will not go through the recovery process fully.

I'm starting a rotation where I do upper/legs/upper one week, then legs/upper/legs the next week, rinse and repeat. That way every other week either legs are hit twice or upper body is hit twice. During the off week either my legs or upper body really feel like they're getting a rest but they get the benefit of getting hit more often a month.

[Defiant1]

I am wondering what stance and types of squats would be best to put the focus more on the glutes and less on the legs? I am happy with my legs at the moment but not thrilled with my butt. I'd really like to tighten up that area without adding too much more mass to my legs.

Normally I do lunges, SLD's, sumo deads & squats (front & regular). Should I just keep doing what Im doing? I know these are all good for the glutes, but Ive noticed a lot of improvement in my legs and not too much in my backside

Any suggestions? Thanks!

The way to squat for glutes is the opposite of how to squat for quads.

So...

Bar low on back..

Lean forward, as far as possible.

Wide stance.

Go as low as possible for glutes.

You can also do "bun squats" which are sort of a bent legged good morning. Start light. Instead of just bending forward at the waist, you bend your knees also. Again, start light.

[roc69]

Have you had good results

[Telle]

Yeah, I second the wider stance... and get as low as you can, at the very least go quads parallel... I widened my stance due to PL and the outcome has been a round bum (I used to have a serious case of flat bum!). These and deadlifts... oh, and good mornings!

[soccersenior]

when i'm doing cardio and want to work my butt more i do sprints up a steep hill...def. hits my butt...even though its not a weight lifting move.

[Skyden]

I'm starting a rotation where I do upper/legs/upper one week, then legs/upper/legs the next week, rinse and repeat. That way every other week either legs are hit twice or upper body is hit twice. During the off week either my legs or upper body really feel like they're getting a rest but they get the benefit of getting hit more often a month.

Oooh, that sounds like a great idea~ how has it worked for you??

[freebirdmac]

Oooh, that sounds like a great idea~ how has it worked for you??

So far I really like it, but it's only been a couple of weeks. I do find it harder to do a full upper body twice a week rather than a push day then a pull day. It helps that my trainer switches up which upper part to start on first. I guess I got spoiled with splitting the upper body into two days. Now I'm getting nailed! And I love hitting legs twice a week every other week.