You may not care, but a nice butt can take you a long way.
We often work those muscles we see as important to training, performance, and aesthetic, but having a nice butt can take us a long way. By putting an emphasis on building stronger glutes, we better set ourselves for success either will sport specific movements or more functional ones. People love a nice butt, on both men and women, and working your behind can be something others will envy, or enjoy.
There are great exercises and tips out there to help us get a nice butt and knowing how best to approach this can prove to be highly effective in the long run. A nice butt can take your aesthetic to new heights, come competition time or with everyday life and focusing on your glutes will make all the difference for those gains you want most.
Let’s take a look at what it takes to get a nice butt for those sport specific and more functional movements. Knowing what exercises to perform to better our training will lead us to better performance and more of a drive to see those results we want most. Plus, strong glutes can enhance a nice butt so others will envy us as well.
Benefits Of Strong Glutes
We often take having strong glutes for granted. While we tend to focus on those muscles we see as performing enhancing and aesthetically pleasing, too often do we neglect our glutes and feel as though they may not be as pivotal in our sport specific and functional movements. But the benefits of strong glutes cannot be overlooked for what they can do for all facets of our fitness goals.
Benefits of strong glutes include:
- Increased performance: With less risk of injury, more power, and better strength, our overall performance goals are greatly enhanced through stronger glutes.
- Better posture: Posture is huge and without our glutes to support us, we will find ourselves struggling to have good posture as we look to support our hips.
- Reduced injury: Able to help support us, strong glutes will allow for reduced injury, especially to our low backs which often take on a large load (1).
- Better balance and stabilization: We need to be balanced and stable for all areas of our training and performance and strong glutes allows us to maximize that ability no problem (2).
- Increased power: Having strong glutes allows us to generate more power for better explosivity and speed when it comes to boosting those sport specific movements.
- Aid in our aesthetic: Strong glutes will add to our aesthetic and allow us to feel good about our butt when we turn around, either for competition or just in daily life.
Best Exercises For Stronger Glutes
Knowing which exercises to put into your routine can make or break those glute gains and having the right approach will only prove to be most effective in the long run. Let’s take a look some great exercises to build those glutes for a nice butt.
Squats
Squats are a great exercise to build that lower half so you see only the best gains. By maximizing your range of motion, you rely on those glutes to keep you balanced and stable as you drive that weight to build overall leg development (3).
Lunges
Lunges help build your glutes with the nature of the movement. Like the squat, these help you stay balanced and stable but given the movement of one leg, each side of your glutes get equal work done with this effective exercise. Plus, lunges offer tons of variations to try (4).
Hip Thrusts
Hip thrusts rely on your glutes to build stability for your core, pelvis, and entire lower body. A great exercise to target your glutes, this is definitely one to put into your routine.
Deadlift
Some of the movement of the deadlift puts an emphasis on your glutes making this great for shaping and toning your butt. A great exercise for your entire posterior chain, you can’t go wrong with a great deadlift (5).
Step-Ups
Step ups can improve symmetry and balance and work each leg as a whole or individually. A great exercise to develop explosiveness and power, you really put a focus on your glutes as a driving force to make this movement happen.
Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell swings activate your glutes for greater hypertrophy and with the weight of the kettlebell, you will see great progress. A nice exercise to get your heart rate going, you also see plenty of other benefits as well.
Top Tips For A Nice Butt
Along with the right exercises to perform, knowing some helpful tips can better take your gains to places you want them. Building your glutes takes time but knowing how best to do so will only enhance those gains for the better.
Emphasis On Leg Training
When you settle into your leg day routine, double up on exercises or put in two leg days for your plan. Your glutes are imperative for leg exercises and focusing on these more will allow for better gains, and ultimately, more toned glutes.
Focus On Rep Ranges
Working with different rep ranges will challenge these muscles so they grow more effectively. Treating your glutes like other muscle groups includes them in the party and allows for those gains you want most.
Superset and Drop Sets
Like other muscle groups, don’t be afraid to focus on drop sets and supersets to fatigue these muscles and get the most out of your training (6). Pushing yourself will only enhance those gains you want most.
Wrap Up
Having a nice butt goes a long way and focusing on those movements is something to not take for granted. Strong glutes can elevate our training and performance but also allow for more toning and a better sense of confidence when we turn around. With the approach, those gains will appear in no time and allow for only the best gains come competition time or just everyday appearance.
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*Images courtesy of Envato
References
- Buckthorpe, M.; et al. (2019). “Assessing and Treating Gluteus Maximus Weakness- A Clinical Commentary”. (source)
- Jeong, U.; et al. (2015). “The effects of gluteus muscle strengthening exercise and lumbar stabilization exercise on lumbar muscle strength and balance in chronic low back pain patients”. (source)
- Kubo, K.; et al. (2019). “Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes”. (source)
- Jonhagen, S.; et al. (2009). “Forward lunge: a training study of eccentric exercises of the lower limbs”. (source)
- Neto, W.; et al. (2020). “Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review”. (source)
- Schoenfeld, B.; et al. (2018). “Can Drop Set Training Enhance Muscle Growth?”. (source)