My arse is a flat pancake

[Somethingmavelous]

How do I build up my arse, it's so flat and so ageing!?

I do run a tiny bit and Pilates, but nothing too major.

Anyone got any recommendations?

Lunges. Need to take this advice myself as my bum is also starting to get flat.

Squats and more squats.
I've a nice bum now and I'm slim so more difficult to build

Definitely lower body strength exercises. Running hasn't made a difference to my bum but weights have.

I have a flat pancake bum too! Was hoping daily yoga would help? Can anyone confirm possibly?? X

I also have a flat bum. I deal with it by not caring that it is flat

Google J-Lo’s bottom workout. In one of them she does a sort squatted walk while holding a balloon of sorts.

I know she has natural gifts, but we can only work with what we’re given.

Alternatively, I’ve never seen a cyclist with a completely flat arse of a lack of glute muscle.

Finally—and this will sound odd but it’s free and easy—find time each day to simply squeeze your bottom for 10 seconds then relax. Repeat for however many reps you can. Do it often—perhaps while waiting for the kettle to boil—and do it consistently (give it six weeks at least. Notice the difference.

Squats

Thousands of them - work up to weighted ones

Also lunges

You can have mine - its fashionable at the moment but I put on gluteal muscle very easily. Running fast so you properly engage your glutes, squats, cycling on hills, and energetic breaststroke will increase muscle use

Running only made any difference when I was doing a lot of hill work

Otherwise, squats and lunges.

And I do think the random clenching might help - so at odd moments (used to be waiting for bus, these days it's waiting for kettle or whilst cleaning teeth) it's pelvic floor exercises followed by some glute squeezes.

I squat, lunge (both with weights) I also run, use resistance bands doing exercises which are meant to work wonders for glutes but NOTHING has improved my flat rear!

Months and months, no luck. I've built my hamstrings, quads, calves and arm/shoulder muscles and core strength quite a bit but nada difference to my butt.

I've concluded no matter how much effort I put in, I'm just not built for any sort of glute muscle. I don't think I have any!

I did the 30 day squat challenge for refuge and it helped my bum!

I'd have a google and see if any charities you like are doing a similar challenge

I’ve always had a pancake bum and built up to squatting really heavy (100kg+) as I thought it would help but it didn’t make a difference for me.

I did some research and I then started doing a lot of lunges and hip thrusts and it has worked! Took a while but my bum is totally different shape now.

I think it depends on how you utilise the muscles. You need to learn to use your glutes. I am definitely quad dominant as I feel a lot of DOMs in my quads. You can’t rely on your quads for single leg stuff or hip thrusts so I assume that’s why it worked for me.

Imissthegym, I've been doing hip thrusts and single leg exercises but still no joy for me - when you say 'learn to use your glutes' do you have any advice? I really would love to build some muscle there!

@HapHap I think it’s probably just me but in terms of engagement, a pt at my gym told me I was quad dominant when my front squat was the same weight as my back squat and it all made sense because my quads always had DOMs after all lifts, and after running etc... I was using them for everything. I just started thinking more about my glutes, warming up with bands and started doing loads of hip thrusts and lunges (weighted) and it just kind of worked. I read a really good book called strong curves which helped with the exercises too.

@iVampire

Squats

Thousands of them - work up to weighted ones

Also lunges

This.

I did a squat challenge at the beginning of lockdown. Started at 50 squats a day and worked up to 200 per day and it really made a difference.

Thanks @Imissthegym my quads are quite strong and I only get DOMS pain there too (hams sometimes) but never glutes so I think I can't be firing my glutes at all - I'll check out the Strong Curves book :)

Ballet exercises designed to do/improve your arabesque position. LazyDancerTips on youtube has some great short routines. They are only about 6-10 minutes long but they are genuinely very tough. I started to do them to improve my figure skating spiral, which is the same basic movement, and my arse became noticeably higher very quickly. The movements are very focused on your lower back flexibility but that requires serious glute engagement and once you start raising your leg behind you, your glutes are in overdrive and your butt is where you feel it the next day. Plie squats also help big time, even though they focus on your inner thighs.

Full disclosure, I have a naturally round arse and skating was already lifting it from where it had fallen to. But the ballet exercises built up my upper glutes and lifted my butt like magic.

I find bridges really work my arse muscles; I feel them much more than squats or lunges.

@JimmyTheBrave

I find bridges really work my arse muscles; I feel them much more than squats or lunges.

Yes, bridges are great too. I do my upper body dumbbell workouts in bridge position. I do it to make 100% sure I'm not straining my back and using my pectoral muscles rather than my abs. But I definitely feel it in my bum.

If only fat donation was possible. I'd happily donate some of my arse fat to you all!!

Ballet exercises designed to do/improve your arabesque position

Will this help with my pathetic side kick for martial arts? My thighs and glutes are curvey but weak. I do about 4 hours of training but nothing helps.

I don’t even have a bum anymore, just legs that join onto my body 😩.
How can I build it up without doing squats as my knees are buggered.

@Icenii

Ballet exercises designed to do/improve your arabesque position

Will this help with my pathetic side kick for martial arts? My thighs and glutes are curvey but weak. I do about 4 hours of training but nothing helps.

The exercises for leg extensions might be better than those for arabesque. LazyDancerTips has some really good routines for those too. They are all short routines but they are serious work outs.

The thing with the ballet exercises is that ballet recognises that the key to flexibility is strength. So there are exercises to build strength in wide range of motion. (I guess it's why more and more athletes like professional rugby players incorporate ballet into their training.) But they are my 'go to' whenever I want to get my leg higher, or work towards my splits, or make the flexibility I have active. So that I don't need to do a 40 minute workout to get into a position but can do it in my skates.

Booty bands

100% squats, op. They really work. If you need support when getting started, hold onto the back of a chair.