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Anyone successfully grown glutes with squats?

51 replies

JammieJem · 11/12/2023 13:18

I can do proper form squats and lunges. There are tons of workout programmes online, but they never say how long it takes for real life people! I want to know if it's six weeks or six months, to manage expectations! I have two children under two, and not much time, and having an 'end date' is really helpful for my motivation. If anyone has successfully done this, I'd be grateful to hear how long it took to see serious improvement and how many sessions/reps per day you did.

I'm late thirties, good CV fitness, healthy weight and diet, and tend towards an athletic build naturally. The reason my glutes are rubbish is because of poor posture due to a medical reason which is now fixed. So I need to teach them to work properly I guess. My other muscles are generally strong and defined. I just have a glute problem 😁

OP posts:
StoneColdAlibi · 11/12/2023 13:21

I'd say you need maybe 4 different exercises for the muscle group and a period of 6 months to see noticeable progress. Anyone who gets up close and personal to your glutes will probably notice sooner.

Hip thrusts and cable kickbacks would be good additions.

JammieJem · 11/12/2023 21:32

Thank you @StoneColdAlibi , that's really helpful. How many reps would you do daily?

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Gymmum82 · 11/12/2023 21:45

No. I’d do hip thrusts, abductors, RDLs and 45 degree extensions to target glutes. Squats are all quads for me

Savoretti · 11/12/2023 21:48

I’m not sure squats will hit your glutes at all?

StoneColdAlibi · 12/12/2023 09:58

JammieJem · 11/12/2023 21:32

Thank you @StoneColdAlibi , that's really helpful. How many reps would you do daily?

I'd do alternate days, 4 x 8 sets of each. Go for progressive overload, increasing your weights every week or two.

StoneColdAlibi · 12/12/2023 09:58

And make sure you're hitting 100g+ of protein in a day for muscle growth

StoneColdAlibi · 12/12/2023 10:00

Gymmum82 · 11/12/2023 21:45

No. I’d do hip thrusts, abductors, RDLs and 45 degree extensions to target glutes. Squats are all quads for me

If you do them with your heels raised they become more glute focused. I prefer to do mine in a wide sumo stance to get deeper/lower as well.

JammieJem · 12/12/2023 13:03

I agree that some squats can target quads more heavily, but done without allowing your knees to move forward they definitely target glutes. But I will definitely try out the other exercises suggested too. And thank you @StoneColdAlibi for the suggestion of reps/frequency. I'll give that a shot and see how it goes.

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PragmaticWench · 12/12/2023 13:13

You have three different glute muscles on each side, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. I'm recovering from spinal surgery and long-term back issues so working with my physio to address seriously poor glutes. It's worth looking up specific exercises for each muscle.

Pilates is good, check out clamshell with a resistance band to work the glute medius. Bridge, with various ways of making it harder, is also good.

addictedtotheflats · 12/12/2023 13:31

Standard squats are more quad focused. For glutes I would do hip thrusts, RDLs, split squats or reverse lunges or glute focused leg press, I don't do them but cable kick backs aswell. You need to go heavy to grow glutes and progressively overload, once you can manage 8 reps at a certain weight, up the weight and aim for 4-6 reps then when you hit 8 reps at that weight increase again and so on.
Also to grow muscle you need to eat a decent amount of food, maintenance or surplus calories focusing on 1-2g/kg body weight protein. You can do all the weights in the world but if you arent eating enough it's futile.

addictedtotheflats · 12/12/2023 13:32

And i would say 6 months to 1 year to see decent results

ImBrian · 08/01/2024 21:27

My bums noticeably bigger after a year and I could see a difference after a few months but I also bulked which helps. I squat & deadlift a lot, rdls, hip thrusts etc I do but not every week as I don’t particularly like them or I run out of time.

ImBrian · 08/01/2024 21:28

I also eat a lot of protein and most of my lifting is heavy at low reps with most being 3-8 reps.

FairyDustSprinkles · 08/01/2024 21:33

I have ! I have been doing squats alongside other exercises for 4 months now . I started off with no ass no glutes whatsoever and now I have a round bubble butt . I also have 2 kids under 3, 2 sections, ab separation. I have a personal trainer . Happy to give you tips . I squat on the smith machine. Workout 3 times a week and eat a pound of protein for my weight so about 150 grams a day . Proper form is important and you need to squat heavy and deep. I literally started with a pancake bum to a bubble butt .

JammieJem · 08/01/2024 22:02

Thank you both! That's really helpful. I'm not too bothered about what it looks like but I want it to do the work it's supposed to do so my smaller muscles don't have to compensate any longer. New year, I'm really going to try to fix this!

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OnaKitchenRoll · 12/01/2024 14:54

Body pump twice a week, regularly increasing the weight when I was able and no other changes to diet or exercise. My goal was just to get generally stronger so wasn't particularly measuring anything, but I did notice that after a few months I had a noticeably rounder and firmer bum. I imagine working out more frequently and with more of a glute focus would speed things up

Menora · 21/01/2024 08:40

I am seeing a lift of my saggy bum doing squats, I am not trying to grow it per se but if you lean forward slightly with a wide leg stance like a sumo I have found this just doesn’t work my legs and is helping the bum

I also do hip thrusts

Daisy03 · 21/01/2024 14:03

I agree with 6 months to a year.
I work on the 8-12 rep range, increasing the weight when I can.
Along with squats I do Bulgarian split squats, RDLs, hip thrusts and back extensions.

FlowerBarrow · 21/01/2024 14:24

@FairyDustSprinkles can you tell us your pancake to bubble butt routine please

Covetthee · 21/01/2024 14:41

protein and bulking is your friend when it comes to getting the bubble butt.

i have been doing squats, RDL’s, squats, hip thrust and bulgarian splits and i have seen minimal
results because i simply dont get enough protein.

i can’t stomach 30-40g of protein for every meal, i’m too full as it is, i probably get 60gr a day and thats with a supplement

FairyDustSprinkles · 21/01/2024 17:19

@FlowerBarrow ill PM you my actual workout routine when my kids go to bed later i just follow what my PT sets for me each week and make it heavier in between sessions.

JammieJem · 21/01/2024 21:07

@FairyDustSprinkles please would you send it to me also? 😁

OP posts:
StoneColdAlibi · 22/01/2024 10:38

Covetthee · 21/01/2024 14:41

protein and bulking is your friend when it comes to getting the bubble butt.

i have been doing squats, RDL’s, squats, hip thrust and bulgarian splits and i have seen minimal
results because i simply dont get enough protein.

i can’t stomach 30-40g of protein for every meal, i’m too full as it is, i probably get 60gr a day and thats with a supplement

30g in a meal is pretty easy if you're not vegetarian, it's 100gm of Chicken breast or a salmon fillet, a tin of tuna in a salad or on a baked potato, 2 scrambled eggs with two rashers of bacon on a bagel.
Admittedly if you're veggie it becomes harder, but have two meals from above and a protein yogurt or shake to supplement and you're good.

CheeseSandwichRiskAssessment · 23/01/2024 13:39

FairyDustSprinkles · 21/01/2024 17:19

@FlowerBarrow ill PM you my actual workout routine when my kids go to bed later i just follow what my PT sets for me each week and make it heavier in between sessions.

I wouldn't mind too if that's ok ! Thank you 😃

FairyDustSprinkles · 23/01/2024 14:58

@CheeseSandwichRiskAssessment@JammieJem@FlowerBarrow

Sorry ladies my son has croup so it’s been manic but this is what I do. I start the day with a protein shake with CREATINE and oats before my workout this sets the foundation for the day and adds to the booty gains . I consume 30 minutes before workout , I then head to gym and start with some glute activation exercises (donkey kick backs are fab for this) you can use your body weight no need for the cables does the same thing .

Then I go onto doing the following in the same order each week I go in 3-4 times a week each session an hour long.
With my PT I do
1.Abductors 15 reps over 3 sets (this machine I swear has really done the trick and given me more shape rather than just straight up and down like I was . It also adds to the bubble butt effect
2.Leg curl
3.Smith squats
4.Single leg press
5.RDL’s
6.Adductors

When I am alone he has set me to do these:
1.Abductors
2.Leg curl
3.Bulgarian split squats
4.Hip thrusts on the smith machine
5.Kettlebell sumo squats

I eat pretty much the same thing everyday because I am a busy mum of 2 littles it’s easy for me this way . This consists of 150g of protein i am a meat eater so I usually eat chicken breasts with rice , a couple hard boiled eggs , lots of veggies , cod , chicken thighs etc . I take creatine with my protein shake and this has also helped ALOT for those booty gains. As someone else said you need to be eating a lot of protein I use my fitness pal and track EVERYTHING. You want to be doing progressive overload each week heavier weights and you will see change . Also have realistic expectations my bum has indeed grown but it’ll never be HUGE and that’s okay i am now more shapely I hated my pancake bum so much haha and now I feel confident and this was my goal as well as overall
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