Hey guys!

So I have another butts/squats related question. I don't have much of a behind, I mean it's there but not shaped very nicely given how overweight I've been for all these years, so I wanted to get into shape. I've been doing squats for sometime now, and I feel like I have my posture and everything down (did it with a trainer a couple weeks and he said my form was good).

The thing is, am I supposed to be increasing how many I do? Am I supposed to be lifting something while I squat to get more lift back there? I was browsing the bodybuilding forum and there seems to be the consensus that squatting with barbells gives the best results? Like this

I've been doing 30 squats daily for about 2 months, but this was not to help my butt really, more to get my form down. So now, should I start increasing the weekly/daily?

I also read to actually build muscle there I have to be eating a surplus, so will squats do anything if I'm eating at a deficit now?

Sorry for all the questions, I know this is kind of all over the place- if anyone has any advice I'd love to hear it!

I also wanted to mention, I don't have access to a gym. Just two 5lbs weights, and a 15lb kettlebell, anything else I can do with these two?

So, in my experience, squats are great as a full-body exercise, and - depending on your bar placement - really do a number on your core/quads. But they're not necessarily your best bet for glute hypertrophy.

Don't get me wrong, squats work your glutes (just like step-ups, lunges, deadlifts, etc.), but they also hit a load of other muscle groups before your posterior chain really starts to engage. If you're looking to specifically target your bum, I'd probably aim more at exercises like hip-thrust, glute bridge, uphill sprints, etc.

It's also important to note that the average 'developed country' inhabitant often has to 're-teach' their glutes how to fire properly - because we sit on chairs so much, sometimes the muscles don't always engage as well as we might like. So 'activation' movements like clam shell, bird dog, fire hydrant, etc. are all great for this.

But specifically for your backside, I will direct you to check out almost any article written by Bret Contreras (AKA. Glute Guy). To begin with, for example:

http://bretcontreras.com/30-day-glute-challenge/


Best of luck, have fun!

EDIT: Here's the link that first turned me on to Contreras' writing: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...the_glute_myth

As far as eating goes, you're not going to add much muscle if you're eating at a deficit. What lifting weights while eating at a deficit does is stop you from LOSING muscle as you lose weight (since ordinarily you'll be losing muscle as well as fat as your weight goes down). So, by saving the muscle that's already there, it means that you'll have more of a butt when you're done losing than you otherwise would, so it's definitely worth it.

If you're really serious about building new muscle, though, then yeah, you'll have to eat a surplus. Not much of one - 200-300 calories per day over maintenance would do the trick. For me personally, my plan is to lift at a deficit while I'm losing most of my fat, then move to eating at a slight surplus for a few months to put on a little muscle.

I'm not sure sure about that chief.

From time to time i go on cycle tours. I always lose weight and build muscle when i am on a tour.

One tour i was on a diet. I had started the diet three months before leaving home and my tour continued for two months. I was pretty skinny by the end of it but my legs were well-developed.

My diet was very limited and surely i was on a deficit.

I was cycling about 100km per day most days with a loaded mountain bike. I was in the saddle frequently about 7 hours a day.

My suggestion to the OP is to eat sufficient protein, do plenty of exercise to work those butt muscles but don't kill yourself over it and continue with a deficit but don't make it a big one.

A small deficit in my opinion makes for a diet that's a lot easier to succeed at. Its what i do and you can see the results in my numbers. My shoulder muscles are pretty good at the moment and all i do is work in the garden from time to time and lift stuff into and out of my trailer for the markets a few times on the sunday.

My experience aligns with Pattience's. I often start exercising more when at the same time I am eating in a deficit. I walk and there are clear results in my calf muscles. Of course, everything is relative, and although I am pleased with the results, many people would say I did not gain "a lot" of muscle and I could almost certainly gain more muscle (along with some fat) if I was eating a lot more.

I'd love a bigger butt, but I haven't worked up enough motivation to try doing squats, so I don't have any specific input on that. The general advice I've heard is that for muscle building you want to focus on more resistance rather than on more reps, but doing more reps can help you prepare to increase resistance.

Yoyo i think in something like squats, there is a ton of resistance.

Its basically resistance versus minimal weight repetition but when you are doing squats, you are lifting your body weight so there's plenty of motivation for the body to build muscle doing those.

For me, squats, lunges, and step ups to a stool with weights do the fanny firming fastest. Much of shape is genetic but you can certainly tone and improve what nature gave us.

Thanks everyone for the replies~!

One thing I have been noticing, I run almost everyday (not intense of course) but uphill walking, uphill running, and I've noticed my thighs immediately look more muscular and rounded? if that makes sense? I just wish my butt would follow suit! I think the squats have been helping though, it's does different now, maybe it's just weight loss?

I guess I can play by ear and see how it goes. I will look into the other exercises you guys posted as well, much appreciated!

Have you tried doing deadlifts? I love them! And they challenge the back of your legs a lot which really helps lifting your butt. Here's proper form and 2 versions, really easy to follow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N3yn4JUozI

If you're into lower body weight exercises you'll want to check out Tonique. It's hard core body weight exercises and the trainer who developed this method basically works you till exhaustion. This is part one on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMGU...CDA600B5489712 The first 6 minutes is "drills" which are very hard to do and I usually skip over most of it, just do enough that I'm warmed up a little or don't do any of it at all if I don't want to wear myself out.

But then she begins the body weight exercises which move into part 2. You will be sore, but it's an amazing workout and I love the challenge. Try it for a day and let me know what you think !