Help! I seem to be flattening the bottom half of my glutes which is giving my rear a sloped look NOT attractive ! What am I doing wrong. In the past I have always been considered to have a "bubble butt" but something is going wrong. I have been lifting/exercising on a four day a week program for ten months now. On leg day, I incorporate squats, leg presses, curls, extentions, dead lifts, calves and inner and outer thigh exercises. Unfortunately, I can't do lunges due to bad knees. I think I need something that will lift?!? Please help me figure where I'm going wrong.

I dunno...the heavier I squat (good and deep) the more bubble-butted I get. Do you have a sled style leg press? Load it up good and heavy so that you can JUST do 10-12 rep sets and keep your legs high and wide on the platform. Make sure you go really deep. Ditto if you have a hack squat machine. If you want to build muscle, you need to go HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY.

Mel

I'm going to piggy back on this thread since I've also got a glutes question...

I've been doing squats for several (although not consecutive ) months. I never really seem to feel any fatigue or soreness in my glutes. My thighs give out way before my glutes ever do.

Am I doing something wrong and thus not working the right muscles or is my back end just already naturally stronger than my legs and I just need to keep working at it until my thighs catch up?

I think it's Ilene who talks about wide stance squats with your toes pointing outward ???? I do them with a weight on a sling type handle hanging between my legs.
Dead lifts hurt my butt too.
Actually, just lately my butt is sore and the only thing I've changed is running??

I do single dumbbell plie squats standing on two weight benches so that I can squat low enough. No need for any special sling or handle, just hold the top of the dumbbell in both hands.

To really engage your glutes, you need to get really low on a squat. Also try:
Romanian deadlifts
split squats with the back leg elevated on a bench or low platform
split squats with either or both feet on a bosu- either or both sides!
treadmill lunges on a steep incline
Hold a plank position with your toes on a stability ball and your forearms resting on a flat bench. Now lift one leg, swing it slowly to the side, return it to the top of the ball. Repeat with other leg. Do it until you can't, or fall off the ball

Hi Julia!!

Mel

I really think you're gonna hafta join Cirque du Soleil! ....

ALL excellent for the gluteus maximus I can attest to them ...

I also do single dumbbell plie squats standing on two upside down bosu balls...

Misread by me as 'standing upside-down on two bosu balls'. Ilene - you are a Cirque du Soleil contender too!

Does your gym have a hack squat machine? I went crazy and did ten sets yesterday and today I feel it RIGHT THERE where you're talking about (also did ten sets of stiff legged dead lifts).

Want me to overnite fedex some crutches? OW!

Mel

I just wanted to see if I could do it. Maybe I'll devote a week to ten sets of everything?

Susan is rubbing her hands together with glee ... it's legs day! Up on two benches and plie squat that low .... mmmm yummy!

They were awesome! I did those deep plie squats, weighted calf raises and leg extensions ... and my bottom half feels lovely, wobbly!

Susan- Next week, superset those db plie squats on the benches with stradle jumps onto the benches- go for 12-15 jumps. You'll feel that for sure!
I forgot JUMPS in the glute list.

Mel

Mel? I didn't have benches. I used a corner of the foyer steps with no railing. Do I just squat down then jump up?

Hmmmm...got a real sturdy coffee table? Couple of good ways to do jumps, but they all require some sort of sturdy platform or bench or two, about knee high.

Bench stradles: stand with legs on either side of bench. Jump up onto it, immediately going into a squat position. keep your knees soft.

Two Bench Squat jump: stand between two flat benches that are about 18 inches apart. Squat down, jump up with a leg on each bench, hold squat, then jump down. (really hard variation: 10 pulse squats before you jump, jump, 10 pulse squats on benches, jump down, repeat. ouch)

Single bench or platform: face platform and jump vertically onto it. (I step down- jumping down vertically is worse on knees than up.) Think "cat jumping onto mantle".

Jump squats with 180 degree turn on low platform or floor: put a mark on the floor or use a low (6") platform. Hold (unweighted) squat position for 1-2 seconds, then jump and turn 180 degrees, landing soft into squat position so that other foot is now on mark or platform. Repeat, turning in opposite direction. Progress to doing this with body bar over shoulders as long as you have NO spine or knee issues.

If you have real knee issues, don't jump at all.

Warning: If you haven't incorporated this type of training into your program and are not a runner, this will cripple you (butt and hammie) the first time

Mel