OK so there's another forum I visit from time to time and they've added an exercise section for advice. This is a quote from that person that seems like a bunch of hooey to me? I don't know her credentials and she doesn't want to or won't post them. I've tried to find out if this is true but am not finding anything that seems credible to back up her statements, Help Chickies, what do you think... (The blue areas are my highlights)

"I do not recommend the stair stepper over the elliptical. In my experience and working with others it can make the butt look bigger. BUT others like the fact it can firm the butt. I do prefer lunges over squats, as I feel squats can make the lower body wider, but yet, still tone."

What?! Is this true? I've been doing squats like mad as well as lunges. I don't want a wider lower body!

Beth

Cinnamon,

When I've done squats and lunges, I didn't get a wide butt/lower body at all. It did lift my butt and tone it up which I LOVED. I've never heard of anyone getting a wide butt from squats. Additionally, I see a lot of guys at the gym also doing squats and haven't seeen any wide butts on them either (not that I'm looking all that hard )

I've heard the thing about the stepper (your first hilite) but that could also be urban myth. I think it works the glutes which for some might create bubble-butt, but other people would kill to have a bb, so I think while it was a problem in the 90's, in the 00's it's actually something desired.

Don't know about the second hilite, but I have been losing there and not getting wider, but I guess it would depend on someone who wasn't restricting calories and trying to lose all over to answer this.

If you have more than a few lbs of fat to lose, I can't see this being a problem. If you're scrawny, and have "no butt," then exercising butt muscles like any other muscle can make them bigger, but I still don't see where you could exercise the butt muscles enough to have an unattractively large butt, it just doesn't make logical sense.

It's sort of like a person my size avoiding weight lifting out of fear of it making me bigger - not likely

I agree with all of you. I thought it was a bunch of hooey the first time I read it but I guess I needed to hear you all say the same. Then the more I thought about it the more absurd but scary it seemed to me. Bigger butt! Good grief I don't need that! I know most women that don't lift avoid it because they think they are going to "bulk up". I know I was afaid of that when I first started.

I just am amazed at all the misinformation out in the world about diet and exercise. No wonder everyone is so confused.

Thanks, Beth
(off to post another "dumb" question on food...)

I think it varies. I have a long butt. I think it's a combo of wt loss and toning and how it changes you. Tone is always better than fat. IMO

I know people say that it's a bunch of hooey...however, it does depend on what you eat, how much of it and how much you lift, I think.

A few years ago, I was lifting a lot -- for me -- and eating a lot of protein -- for me and my butt did get big and my waist got really thick. I also found doing a lot of hiit with sprints also made me keep more muscle. Good for some but as someone who builds muscle like the she-hulk, I was less than thrilled. It's one of those things that you just have to experiment with. I think anyway, I know there are people with more experience actually training other people, I've only trained myself and I'm not even an expert at that.

FWIW I love squats and still do them but I do them less and run more and eat less protein than is usually prescribed. And it works for now.

I've never seen any one get a WIDE butt from squats and lunges. I think you get a wide butt from eating. Heavy squats and proper nutrition will build muscle; that's what "toning" really is. Burning fat will make a tight, high butt look great. As tiki said, heavy squats will give a "bubble butt", both to men and women. I think that looks a lot better than a saggy butt.

Each of us is an experiment of one, however. If you still have a lot of fat and build a LOT of muscle, yes, your butt may look bigger if you aren't restricting calories. But I really don't think it's going to look wider.

Mel