Giulia Ralph is a qualified Nutritionist, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Weightlifting Coach, and Personal Trainer. She has a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Human Nutrition.
One of the most coveted body parts for today’s TikTok generation is definitely a round, shapely butt. Having a round butt makes your everyday outfits look better and also gives you a more defined shape. With many of us vying for that bubble bottom, the question arises: how long does it take for your butt to grow?
Before we proceed to the specifics, it’s important to understand a little bit of the science behind the butt. The butt is formed from the glute muscles, namely:
The gluteus maximus is the most superficial and largest of the three muscles and makes up the bulk of the shape and form of the buttock and hip area. (3)
Not only do these muscles help you walk, sit, run, and jump, they’re also known for giving you a curvaceous appearance. As with other body parts, glutes vary in their shape and tone for different people. And if your glutes aren’t as big as you’d like, there are ways to help boost the size of these muscles.
When we’re looking to grow our butts, we need to target these glute muscles to see results. With a dedicated butt exercise plan, the right kind of nutrition, and consistency, increasing the size of your butt can be achieved. Let’s take a closer look at how long it takes to grow your butt and the steps that are involved in the process.
The most recommended way of making your bum grow faster is through exercise. However, before undertaking targeting workouts, let’s understand what we’re doing and why it needs to be done.
Several factors influence the duration required for butt growth:
If you’re intrigued about how long it takes to make your butt grow, here are a few strategies you can include in your daily life (12):
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The aim of a perfect butt can be achieved by performing exercises that engage the muscles in your rear. Effective exercises for sculpting the glutes include:
– Hip thrusts
– Step-ups onto plyometric boxes
– Lunges
– Squats
– Bridges
– Kicks
– Deadlifts
As you strengthen this area through consistent workouts, you can incorporate weights into these exercises for better, faster results (11).
The benefits of growing your glutes, particularly as a female, are many. Not only does it help you maintain your strength, it also helps in the following ways:
Some of the types of butt exercises to look at include the following:
To burn fat and build your glutes, regularly engage in moderate and high-intensity cardio and a strength-training routine that involves progressive overload (10). Although both high-volume steady cardio (e.g. running for 45 minutes on a treadmill) and high-intensity interval training (alternating between intense and recovery periods, e.g. running sprints on a treadmill) are effective for fat-burning, the benefits of the latter may be evident in a shorter time. (4)
In addition to cardio, you can further increase your butt size by increasing your resting metabolism and creating lean muscle more comprehensively. Train all the major muscle groups, i.e. shoulders, arms, chest, abs, and legs, twice a week, and have an extra leg day to focus on your glutes. Resistance-based routines such as using a band for exercises are also another way of targeting your glutes more efficiently. (1)
Start without weights, or use lighter ones before going all in. Aim to perform 2-3 sets, 12-15 reps of each workout using a weight that’s heavy enough to challenge the last rep of each set, but light enough to prevent injury. You can then progressively increase the load of the weight and include more complex workouts while reducing repetitions.
If you’re looking to increase your butt size, you should train the glutes in isolation and compounds for the best growth. Compound workouts are more effective and efficient than isolation ones as they activate multiple muscle groups at a time, but both show results. These activities are more intense and burn more calories. (5) Exercises that may make your bum bigger, firmer, and rounder include:
Read more: Wall Pilates for Butt: A Quick Guide for Beginners
If you’re looking for a bubble butt workout 101 that’ll change your fitness game, you should consider the following glute-focused exercise plan:
Start your glute workout with around 5-10 minutes of light cardio (e.g. jogging, cycling, or brisk walking)
This is followed by dynamic stretches that target the lower body, such as leg swings, hip circles, and walking lunges.
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After these intense exercises, it’s important to get 5-10 minutes of static stretching in. This means focusing on the lower body, including stretches for the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps to prevent injury.
A more comprehensive workout manual was devised by the International Journal of Physical Therapy. It divides exercises on the basis of MVIC i.e. maximum voluntary isometric contraction (8).
Level of activation of the gluteus maximus | Types of exercises |
---|---|
Low level of activation (0_20%MVIC) | Prone bridge/plank Lunge with backward trunk lean Bridging on a Swiss ball |
Moderate-level activation (21–40% MVIC) | Side-lying hip abduction Lunge with forward trunk lean Bridging on a stable surface Clam with 30° hip flexion Lunge neutral trunk position Clam with 60° hip flexion Unilateral bridge |
High-level activation (41–60% MVIC) | Sideways lunge Lateral step-up Transverse lunge Quadruped with contralateral arm/leg lift Unilateral mini-squat Retro step-up Wall squat Single-limb squat Single-limb deadlift |
Very high-level activation (>60% MVIC) | Forward step-up (74% ± 43% MVIC) |
In addition to working out, some foods contribute to getting a bigger butt as what you consume plays a key role in your body’s fat distribution, muscle growth, and strength, as well as the impact they have on reducing exercise-induced inflammation and enhancing recovery (7).
Below are some of the foods that can help make your butt grow faster:
Following a healthy, balanced weight loss diet can help increase your butt size and also help maintain your form in the long term. Eat before your workout so you can burn the food off, and after your workout, eat a meal that will go to your booty.
Read more: Different Types of Butts and How to Identify Yours
Building a bigger butt without exercise is challenging as muscle growth primarily relies on physical activity. However, dietary adjustments can support overall muscle development and help in the process of growing your butt size. Consuming a diet that is rich in protein and healthy fats may promote muscle growth, including in the gluteal region.
The timeframe to notice significant changes in butt size from squats varies depending on factors such as genetics, intensity, consistency, and diet. However, noticeable improvements typically occur within 4 to 8 weeks of consistent squatting, assuming proper form and progressive overload are maintained. Engaging in an effective upper-butt workout can further enhance results by targeting specific areas of the glutes for balanced growth.
The rate at which gluteal muscles grow in three months depends on individual factors such as genetics, exercise intensity, frequency, and nutrition. On average, beginners may experience noticeable growth in muscle size with proper training and nutrition. Advanced lifters may experience slower growth rates due to diminishing returns. (9)
Training the glutes twice a week can stimulate muscle growth, especially for beginners. However, optimal growth may require higher amounts of volume and load depending on individual factors such as recovery ability and exercise intensity. Incorporating a variety of exercises and ensuring progressive overload is the key to maximizing muscle growth.
How long it takes for your butt to grow depends on the kind of targeted workout you follow and the consistent efforts you’re ready to put in. While some surgical and invasive methods promise quick outcomes, they may not be the most practical, sustainable, and responsible process to go for, particularly for a long-term solution.
Therefore, it’s important to consistently eat healthy foods that will help your butt grow, do appropriate glute-focused workouts to tone your buttocks, and implement the hacks that will make your rear end look nice and big. Always seek expert opinion before you try any butt-enhancing procedure.
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