Say Goodbye To The Flat Butt: Grow Your Bum Today

August 10, 2024

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Certain beauty standards have been imposed in recent years, raising women's insecurities. Not everyone can have a butt like Kim Kardashian, nor does everyone want a bum that size.  

But everyone can have a well-rounded butt that is highly functional, which is just as important as appearance if they’re willing to put in the work.  

Some will achieve progress quicker than others, and some may find it dam right impossible to grow the booty – but rest assured, with the right training, nutrition, and commitment – you can add inches to your butt.

Today we’ll be looking at what causes the flat butt, and how we can turn the flat butt into the 3d peach we’ve dreamt of.

Table of Contents

What causes a flat butt

How to build a butt

 

What Causes the Flat Butt?

You probably wonder why your butt doesn't look how you want it to. Or you may have noticed a decrease in your athletic and everyday performance, which made you puzzled about the cause. There are several reasons, but in 90% of cases, it is one of the following three:

 

Dormant butt syndrome

Dormant butt syndrome is often called dead butt syndrome or gluteal amnesia, but you should know that they are all synonyms for the same condition. (1)

It's an umbrella term for the weakness of the glutes that leads to inefficiency in their functioning. Too tight hip flexors usually accompany weak glutes.

If you have this condition, it is almost impossible for your bum not to be flat. The weakness of the gluteal muscles is reflected in the appearance but also in the fact that you can’t contract those muscles and thus strengthen them.

 

Genetics and ageing

You must have wondered how certain women have bigger, rounder, buttocks than you do, even without going to the gym. There is no denying that genetics influences the muscles' shape and size.

Some people are just blessed with a bigger booty. Our genetics determine how well we can build muscle, and where our bodies store fat. Typically people with a bigger rear tend to store fat in this area, which helps create the round shape. Others are not so lucky and will tend to store fat in the midsection.

However, it has not been proven to what extent genetics influences muscle strength and mass, so that should not be an excuse. (2)

A natural part of ageing is muscle loss which is called sarcopenia. You cannot have the same body at 20 years old and at 60 years old. It is up to you to continue being physically active because it has been proven that physical activity has a preventive and therapeutic effect on age-related muscle atrophy. (3)

 

Lack of physical activity

Sedentary jobs and lifestyle, in general, can be blamed for a flat butt. This is the leading cause of dead butt syndrome, but even if you haven't developed dead butt syndrome/condition yet, your glutes may still be underdeveloped.

It is inevitable to sit for many hours daily since most jobs nowadays require that from us. This places the glutes in a lengthened position, and keeping them stretched for many hours at a time can loosen and weaken the glutes.  

That’s why it is necessary to have at least 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week for the sake of the butt and all other muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cardiovascular fitness.

 

How to build a butt?

There’s no denying that building the butt of your dream is hard. You need to be training hard, eating well, and staying consistent – building the glutes doesn’t happen overnight.

But if we do these 3 things, then we’re going to be rewarded by progressing toward the body we desire.

Stick to the following tips to build the butt:

 

Prioritise Strength Training

Don't fall for fake advertisements and products that guarantee magical results in two weeks. Strength training is what you need.

There is no better way to progress than to do classic weight training. Such a workout should consist of:

• Compound exercises: Squats, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, etc.
• Isolation exercises: Hip thurst, glute bridge, donkey kicks, and other single-leg variations.

The majority of our workout (between 60-80%) should be spent performing the more taxing compound movements. These exercises should be done at the start of the workout when we have the most energy.

After we’ve completed our compound movements, we should finish up with the isolation exercises. It’s here we can target the different parts of the glutes (ie upper and lower glutes) with specific exercises.

Although it is highly individual, you can expect to see progress in the first couple of months if you train the glutes twice a week.

 

Progressive overload

To build muscle, we must implement progressive overload. For muscle growth and overall progress, you must continuously increase the workload.

This can be done in a number of different ways. Increasing the number of reps, increasing the number of sets, reducing rest times and increasing workout frequency are all popular ways to implement progressive overload.

We’re not saying you need to massively increase the workload every session, but small increments each week will be enough to promote muscle growth. This is where we come to the SAID principle, which stands for "Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands."

To cut a long story short, the SAID principle tells us that the body adapts to what it is exposed to. This means that if you do not increase the workload, your body will get used to the current workload and stop progressing.

Therefore, rationally increase the load, volume, or training intensity to avoid stagnation. (4)

 

Muscle Building Diet

Think of food as fuel. Even though it is not a completely accurate comparison, it is close to the truth. No matter how much you stimulate the muscles through training, they will not grow if you do not eat enough food.

You need to provide your body with a caloric surplus. Sometimes easier said than done, but it’s required for muscle building, nonetheless.

It's generally easy to be in a caloric surplus if you eat junk food, but that's not the point. We should focus on getting our macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) from healthy sources. A calorie surplus of between 200-400 calories per day is what’s required to build muscle.

A good rule of thumb is 80/20. That is, getting 80% of your calories through healthy, whole foods, while the 20% can be more relaxed. 

Proteins are essential for muscle growth, and the recommended amount for building muscle is 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day (5). If you're not used to eating a high protein diet then it might be worth investing in a whey protein supplement. Not only are supplements an easy way to increase daily protein intake, but they also taste great which can curb cravings, helping you stick to a healthy diet.

Don't forget fats and carbohydrates. Both are necessary for muscle growth and the proper functioning of the brain and endocrine system. Hormone secretion must not be disturbed if you want to reach your goal and, above all, be healthy.

Recommended: The best protein powders to help with glute building

 

Workout regularly

Make working out your habit. That's the key to long-term success because building muscle takes time and doesn't happen overnight.

Regular resistance training is required to build muscle. The optimal number of training sessions is from 3 to 5, with 2 of the sessions being glute/leg focused. In the beginning, you will be enthusiastic, but only if it becomes a habit will you persevere.

Keep in mind that rest is equally important. Six or seven workouts a week may be counterproductive. While our muscles our broken down when we’re training in the gym, it’s when we’re resting that our muscles repair and grow. If we cut our rest time short, we may be sacrificing potential growth.

 

Bonus Tip

I will share a secret with you that experienced gym-goers know. Clothing can help improve the appearance of your whole body, especially the bum.

Gym leggings will give a muscular and strong look to your legs and butt. Scrunch bum leggings can help hide certain imperfections, while at the same time, will raise your butt, making it look bigger.

Don't look at this as a shortcut or cheating because it's not. It's just a small boost to your confidence and motivation to keep going.

 

Conclusion

Since the human body is like a chain, dysfunction of such important muscles as the glutes can have knock-on effects when performing sporting activities, or worse – normal daily activities.  

Bad posture, back pain, pelvic instability, and poor performance are just some of the symptoms you will experience, which will be a bigger problem than whether your butt shape is perfect or not.

So, follow the advice you read in this text, and you will achieve a healthy, good-looking body faster than you thought. Remember to use some tricks for an even bum better look, such as high waisted leggings.

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