Grow your glutes according to science

How to grow glutes

The science behind growing glutes: muscle hypertrophy

It doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman, the two most important variables for muscle growth are volume and frequency. Volume is how much weight you are lifting multiplied by the number of sets and number of reps. Frequency is how many times per week you work out those muscles (which contributes to overall volume).

With my Glute Program, you will increase volume and frequency! This program is designed to hit legs 3 days a week, while still hitting back and chest twice a week. This allows you to increase volume because you are doing legs three days per week. And for the vast majority of people, doing legs three times per week is way more leg volume than they have ever had.

Having well-developed glutes not only enhances your physical appearance but also plays a crucial role in overall strength, stability, and athletic performance. If you're looking to grow your glutes effectively, this article will provide you with expert-backed information, including proven exercises and signs of progress. We will draw upon the research and expertise of renowned strength and conditioning coach Bret Contreras, also known as the "Glute Guy", and his glute encyclopedia called Glute Lab.

Before delving into the exercises and signs of glute growth, it's important to understand the anatomy and physiology of the gluteal muscles. The glutes consist of three main muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. To maximize growth, you need to target these muscles from various angles using specific exercises.

How to grow your butt fast

One of the most requested and asked questions is, "How do I grow my butt?" Sounds funny at first, but a lot of people are looking for an evidence based, science based program for glute and leg growth.

Growing your glutes and butt muscles isn't easy. You need a dedicated program that is well designed, and well executed. You can't just wing it. It should be science backed.

The program is designed for those who are mostly happy with their chest, back, arms, and shoulders and want to emphasize quad, hamstring, and glute development. You could still see some hypertrophy in your upper body, depending on your previous programming.

The program purposely emphasizes glutes. Many leg programs don't include enough glute specific work or enough glute volume to stimulate growth. You'll notice that hip thrusts are included on every leg day in different orders. Do the exercises in order: the order is designed for glute growth.

Glute growth nutrition?

You will need to eat in a calorie surplus to grow your legs. You can not be in a deficit and expect your legs, or any body part, to grow significantly. We are not talking about a huge surplus. If you normally eat 1800 calories a day to maintain your weight, increase your calories to 2000 if you are a female, and about 2100 if you are a male. You should notice your weight start to go up on the scale. This means it is working. Increasing calories by more than just a few hundred will likely put on more fat than we want.

You also need to make sure you are getting enough good quality protein to be able to see growth. For most people, this is 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Most women should be getting 100 to 140 g protein daily. Most men should be getting 140 to 180 g protein daily. If you are taller and weigh more, you will need more.

Butt growth home guide specifics

The program is designed to emphasize quads and the anterior leg muscles on Monday, emphasize the hamstrings and posterior leg muscles on Wednesday, and emphasize unilateral movements on Friday. All leg days do include glute specific exercises to stimulate glute hypertrophy. If you have time, you can do the bonus exercises on Tuesday and Thursday.

Hip thrusts are featured every single leg day. They are the most specific glute targeting exercise and they signal to the body that we need to grow the glutes!

How long does it take to grow your butt?

It depends. If you are eating correctly, many people will see visible results in 8 to 12 weeks. This is not a generic 8 week or 12 week glute or "butt growth" program. It is built on the training principles in the research below. Make sure you take a before picture to compare. Your after picture needs to be in the same room, same lighting, and same pose.

Can you grow your butt at home for free?

Yes, you most certainly can. Give this program at least 12 weeks, that's 90 days, of consistent training and eating. If you have read Bret Contreras' books and watched his Instagram, you will recognize the principles this program is built on.

Signs your glutes are growing?

So how do you know if your glutes are growing or if the program is working for you? It's very simple. The first way is to look in the mirror. Yes, the mirror is an excellent marker for growth. The next step will be how your pants or shorts fit. Are they tighter and more snug around your buttocks? Or did they get looser? The third way is to take measurements and monitor progress. The fourth way is actually looking at the scale. Your weight should slowly be increasing if you are doing this right.

As you embark on your glute-growing journey, keep an eye out for these signs of progress:

Glute anatomy?

The free glute guide contains highly detailed illustrations and visuals detailing the anatomy of the glutes and how the various exercises can increase overall glute size and strength.

Glute videos and exercise demonstrations?

As a bonus, I have included video demonstrations of all of the exercises and how to perform them properly. Yes, some of these can be done without weights. I receive a lot of questions regarding the video demonstrations and how to do butt lift exercises without weights, hence many of these can be modified and done without weights. However, in order to maximize glute and butt growth, you will need access to basic gym equipment.

Sagging buttocks before and after?

We encourage you to take before and after pictures and keep them for yourself. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Fix a flat upper buttock

The program trains the upper and side glutes (gluteus medius and minimus) as well as the gluteus maximus, which is what a flat upper buttock and the side of the buttocks need.

4 week glute transformation

You may notice a difference in as little as 4 weeks, but to get the maximum glute growth, you should run this program for at least 12 weeks. You will really see results by that 90 day mark. You can run this year round for even more growth. Don't jump from one program to the next, try to stick with this Glute Guide. Jumping from program to program will stall your progress.

Growing glutes without losing upper body?

Yes, while the glute guide emphasizes gluteal and butt growth, it still includes enough back, arms, shoulders, core, and chest to maintain and even grow those muscle groups as well.

Glute growth according to "Glute Guy" Bret Contreras

When it comes to glute development, incorporating the right exercises into your routine is crucial. Bret Contreras, a prominent researcher in glute training, has contributed extensively to the understanding of glute activation and development. He popularized the barbell hip thrust!

Here are some of his recommended exercises:

Incorporating progressive overload

To promote glute growth, it's essential to progressively overload your muscles over time. This can be achieved by gradually increasing the weight, volume, or intensity of your workouts. Focus on challenging yourself with each training session to stimulate muscle growth.

Growing your glutes requires a combination of targeted exercises, consistent effort, and patience. By following the guidance provided in this article, incorporating exercises recommended by Bret Contreras, and paying attention to the signs of progress, you'll be well on your way to achieving stronger, shapelier glutes. Remember, always listen to your body, maintain proper form, and consult a qualified fitness professional or healthcare provider.

Grab the free Glute Guide now! Normally $197, free on this page.

The research

More volume equals bigger, stronger and leaner glutes

The science of glute and butt growth is pretty clear! A lot of research has been done in this arena and here are just a few articles and excerpts to get you started.

From: Sports Med Open 2018 Aug 3;4(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s40798-018-0149-9.

Weekly Training Frequency Effects on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis

Conclusions: The existing data does not provide a strong correlation between increased weekly training frequency (HF) and maximal strength gain in upper and lower body resistance exercises for a mixed population group. When RT is volume-equated for combined multi-joint and isolation exercises, there is no significant effect of RT frequency on muscular strength gain. More investigations are required to explore the effects of varying weekly training frequencies adequately.

From: Sports Med 2018 May;48(5):1207-1220. doi: 10.1007/s40279-018-0872-x.

Effect of Resistance Training Frequency on Gains in Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Conclusions: The results of the present systematic review and meta-analysis suggest a significant effect of RT frequency as higher training frequencies are translated into greater muscular strength gains. However, these effects seem to be primarily driven by training volume because when the volume is equated, there was no significant effect of RT frequency on muscular strength gains. Thus, from a practical standpoint, greater training frequencies can be used for additional RT volume, which is then likely to result in greater muscular strength gains. However, it remains unclear whether RT frequency on its own has significant effects on strength gain. It seems that higher RT frequencies result in greater gains in muscular strength on multi-joint exercises in the upper body and in women, and, finally, in contrast to older adults, young individuals seem to respond more positively to greater RT frequencies. More evidence among resistance-trained individuals is needed as most of the current studies were performed in untrained participants.

From: J Sports Sci. 2019 Jun;37(11):1286-1295. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency

Abstract: Training frequency is considered an important variable in the hypertrophic response to regimented resistance exercise. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies designed to investigate the effects of weekly training frequency on hypertrophic adaptations. Following a systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases, a total of 25 studies were deemed to meet inclusion criteria. Results showed no significant difference between higher and lower frequency on a volume-equated basis. Moreover, no significant differences were seen between frequencies of training across all categories when taking into account direct measures of growth, in those considered resistance-trained, and when segmenting into training for the upper body and lower body. Meta-regression analysis of non-volume-equated studies showed a significant effect favoring higher frequencies, although the overall difference in magnitude of effect between frequencies of 1 and 3+ days per week was modest. In conclusion, there is strong evidence that resistance training frequency does not significantly or meaningfully impact muscle hypertrophy when volume is equated. Thus, for a given training volume, individuals can choose a weekly frequency per muscle groups based on personal preference.

More references

Contreras, B., Vigotsky, A. D., Schoenfeld, B. J., Beardsley, C., & Cronin, J. (2015). A comparison of gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis electromyography amplitude during the barbell hip thrust exercise. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 31(6), 452-458. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26439742/

Andersen, V., Fimland, M. S., Mo, D. A., & Iversen, V. M. (2018). Bilateral and unilateral resistance training lead to similar gains in unilateral strength in young women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(6), 1678-1684. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29064967/

Fonseca, R. M., Roschel, H., Tricoli, V., de Souza, E. O., Wilson, J. M., Laurentino, G. C., ... & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2014). Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(11), 3085-3092. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24714538/

Golas, A., Maszczyk, A., Stastny, P., Wilk, M., & Pietraszewski, P. (2016). Muscles activity during the Nordic hamstring exercise: Emphasis on the biceps femoris muscle. Journal of Human Kinetics, 53(1), 39-46. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28031715/

Please note that while these studies support the effectiveness of certain exercises and training principles for glute growth, it's always important to consult with a qualified fitness professional or healthcare provider to tailor a program specifically to your individual needs and goals.