How to get a big butt: What the fitness industry isn't telling you

Genetics are a jerk. Honestly, if we’re being real about how to get a big butt, we have to start with the fact that some people just walk around with a biological head start. You’ve seen them. They barely touch a barbell and somehow look like they were sculpted by a Renaissance master. For the rest of us? It’s a grind. But it's a grind that actually works if you stop following those "30-day peach challenges" you see on social media. Those don't work. They just make your knees hurt.

The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body. It has massive potential for growth, but most people treat it like a delicate ornament rather than the powerhouse engine it is. If you want real change, you have to eat more than you think and lift heavier than you’re probably comfortable with.

The mechanics of muscle hypertrophy

Muscles don't grow because you want them to. They grow because they are forced to adapt to a stressor they haven't encountered before. This is the principle of progressive overload. If you do 20 bodyweight squats today and 20 bodyweight squats next month, your glutes have exactly zero reason to get bigger. They’ve already mastered that task.

Hypertrophy—the scientific term for muscle growth—requires three things: mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage. Mechanical tension is the big one. It’s the "heavy" part of lifting. When you’re under a heavy load, your muscle fibers are physically stretched and strained. According to Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, a leading researcher in muscle hypertrophy, tension is likely the most important factor in signaling the body to build more tissue.

Then there’s the pump. You know that tight, burning sensation? That's metabolic stress. It’s the byproduct of anaerobic glycolysis, where blood pools in the muscle and creates a hormonal environment ripe for growth. You need both. You need the heavy, soul-crushing sets and the high-rep, "everything is on fire" finishers.

Stop doing "glute finishers" as your main workout

I see it every day in the gym. People spending 45 minutes on a cable machine doing kickbacks with 5 pounds of resistance. Kickbacks are fine. They’re a great "accessory" movement. But they aren't the foundation.

If you want to know how to get a big butt, you have to embrace the Hip Thrust. Bret Contreras, often called "The Glute Guy," basically built an entire career proving that the hip thrust produces higher EMG (electromyography) activity in the glutes than the traditional squat. Why? Because the glutes are most active when the hip is in full extension. In a squat, the hardest part of the lift is at the bottom, where the glutes are stretched. In a hip thrust, the hardest part is at the top, where the glutes are fully contracted.

You should be thrusting. Often.

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The "Big Three" for glute growth

1. Barbell Hip Thrusts: This is your bread and butter. You can load this movement heavy. Don't be afraid of the plates. Use a thick pad on the bar so you don't bruise your pelvic bone.
2. Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): These target the "glute-ham tie-in." The key here is the hinge. You aren't reaching for the floor; you’re pushing your hips as far back as they can go until you feel a deep stretch.
3. Bulgarian Split Squats: Everyone hates these. That’s why they work. By elevating your back foot, you put an immense amount of load on the front leg’s glute. It’s brutal. It’s effective. It’s non-negotiable.

You aren't eating enough to grow

This is where most people fail. You cannot build a significant amount of muscle while eating in a calorie deficit. It’s biologically expensive to build new tissue. Your body needs a surplus of energy to turn those proteins into actual muscle fibers.

If you’re terrified of the scale going up, you’re going to stay the same size. Period.

Protein is the building block. Aim for roughly 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. If you weigh 150 pounds, you should be hitting 120-150 grams of protein daily. That’s a lot of chicken, Greek yogurt, or lentils. But carbs matter too. Carbs are "protein-sparing," meaning they provide the energy your body needs so it doesn't have to burn your precious protein for fuel.

Eat. Lift. Sleep. Repeat.

Why "toning" is a myth

The word "toned" is a marketing term, not a physiological one. When people say they want to be toned, they mean they want visible muscle definition and low body fat. But to have definition, you first need the muscle. You can't "tone" air.

If you just do cardio and eat 1,200 calories, you’ll lose weight, sure. But you might end up with what people call "pancake butt." This happens because you've lost the fat that gave the area some shape, but you haven't built the underlying muscle to take its place.

Building a glute profile that stands out requires a dedicated "bulking" or "surplus" phase. You will gain a little fat during this time. That’s okay. It’s part of the process. You can lean out later, but you have to build the house before you can paint the walls.

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The role of mind-muscle connection

Have you ever finished a set of squats and felt it entirely in your quads? That’s a problem. Many people are "quad dominant," meaning their thighs take over during compound movements. To fix this, you need "glute activation."

Before your heavy sets, do two rounds of bodyweight movements like bird-dogs, glute bridges, or clamshells. The goal isn't to tire yourself out. The goal is to "wake up" the nerves connecting your brain to your butt. When you start your heavy thrusts, you want to actually feel those muscles squeezing the weight up.

It sounds "woo-woo," but it’s actually supported by sports science. Focusing on the muscle you're working can increase the recruitment of those fibers.

Recovery is where the magic happens

You don't grow in the gym. You grow in bed.

When you lift, you’re creating microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. Your body repairs those tears during sleep, making them thicker and stronger than before. If you’re only sleeping five hours a night and hitting the gym six days a week, you’re just digging a hole of inflammation.

Overtraining is real. Your glutes are a large muscle group and need 48 to 72 hours to fully recover after a heavy session. Hitting them every single day is actually counterproductive. Focus on 2-3 high-intensity glute-focused sessions per week. Give them the rest they deserve.

Common pitfalls and why you're stuck

Most people hit a plateau because they stop challenging themselves. If you’ve been using the 25-pound dumbbells for three months, your body has no reason to change. You have to beat your previous self. Add five pounds. Do one more rep. Shorten your rest time. Something has to be "more" than it was last week.

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Also, watch your form. On hip thrusts, many people arch their backs too much. You want a neutral spine. Think about tucking your chin and "scooping" your pelvis. If your lower back hurts after glute day, you’re doing it wrong. Your glutes should be the ones screaming, not your spine.

Genetics and the "shelf" look

We have to talk about the "shelf"—that upper glute fullness. This comes primarily from the gluteus medius and minimus. While the gluteus maximus provides the bulk of the size, the medius provides the shape from the side and top.

To target these, you need abduction movements.

• Seated hip abductions (the "bad girl" machine).
• Lateral band walks.
• Cable side kicks.

These shouldn't be your heavy lifts, but they are essential for that rounded, complete look. Think of the big compound lifts as the clay and the abduction movements as the sculpting tools.

Real-world timeline

How long does it take? Honestly, longer than you want. You might see some "newbie gains" in the first 6-8 weeks as your nervous system gets more efficient. But real, structural muscle growth? That takes six months to a year of consistent effort.

You’ll notice your clothes fitting differently before you see a massive change in the mirror. Your jeans will get tighter in the thighs and butt. This is a good sign.

Don't compare your Week 2 to someone else’s Year 5. Most of the "overnight" transformations you see online are either the result of lighting, posing, or, in many cases, surgery. Be patient with your biology.

Actionable Next Steps

1. Calculate your maintenance calories. Add 200-300 calories to that number. That is your new daily goal.
2. Prioritize the Hip Thrust. Put it at the very beginning of your workout when you have the most energy. Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with a weight that makes the last two reps feel almost impossible.
3. Track your lifts. Use a notebook or an app. If you don't know what you lifted last week, you can't beat it this week.
4. Take progress photos. Don't rely on the scale. Take photos from the side and back every four weeks in the same lighting.
5. Get a resistance band. Use it for warm-ups to ensure your glutes are actually firing before you get under a barbell.
6. Adjust your stance. Experiment with foot width and toe angle during squats and thrusts. Everyone’s hip anatomy is different; find the position where you feel the maximum "squeeze" in your glutes.

Building size takes time and a lot of food. Stop looking for shortcuts and start moving heavy weights. Your body will eventually have no choice but to grow.