# How to Develop Round Glutes? Guide to Building A Strong Butt Undoubtedly, a round butt is one of the most aesthetically pleasing body parts for both men and women. This is because well-developed and rounded glutes complement and highlight the [V-taper physique](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/how-to-build-a-v-taper-body) or the [hourglass body shape](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/5-ways-to-achieve-an-hourglass-figure-naturally) many aspire to achieve in the gym. However, it goes beyond aesthetic appeal. A rounded and firm backside also symbolizes a well-balanced lower body profile. With the rise of social media, your phones might be flooded with influencers flaunting their body shape, especially their backside, but behind those snapshots is a dedicated regimen of exercises, nutritional adjustments, and posture. ![butt](//cdn.gymaholic.co/articles/how-to-develop-round-glutes-guide-to-building-a-strong-butt/butt.jpg "butt") In many ways, a sculpted butt is similar to a [sculpted abs](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/abs-workout-to-get-a-six-pack). It is the epitome of fitness dedication, not just for its looks but also for how you feel and move. Although some people are genetically blessed to have a better-shaped butt than others, you can achieve that too. In this article, we will discuss how you can develop more rounded glutes and how they can benefit your physical health and aesthetic appeal. ## What are the glutes? The “glutes” is short for the gluteal muscles and vital components of your posterior chain. It consists of three powerful muscles in your buttocks. ![anatomy](//cdn.gymaholic.co/articles/how-to-develop-round-glutes-guide-to-building-a-strong-butt/anatomy.jpg "anatomy") ### Gluteus Maximus Gluteus Maximus is the largest muscle in the human anatomy and is primarily responsible for hip extension and helping you with activities like standing up, climbing stairs, and running.. ### Gluteus Medius Just under the Gluteus Maximus, the Gluteus Medius aids in hip abduction and pelvic stabilization. The gluteus medius is the primary muscle activated when you stand on one leg or shift from side to side. It’s a critical muscle for maintaining stability and balance. ### Gluteus Minimus The smallest of the trio is the Gluteus Minimus. Despite its size, it has a crucial role in assisting hip abduction and inward rotation of the hip. These muscles are crucial for accomplishing various movements, stabilization, and athletic performance. [Strong and developed glutes](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/glute-home-workout-routine) can decrease lower back pain and reduce the appearance of hip dips, especially in women. ## How to build more rounded glutes? ### Calories and protein To add more shape to your backside, you need to support your developing gluteal muscles by consuming enough calories and [protein](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/why-protein-is-the-key-to-successful-dieting) in your diet. Doing so can accelerate the transformation of your square glutes to round glutes. Also, pay attention to your macros when building your glutes. Your goal is to add more mass to your back profile, so you need to ensure you meet your caloric needs daily. You don’t want to work hard in the gym only to get too skinny due to the calories you burn from your exercises. ### Volume and frequency Your glute muscles are powerful and consist of complex subdivisions. This means that as a muscle group, they can handle a lot more volume than your other muscles. In addition, the gluteus medius consists of more [slow-twitch muscle fibers](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/fast-twitch-vs-slow-twitch-muscle-fibers), which respond well to high-volume exercises. If you want to achieve a more rounded glute fast, you must train them 2 or more times a week, with many sets and reps. The key to achieving this is through variation. Ideally, you want a varying set of exercises targeting the different parts of the gluteal muscles._ (See exercise section below)_ Following an upper and lower body split is an excellent regimen to train your glutes and optimize your overall fitness and recovery. Your workout [schedule](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/why-it-is-important-to-create-an-exercise-schedule) could look like this:

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
Lower body (Variation 1)	Upper body	Lower Body (Variation 2)	Upper Body	Lower body (Variation 3)	Rest	Rest

### Exercises To develop a more rounded butt, you need to activate and work the three main muscles of the glutes consistently. Keep in mind that the glutes are strong and resilient, so don’t be afraid to load your exercises. ![exercise](//cdn.gymaholic.co/articles/how-to-develop-round-glutes-guide-to-building-a-strong-butt/exercise.jpg "exercise") Emphasize the different parts of the glutes during your workouts: * Gluteus maximus - [hip thrust](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/2920/hip-thrust-machine) * Gluteus medius - [side-lying hip abduction](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/2229/side-lying-extended-range-hip-abduction) * Gluteus minimus - [fire hydrants](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/1398/side-leg-lateral-raise-fire-hydrant) _See the exercise section below for a detailed exercise routine._ To ensure muscle development and add bulk to your backside, you must follow the overload principle— the concept of consistently adding challenge through exercise variation and adding resistance to your exercise to stimulate muscle growth. ### Lose excess body fat Yes, you want to add bulk to your buttocks. However, it is crucial to eliminate excess body fat to build more rounded glutes. Excess body fat can cover the underlying gluteal muscles and decrease the visual impact of your exercises on your butt when fixing square-shaped buttocks. It may seem complicated, but finding a balance between losing fat and building muscle is achievable through the process of [body recomposition](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/body-recomposition-art-of-losing-fat-and-building-muscle). ## Exercises to build rounded glutes Targeting the glutes 2 or more times per week may seem overwhelming. After all, it is critical to have appropriate rest and recovery in between workout sessions. But the glutes are a special case, and you can perform high-volume and high-frequency exercises safely and effectively if you introduce variations to target the different gluteal muscles more evenly. ### Variation 1 (Leg Day 1) * [Back squat ](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/162/barbell-squat) 3 sets x 8-10 reps) * [Barbell hip thrust](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/131/barbell-hip-thrust) (3 sets x 10-12 reps) * [Cable kickbacks](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/1162/single-leg-cable-kickback) (3 sets x 12 reps each side) * [Leg press](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/714/leg-press) (single or double) (3 sets x 10-12 reps) ### Variation 2 (Leg Day 2) * [Dumbell Romanian deadlift ](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/484/dumbbells-romanian-deadlift)(3 sets x 10 reps) * [Hip abduction machine ](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/594/hip-abduction-machine)(3 sets x 15 reps) * [Dumbbell Reverse lunges](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/920/dumbbell-reverse-lunge) (3 sets x 15 reps each side) * [Barbell glute bridge ](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/128/barbell-glute-bridge)(3 sets x 15-20 reps) ### Variation 3 (Leg Day 3) * [Sumo Deadlift](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/1284/sumo-deadlift) (3 sets x 8 to 10 reps) * [Single-leg hip thrust](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/1176/single-leg-hip-thrust) (3 sets x 12 to 15 reps each side) * [Lateral band walk](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/86/resistance-band-lateral-walk) (3 sets x 10 each side) * [Frog jumps](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/1855/jump-squat-floor-touch) (3 sets x 10-15 reps) **Add at the end of your workout:** * Standing cable hip abductions (1-2 sets x 8-10 reps each side) It’s vital to have 1 day of rest between your leg days to avoid overtraining and injury. During those days, you can perform your upper body workout or completely skip the gym to recover, depending on your fitness goals. A workout plan that will help you build a strong butt: {id:26582,className:Plan} ## Other tips to develop the glutes: ### Show the gluteus medius some love If you want to lift your bum, you need to focus on training your gluteus medius. Due to its natural anatomy, it sits on the higher part of your butt, closer to your waist, which gives you the “side arc” profile of a rounded butt. ### Toes in and toes out Since different muscles of the glutes are responsible for rotating the hips, the position of your toes during exercise plays a major role in targeting the gluteus medius and maximus. When performing a standing cable hip abduction, point your toes in to target the gluteus medius more. In contrast, pointing your toes out will allow the Maximus to take over. ### Use the machines The [glute-ham-developer machine](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/best-ghd-exercises-for-glutes-and-hamstrings-development) (GHD) is a unique piece of equipment that allows you to target the glutes as well as your entire posterior chain. If you want a more balanced back profile, you should give this a try! Another tool that can add bulk in the outside part of the hips is the [Hip Abduction Machine](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/the-power-hip-abduction-machine-how-to-grow-bigger-glutes). This equipment allows you to effectively isolate the glutes and activate more muscle fibers during the exercise. ### Pre-activate the glutes Studies have shown that pre-activating the glutes with [warm-up exercises ](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/warming-up-and-stretching)such as 1-2 sets of banded lateral walks or [banded clamshell](https://www.gymaholic.co/exercises/777/side-lying-clam) results in more activation of the upper and lower glutes. Using a [resistance band](https://www.gymaholic.co/articles/benefits-of-resistance-bands) is an excellent way to offer resistance and activate the gluteal muscles when performing lower-body exercises. A 2022 study has shown that resistance band position around the forefeet can effectively increase muscle activity of TFL by 24%, gluteus medius by 83%, and gluteus maximus by 68% during squats. ### Hip thrust The gluteus maximus fires the most when it is in full extension. The hip thrust exercise locks the upper body in position, allowing the hips to move in end-range full extension, which activates the upper glutes better compared to other exercises. ### Take a wider stance Assuming a wider stance can further activate the glutes because it optimizes the line of pull of the muscle with the direction of the muscle fibers of the glutes. For example, taking a wider stance during deadlift and hip thrust while pointing your toes outward can be a game changer for your butt workouts. ## Bottomline The glutes are considered one of the most aesthetic parts of the human body. A strong, well-developed backside can help you maintain a healthier spine and improve your athletic capabilities. To build more rounded glutes, you must prioritize adding more glute exercises in your routine that evenly target the different muscles of the glutes. ### References: 1. _Lee, J. H., Cynn, H. S., Kwon, O. Y., Yi, C. H., Yoon, T. L., Choi, W. J., & Choi, S. A. (2014). Different hip rotations influence hip abductor muscles activity during isometric side-lying hip abduction in subjects with gluteus medius weakness. Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology, 24(2), 318–324. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2014.01.008](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2014.01.008)_ 2. _Németh, G., & Ohlsén, H. (1985). In vivo moment arm lengths for hip extensor muscles at different angles of hip flexion. Journal of biomechanics, 18(2), 129–140. [https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9290(85)90005-3](https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9290(85)90005-3)_ 3. Lee, J. H., Cynn, H. S., Choi, S. A., Yoon, T. L., & Jeong, H. J. (2013). Effects of different hip rotations on gluteus medius and tensor fasciae latae muscle activity during isometric side-lying hip abduction. Journal of sport rehabilitation, 22(4), _301–307. [https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.22.4.301](https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.22.4.301)_ 4. _Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(11), 1689–1697. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8)_ 5. _Cambridge, E. D., Sidorkewicz, N., Ikeda, D. M., & McGill, S. M. (2012). Progressive hip rehabilitation: the effects of resistance band placement on gluteal activation during two common exercises. Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon), 27(7), 719–724. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2012.03.002](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2012.03.002)_ 6. _Martins, E. C., Steffen, L. B., Gomes, D., Herzog, W., Haupenthal, A., & De Brito Fontana, H. (2022). Looped Elastic Resistance during Squats: How Do Band Position and Stiffness Affect Hip Myoelectric Activity? Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 7(3), 60. [https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk7030060](https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk7030060)_