Squatting is a very popular exercise right now. You might hear about people doing really heavy squats in the gym, or maybe you see 100-day squat challenges on Instagram.
Some people claim that squats have given them a bigger, rounder butt, while others say that squats have made their hamstrings and quadriceps bigger.
I personally don’t insist on squats because I know that for some female body types, doing squats means getting bigger legs. And a lot of women I talk to would actually like to get smaller thighs. I’m not saying that squats are bad or anything like that but the fact is that they work your quads. And since different people have different fitness goals, I think we should respect that. :)
But since there seems to be a lot of confusion about squats, I wanted to clear it up and answer your questions! And I’ll tell you the answer to “do squats make your butt bigger?” question.
Squats can have lots of benefits for the body! They are a popular exercise because they work so many different parts of the body, including the butt, thighs, lower back, ankles, calves, and core.
You can do them with or without weights, and you might even see them as an interval move in cardio workouts too!
Squatting with proper form will:
Unfortunately, it can be hard for some people to squat properly and really activate their glute muscles. Squatting incorrectly can lead to:
If you want to squat correctly, try the following:
These are some of the most common mistakes people make when they’re trying to squat.
Make sure you aren’t starting from your knees. This can put a lot of extra stress on them. Try to sit back to begin your squat, instead of bending at the knees.
Also, make sure your knees aren’t caving inward during your squat. Try to keep them in line with your feet or pushed slightly outwards. You might find that, as you go deeper, your knees turn inward. But it’s better to have a shallow squat with proper form than risk hurting your knees with a deep, but incorrect, squat.
Also, make sure that your knees are completely stable as you move up and down – they shouldn’t be wobbling. If they are, decrease the weight you are carrying.
It is easy to ignore your upper body when you’re doing a squat. After all, squats are a lower-body workout. But it is important not to ignore your upper body and back. Make sure that your chest is open and your shoulders are relaxed.
Looking straight ahead at a point on the floor in front of you will help you keep your back and neck straight. :)
Make sure that your heels are pressed into the floor and not lifting up.
Your body should be lifting up from the heel to complete a squat. You should actually be able to wiggle your toes. Doing this will help you use your glutes, not your knees, and will help you get a rounder butt.
Yes, they will, although how much bigger depends on your body type and the type of squats you do. Generally, the heavier you lift, the quicker your butt will grow.
Squats mostly work your glute muscles and your thigh muscles. When you do squats (or any type of resistance training), small tears occur in the muscles. As the tears repair, the muscle becomes stronger and bigger.
However, different people are going to respond to this differently. Here some questions to ask yourself to help determine how squats will impact your butt:
Endomorph and Mesomorph body types will probably notice changes in their lower body after just two weeks of doing consistent squats a few times a week. These body types tend to gain muscle relatively quickly, and Endomorphs especially may be naturally somewhat curvy in their lower body.
Ectomorphs, who tend to be slimmer and struggle to gain weight or muscle, may find that it takes more work and time to see their butt getting curvier from squats.
If you are an Ectomorph and you’re hoping to grow your butt (not just tone it), you’ll probably see faster results from squatting with weights.
Bodyweight squats are excellent for toning the butt, helping it look a little rounder and more lifted. But, if you’re wanting to make your butt bigger and you don’t mind getting your legs bigger in
Try doing squats at least twice a week for a couple of weeks. Most body types will notice their butt has gotten bigger since then. However, significant changes will take more time.
Yes, as I mentioned, squats will make your thighs bigger. Squats work the muscles in your thighs, not just your butt.
The same principles that I’ve mentioned for growing your butt are true for your legs too. If you squat, you will grow your leg muscles.
If you still want to build your booty but without building your quads, try some of my butt workouts! :)
RELATED POST: HOW TO GET A BIGGER BOOTY IN ONE WEEK (WITHOUT BULKING UP YOUR QUADS)
Several muscles make up the hip, including your glutes, the adductor muscles on the inside of your thigh, the iliopsoas muscle on the front of your leg, the tensor fasciae latae muscle on the side of your butt and upper thigh, and your rectus femoris muscle which is on the front of your hips.
Squats work all of these muscles in the hip, especially your glutes and the muscles that run down the front of your leg. Your inner and outer thigh muscles aren’t worked as hard with regular squats, but you still do use them some. Single-leg and wide-leg squats will engage them even more.
Just like with your butt or thighs, as you use your muscles in your hip, these muscles will become stronger, more toned, and eventually bigger.
Squats can help you lose weight. Squatting is a form of resistance training, which is basically just a type of exercise that strengthens the muscles in the body, using body weight or weights. Because squats use the biggest muscles in your body, squats burn a lot of calories.
Resistance training also increases your resting metabolic rate, which helps your body burn more calories. And the faster your metabolism is, the easier it will be for you to lose weight!
The best way to increase your resting metabolic rate is by building muscle mass. And to build muscle you need to do resistance training! Since squats are a type of resistance training, technically they can speed up your weight loss.
This was a lot of information! Here are a few takeaways about squats:
I hope that this blog gave you some helpful information on squatting and how it will impact your body! Now you can choose if you want to incorporate this popular move in your workout routine. :)
Love,
Rachael xx
Hi rachel I know that you can’t spot reduce on a specific area but I have grow a really big butt and I was just wondering when you lose weight do you lose butt fat as well. Lately it’s been hard fitting into clothes because of my butt.
And also can you lose breast fat too? What exercise/things should I do to lose breast fat. Sorry for long question.
Thank you for you time and hopefully I get a reply back 😀
Hey lovely,
Yes, when you start losing weight it will be general, and not partial. :)
About your breast, here is a blog post that you can find useful.
Hope this helped! xx
Love,
Ana
Hi Rachael, I’m very petite and have an endomorph body, my thighs have been a problem for me all my life, and I workout regularly, will resistance bands bulk up? Or lean my legs, of course with no weight at all.. also I’ve been so confused to run or not.
Hey lovely,
Thanks for reaching out!
Since you’re an Endomorph and very petite, running could potentially bulk you up. If this is the case, Rachael’s advice would be to replace running with more walking.
And as for the resistance bands, I think these should be fine as long as you avoid squats, lunges and other workouts that target quads :)
Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Love,
Marina