Are you trying hard in training, but the progress you’re hoping for isn’t happening? This may be due to some errors. Here you can read about the mistakes that are often made when training the gluteal muscles.
Fitness can be frustrating at times. Especially when, despite diligent training, the desired results are not achieved. Many women have this experience when it comes to the goal of “big butt”: Despite tireless squats, their round bottom simply doesn’t want to grow.
Since squats are considered one of the most complex exercises in strength training, it’s hardly surprising that there’s a lot that can go wrong. In the American ‘Shape’, experts reveal the most common butt training mistakes and how to avoid them.
“Squats are a great exercise – but only when done correctly,” emphasizes chiropractor and fitness expert Chelsea Ax. It is important to start the movement by lowering your hips and not by bending your knees.
“This activates the thighs instead of the buttocks and increases the risk of injury,” says the expert. In addition, the heels should remain on the floor throughout the exercise, the knees should not be bent, and the back should be kept straight.
It’s best to have your squats checked regularly by a trainer.
The more we sit in everyday life, the more sluggish our glutes become and the more difficult it is to specifically activate them during training. The result: Squats put less strain on the gluteal muscles and more on the other muscle groups involved in the exercise.
Buttocks-activating exercises can help, which can either be integrated into the warm-up program or into the daily routine. Physical therapist Grayson Wickahm recommends exercises that tighten the back muscles.
Many women don’t dare to put more weight plates on the bar and therefore remain on a weight plateau. The result: no new training stimuli, no bottom growth.
To improve slowly, fitness trainer Pete McCall recommends doing 3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions, where you should really push yourself to your limits. This means that the weight should be heavy enough so that the last repetition can just about be performed cleanly.
The squat consists of three movement sections: the eccentric phase, in which the hips are lowered, the isometric phase, in which a short break is taken, and the concentric phase, in which the hips are raised again.
“The eccentric phase uses the most muscle fibers because this is where they are subjected to the greatest stress,” explains Wickham. That’s why this part of the movement should last the longest.
The physiotherapist recommends three to five seconds for this, one to two seconds for rest, and the concentric phase should be performed as explosively as possible.
It’s not for nothing that the mantra for squatting is “Ass to Grass.” At the lowest point of the movement, the hips should be at least parallel to the knees, or even lower. Because only those who use the entire range of motion also use the entire muscle.
If you can’t get far down despite standing shoulder-width apart with your toes turned out, you lack mobility. Mobility exercises for the hip, knee and ankle joints can help here. Wickham recommends yoga exercises like the dove.
Your butt workout shouldn’t just consist of squats. Exercises such as lunges or hip thrusts add variety to training and activate the gluteal muscles in a variety of ways.
Unilateral movements, in which each side is trained individually, also contribute to the buttocks and can solve muscular imbalances. For example, incorporate kickbacks, unilateral lunges or single-leg deadlifts into your training plan.
The squats themselves should also be varied to engage the glutes from different angles. For example, try front squats, globe squats or dumping squats.
In order for muscles to grow, they also need to be fed. “Usually 100 to 300 calories more are necessary,” says Esther Avant, personal trainer and nutrition coach.
Shortly before training, you should eat quickly digestible carbohydrates. If there are still two to three hours until training, a balanced meal with complex carbohydrates and protein-rich foods makes sense.
These two nutrients should also be on the menu after training. They replenish glycogen stores and supply the muscles with the necessary protein.
Almost every athlete knows that muscles need rest to regenerate and grow. So definitely don’t train your bottom again the next day. Wickham recommends one to two training sessions per week.
The original for this article “No tight bottom despite training? There are eight mistakes” comes from FitForFun.
