If you've been searching for how to get a bigger butt, you've probably seen plenty of workout lists that promise fast results. You follow one for a few months, your jeans still fit the same, and it's easy to assume your body just won't change.

In fact, your glutes grow when three things happen together: (1) you keep making your workouts a little harder over time, (2) you eat enough food to build new muscle, and (3) you give your body enough rest to recover. If you leave one of those out, your progress slows down or stalls completely.

To help you get out of that rut, we've put together a step-by-step guide based on what research supports. Stick with it, and you'll feel stronger within weeks and see real changes in a few months.

Your Guide on How to Get a Bigger Butt

The six steps below cover everything you need to know about how to grow glutes. They're simple and backed by research, so you can start today.

Step 1: Base Your Workout on Proven Glute Exercises

You don't need dozens of exercises to grow your glutes. A 2020 review of 16 studies found that these moves produced very high glute activation:

• Step-ups, which ranked highest

• Hip thrusts

• Romanian or hex bar deadlifts

• Split squats and lunges

• Squats

It also helps to add one exercise targeting the upper outer part of your glutes, such as banded side steps or side-lying leg raises. These work the gluteus medius, a smaller muscle on the upper sides of your hips that helps give your glutes a rounder, curvier look.

You may have seen debates about whether hip thrusts or squats are better for glute growth. In a  9-week study that used MRI scans, researchers found that both built a similar amount of glute muscle. Hence, that's good news, because it gives you options! 

How to Grow Glutes at Home?

You don't need a gym full of machines to grow your glutes. A few simple tools can do the job:

• Resistance bands (loop bands for side steps, long bands for hip thrusts and kickbacks)

• Dumbbells or kettlebells

• A backpack loaded with books or water bottles

A review of 21 studies found that lighter weights built about as much muscle as heavier ones, as long as people kept going until they couldn't do another rep with good form. That point is called failure.

To make lighter weights work for you:

• Aim for about 15 to 30 reps per set

• Stop only when you can't do another clean rep

• Add reps or resistance once a set starts to feel easy

Note: Keep good form throughout each set, and stop once your technique starts to slip. Poor form shifts the work to your lower back or knees instead of your glutes and can lead to injury.

Step 2: Apply Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is one of the most important principles in building muscle. It refers to gradually increasing the workload on your muscles as you get stronger. Without it, your glutes adapt to your routine and stop growing. It may sound tiring to keep adding more over time, but that steady push is what builds the curves you're after.

Whenever a workout starts to feel easy, step it up in one of these ways:

• Add a little more weight

• Do one or two more reps

• Add an extra set

• Slow down the lowering part of each rep

For your glutes, aim for at least two sessions a week, which a meta-analysis found builds more muscle than one, and at least 10 hard sets in total.

Step 3: Fuel Your Glute Workouts with Protein, Carbs, and Enough Calories

Your workouts tell your glutes to grow, but food gives your body what it needs to build new muscle. If you're not eating enough, progress can stall no matter how hard you train, especially when gaining weight is part of your goal.

1. Start with calories

To build muscle, you need to eat a little more than your body burns each day. A review on muscle-gain nutrition recommends a 10–20% surplus and a slow rate of gain, around 0.25–0.5% of your body weight per week. Gaining weight slowly helps more of it go toward muscle rather than belly fat.

If eating enough is a struggle, an appetite-support supplement may make it easier to hit your calorie target.

2. Make protein a priority

A large meta-analysis found that muscle gains leveled off at about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That's about 0.7 grams per pound, or roughly 100 grams a day for a 140-pound woman. Spreading it across three or four meals makes that target much easier to reach.

The good sources of protein include eggs, chicken, fish, beans, and Greek yogurt. Refrain from consuming processed meats like hot dogs and sausages.

3. Don't skip carbs and fats.

Carbs are your body's main fuel for hard training, and healthy fats round out your calories. Choose whole-food sources like rice, oats, beans, plantains, sweet potatoes, avocado, nuts, and olive oil. Limit sugary drinks, chips, and fried snacks, which add calories without much nutrition.

Step 4: Take Rest Days Seriously

Your glutes grow after your workout, not during it. Training them every day won't speed things up, so stick to two or three glute days a week with rest in between. Sleep counts too. 

In one study, a single sleepless night reduced muscle protein synthesis by 18%, so aim for 7 or more hours a night.

Step 5: Give It Time

So, how long does it take to grow glutes? Strength usually improves within a few weeks, while visible change takes longer. In the MRI study mentioned earlier, beginners grew measurable glute muscle in 9 weeks. 

If you're searching for how to grow glutes fast, the honest answer is consistency. Track your progress with a tape measure, monthly photos, and your lifting log.

Can Supplements Help Grow Glutes?

Not on their own, but some can support your efforts. Creatine has the strongest evidence. The International Society of Sports Nutrition reports that it helps people get more out of hard training and is safe for healthy adults at 3–5 grams a day. Protein shakes can also help you reach your daily protein target.

Thick Capsules is one option some women add to their routine for fuller curves. It contains creatine plus B vitamins, maca, and fenugreek, and it's designed to support appetite, which can help if eating in a surplus is a struggle. Check with your doctor before starting any supplement.

Put Your Glute Plan Into Action

You now know how to get a bigger butt the honest way. Pick three or four exercises, schedule two glute days this week, log your weights, eat protein at every meal, and get to bed on time. Then repeat it next week and the week after.

Not sure where to start? Take the quiz to find the right fit for your goals, or add Thick Capsules to your routine today.

FAQs

Do you have to work out to grow your glutes?

Yes. Food and supplements support growth, but resistance training is what tells your glutes to grow in the first place.

Will growing your glutes make you gain weight?

Probably some, since building muscle works best in a small calorie surplus. Gaining slowly helps more of that weight go to muscle instead of fat.

How long does it take to see results?

You may feel stronger within a few weeks, but visible growth usually takes two to three months of steady training, eating, and rest.

Can you build your glutes while keeping your waist small?

You can't choose where your body stores fat, since that mostly depends on genetics and hormones. Growing your glutes and gaining weight slowly is the best way to add curves without much extra around your waist.

Will gaining weight make your breasts bigger?

It might. Breasts are mostly fat tissue, so they can grow a little when you gain weight, depending on your genetics. Glute training itself doesn't affect breast size.

Is it safe to take supplements while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Talk to your doctor first. Many supplements haven't been studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and some herbs can affect hormones or milk supply.

Can men follow the same approach?

Yes. The same principles of glute exercises, progressive overload, enough food, and rest work for anyone.

Do you need creatine to grow your glutes?

No, but it can help you get more out of your workouts. If you already take a supplement that contains creatine, check the total amount before adding more.

Can you choose where your body gains fat?

No. A review of spot-reduction studies found that training one area doesn't change the fat in that area. Fat placement mostly depends on genetics and hormones, so focus on growing your glutes and gaining weight slowly.

Does cardio make your butt bigger?

Not much. Cardio is great for your heart, but your glutes need resistance training, like hip thrusts or squats, to grow. Too much cardio can also burn the extra calories you need to build muscle.