Last Updated on January 22, 2023 by Femniqe
In this guide, you’ll get the 2 main steps needed to grow your upper glutes to make it stand out. You don’t need the gym for this to happen.
Once you follow this plan on how to get a shelf on the upper glutes, the gains will come.
With the power of gravity and your bodyweight, you can add mass to your upper glutes.
Your Upper Glutes Anatomy
For this to work, this workout plan mainly targets 2 of the 3 gluteal muscles, the Gluteus Maximus and Gluteus Medius.
The other is the gluteus minimus.
Gluteus Maximus
The largest and most powerful muscle in your glutes. It is responsible for your hip extension, which is the movement of lifting the thigh backwards.
It also helps to rotate and stabilize the thigh. This muscle is heavily involved in everyday activities you do such as running, climbing stairs, and rising from a seated position.
Gluteus Medius
This one is located on the outer surface of your hip. It is responsible for hip abduction, which is the movement of lifting your thigh out to the side.
This one also helps to rotate and stabilize the hip. This muscle is particularly important in activities such as walking and running.
Gluteus Minimus
The smallest muscle in the glutes, located beneath the gluteus medius. It also helps with hip abduction and rotation, and stability of the hip joint.
Step 1: How To Eat To Grow Upper Glutes (With Meal Plan)
First thing is, you will never get a shelf on the upper glutes without proper nutrition.
Most importantly, protein.
Your body needs it for glute growth and recovery. During workouts, you create small tears in the muscle fibers.
These tears are repaired by the body through a process called muscle protein synthesis(1), which uses protein as the building block.
The more protein you consume, the more building blocks the body has available to repair and grow the glutes.
After a butt workout, the muscles are in a state of repair and growth, and consuming an adequate amount of protein can help to speed up the recovery process.
This allows for the muscles to repair and grow stronger, leading to an increase in booty mass.
How Much Protein Should I Consume For Upper Glute Growth?
Generally, it’s recommended to get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight per day.
However, because you’re trying to grow your upper butt, you may need to consume more protein, up to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Remember, consuming only protein won’t give you the desired results, protein should be consumed in combination with a healthy diet.
So get in your carbs and healthy fats as well.
A Full Week Meal Plan To Grow Upper Glutes
Here is a sample high-protein meal plan to support glute growth:
Monday:
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with blueberries and a sprinkle of granola
Snack: Handful of almonds
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with rice and some vegetables
Snack: Hard-boiled eggs
Dinner: Baked salmon with sweet potato and steamed broccoli
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms
Snack: Cottage cheese with cucumber slices
Lunch: Lean Turkey and low-fat cheese wrap with a side of mixed greens
Snack: Protein shake
Dinner: Beef stir-fry with peppers and onions, served over brown rice
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Protein pancakes (made with protein powder)
Snack: String cheese
Lunch: Grilled shrimp with asparagus and quinoa
Snack: Greek yogurt with chia seeds
Dinner: Baked chicken breast with roasted vegetables and sweet potato
Thursday:
Breakfast: Tofu scramble with vegetables
Snack: Protein smoothie
Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad
Snack: Hard-boiled eggs
Dinner: Pork tenderloin with green beans and mashed sweet potatoes
Friday:
Breakfast: Egg and cheese sandwich with whole wheat bread
Snack: Cottage cheese with berries
Lunch: Turkey burger with mixed greens and sweet potato fries
Snack: Protein bar
Dinner: Steak with roasted vegetables and rice
Saturday:
Breakfast: Omelette with veggies and turkey
Snack: Greek yogurt with granola
Lunch: Tuna salad with mixed greens
Snack: Protein shake
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast with mixed veggies and sweet potato
Sunday:
Breakfast: French toast made with protein powder
Snack: String cheese
Lunch: Grilled shrimp with mixed veggies and quinoa
Snack: Greek yogurt with chia seeds
Dinner: Turkey chili with mixed veggies
Bear in mind to vary your protein sources, include healthy fats and carbohydrates, and to stay hydrated.
Step 2: How To Get A Shelf On The Upper Glutes With Exercises
When it comes to growing your upper glutes, isolation exercises are exactly what you need.
The upper glutes, also known as the upper portion of the gluteus maximus, are not as active during compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts as the lower portion of the glutes.
Therefore, the isolation exercises below specifically target the upper glutes for maximum engagement.
The Best Upper Glute Exercises For A Shelf
1. One Legged Lunge Kickback
- Begin by standing on your left leg with your right leg extended behind you, as demonstrated in position A.
- Once you have established a stable balance, slowly kick your right leg backwards as far as possible and hold for one second before returning to the starting position.
2. Lateral Single Leg Glute Bridge
- Begin by positioning yourself with your hips lifted and glutes tightly contracted.
- From here, lift your left leg towards your chest and hold for one second.
- Next, extend your leg out to the side as far as possible before returning to the starting position.
3. Alternate Side Lunge
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, as demonstrated in position A in the image above.
- Slowly lower your body towards the right, placing more weight on your right leg as shown in position B.
- Hold this position for one second before returning to position A.
- Repeat the movement by lowering your body towards the left, placing more weight on your left leg.
4. Standard Hip Thrust
- Start by sitting on the ground with your back against a bench and your knees bent. Feet should be completely flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart.
- Brace your core and push through your heels to raise your hips towards the ceiling, keeping your glutes and core tight.
- Make sure your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Hold the top position for a moment and then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
Full Week Workout Plan For An Upper Glute Shelf
Monday:
Warm-up: 5-8 minutes of light cardio
One Legged Lunge Kickback: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Lateral Single Leg Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Alternate Side Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Standard Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 12 reps
Tuesday:
Warm-up: 5-8 minutes of light cardio
Lateral Single Leg Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Alternate Side Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Standard Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 12 reps
One Legged Lunge Kickback: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of stretching
Wednesday: Rest day
Thursday:
Warm-up: 5-8 minutes of light cardio
Alternate Side Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Standard Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 12 reps
One Legged Lunge Kickback: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Lateral Single Leg Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of stretching
Friday:
Warm-up: 5-8 minutes of light cardio
Standard Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 12 reps
One Legged Lunge Kickback: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Lateral Single Leg Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Alternate Side Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of stretching
Saturday: Rest day
Sunday:
Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio
One Legged Lunge Kickback: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Lateral Single Leg Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Alternate Side Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)
Standard Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 12 reps
Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of stretching
Get A Shelf On The Upper Glutes With This Workout Plan
You now have a plan to help you grow your upper glutes, now put it into action. Remember, consistency always wins.
To take your upper butt workouts to the next level here are some routines you can do as well: