Why My Glutes Aren’t Growing? Here Are 9 Reasons

So after constantly doing squats and not seeing any results, I decided to go down a rabbit hole to find out why I can’t get my dream glutes despite my efforts.

And guess what?

Someone wrote an article that says my genes are hindering me! Yup. My genes have small butt so I might as well just give up.

Needless to say I was so demotivated for some time. But then I decided to do more research and boy did I get my answers to get me going again.

And let me tell you, what I found out transformed my glutes from being almost non-existent to strong and curvy.

Yeah, I overcame any restriction my genes placed on my glutes according to that article and if I can do it then so can you.

Reasons Your Glutes Aren’t Growing

1. Your Diet Isn’t Optimized To Grow Glutes

If you’re working out and you are not seeing any results from all that work, then your diet is the problem.

There is no way you can achieve your booty goals if you’re not eating the right way.

Let me explain.

So usually to lose weight, it is recommended that you eat in a calorie deficit, this means you eat less.

However, if you want to grow your glutes, then you will need to eat in a calorie surplus.

Yeah yeah, I know.

You don’t want to gain weight, just grow your butt.

Hear me out though.

If you are weight training, your muscles are going to need that calorie surplus to grow.

All those extra calories will be converted into gains and not fat.

That’s what people do when they are “bulking up”. Just adding more mass to their bodies to be converted into muscles.

To start off it’s a good idea to use a macro calculator and by entering your goal, which is to gain muscle, it will calculate your calories for you covering how much protein, carbohydrates and fat you will need to consume.

2. You’re Not Training Frequently

Okay so you might have seen this alot if you’ve been working out for some time but honestly, it cannot be more true, consistency is key!

Like with anything in life, you have to be consistent if you are working towards a goal.

And growing your glutes is no exception.

You must be consistent to see any results, all fitness people can attest to this.

You cannot be working on your glutes once per week and expect to see growth.

The glutes require training at least  2-3 times per week for you to see results.

But it will take time so don’t expect to see results if you consistently workout 3 times in one week and decide to stop.

You might start feeling a bit of difference but you cannot stop there, give it a few months and I promise you will see and feel the difference, if you follow everything else on this list.

3. Sleeping Glutes/No Glute Activation

If your form is good but you still aren’t feeling the exercises in your glutes, then your glutes might be sleeping.

Glute activation will need to be a part of your workout plan.

A lot of us are walking around with sleeping glutes which can happen when we sit a lot.

To wake them up the glutes need to be activated.

This is done by doing regular glute exercises that are focused just on the glutes with high reps and little weights if necessary.

In these workouts you will need to ensure you squeeze the glute muscles and create a muscle to mind connection so you actually feel the muscle working.

Once you do a few of these you can continue with your regular workout routine.

4. You’re Overdoing Squats

That’s right.

You do too many squats.

Do not believe that squatting alone will get you a bigger booty.

Just so we are clear, I am not saying to stop squatting.

It is actually a great exercise because it is a compound movement that targets multiple muscle groups at once including your glutes, however, your glutes need more than squats to get them to grow.

Examples of these exercises are hip thrusts and deadlifts, which are also compound movements.

In addition to compound movements, you need to do glute isolation exercises such as clams, kickbacks, fire hydrants and hip abductors.

5. You Have Bad Form

You know, one of the reasons you may not be seeing results despite working your butt off could be that you really aren’t working your butt.

Just listen for a second.

You could be doing the exercises wrong all this time.

I have certainly been guilty of this. I used to HATE squats because it always hurt my knees. I really couldn’t figure out why it was so hard to do.

That was until I researched how to squat properly.

Can I tell you that I laughed myself to tears when I did the first squat and did not feel a twinge in my knees?

Yup.

That did happen.

Be careful that you maintain good form during your exercises, not only to get results but to also avoid injuries.

6. You Are Not Weight Training

Gluteal muscles.

That is exactly what your butt is, a group of muscles.

And to grow muscles, you have to put them under stress by lifting heavy or using resistance.

Put them under serious pressure, within safety parameters of course.

No Access to Gym Means No Weight Training?

I completely understand that not everyone has access to a gym or even has the time to travel back and forth how many times per week to use it.

But guess what?

You don’t need a gym to grow your glutes.

Yes, you can do it from the sweet comfort of your home.

With or without weights.

Here’s what you need to know, your booty needs progressive overload.

This means that you consistently challenge your muscles over time.

Your glutes need to be continually challenged to grow and that means you will need to sometimes up the amount of reps or sets that you do.

Another option for challenging your glutes at home would be to get some resistance bands.

These are perfect for giving your glutes the right amount of resistance it needs to grow.

And they are not expensive so they will be a good investment.

Overtime you can even double up on the bands as you continue to improve and your glutes get stronger.

And of course, make sure you are eating enough quality foods.

7. Repeating the Same Exercises

If you are not seeing any glute growth after working out for some time, then it is definitely time to switch up your workouts.

You will need to target each of the 3 gluteal muscles: the maximus, medius and minimus.

That means, doing exercises that target each specific muscle.

By doing the same repetitive exercises over time your body will get used to it and your muscles will not be challenged.

So switch it all up frequently!

Do exercises that will challenge each gluteal muscle and strengthen them.

You can check out our youtube channel for some options

8. Lack of Proper Rest

While your butt needs the challenge to grow, you also need to let yourself have enough rest.

And that rest covers both rest days and rest between sets during your workouts.

You will want to avoid working out back to back, always take a rest day in between to allow the micro tears in your muscles to repair so they can grow bigger.

If you train everyday, then your muscles will not have enough time to repair and this can slow down your results.

9. You Want Fast Results

You need to be realistic with your goal timeline.

Rebuilding the human body takes time and consistency.

I have to tell you the truth, you cannot expect a bigger butt after working out for 2 weeks.

Getting a bigger butt fast is unrealistic, especially if your are not already predisposed.

Progress will be gradual as long as you are consistent and patient.