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fitness

HOW TO Build A Booty

How to Build a Booty
@moodswlngs
Not all fitness goals are created equal. Some of us long for the long and sinewy limbs of a supermodel from the early 90’s while some want to tone up just a little, and others want defined, athletic muscles or a curvy hourglass. One thing that we all have in common, though, is building strength — and with strength comes a round, perky butt!

If bulking your buns is a major fitness goal of yours, you’re very much not alone. All of our clothes fit better when we fill them out from behind, not to mention we support our back, core, stamina, and energy when we have a strong lower body. Jen works hard with her trainer Warren to build strength and tone for a strong, lean, healthy silhouette. Here’s what she’s learned from their training sessions.

Food is your Friend

There have been many diet trends out there — especially fasting — but many trainers warn against this when growing a booty is at the top of your list. Jen’s trainer has coached her not to be afraid of food; after all, we physically need to eat, and it’s fuel for our workouts. In fact, we cannot build muscle if we aren’t fueling our body enough with nutritious meals.
It all goes back to protein — which sounds tried and true because it is. As your body digests protein, it burns calories at a higher rate than other types of nutrients. Protein is the only building block for your muscles, and is extremely important for an athlete’s diet. The fact is, if you’re training hard, you need to eat more. It’s as simple as that.

When Jen started working with her trainer and incorporating heavy lifting in her practice, he advised that she log all her meals, including calories and nutrients, and gradually intake more calories each day. For her training, Jen researched how many calories she should be adding to her diet, and began adding 200 calories gradually. Once implemented, she noticed her metabolism was quicker and burned at a faster rate. The goal is to significantly increase your daily calorie intake to match your workouts.

Heavy Weights will not make you Masculine or Bulky

It’s a major myth that heavy weights will make you look manly and are to be avoided. In actuality, you won’t build muscle if you don’t challenge yourself. For muscle to grow, we have to break it — and that doesn’t happen unless you’re using incrementally heavier weights.

But that also doesn’t mean this regime will make you huge. It just means more strength, stamina — and the booty of your dreams. Workouts like pilates, yoga, and booty bands are great for maintenance and tone, but they won’t add significant strength or muscle gains, so they won’t build a bigger butt.

A Mix of Compound and Accessory Lifting is Key

Compound lifting using heavier weights with fewer reps exhausts the muscle quicker, and offers the challenge mentioned above — which will jumpstart the growth process. Think lifts, squats, heavy deadlifts, low reps — and remember, heavy weights. Couple this with accessory lifting, which is higher reps with lighter weights, and you’ll find yourself working efficiently towards the tone and shape you desire.

Supplement Correctly

Not all supplements are for everyone, and some trainers warn against getting too caught up in the supplement world. Good old classic creatine is useful, but does tend to add a bit of water within the muscle. That means that, in the short term, you’ll want to drink lots of water while you use it — which also happens to be great for recovery and flushing out the water buildup in your muscles. Jen uses a trainer-approved creatine and glutamine blend, which is also great for recovery and oxygenation of the muscle.
Branch Chain Amino Acids, or BCAAs, help our bodies synthesize protein for easy growth and muscle recovery. Relying on these pre-workout for the really intense workout sessions can be helpful, but not for everyone: You always need to listen to your body and gauge its reaction before taking any supplements, and taking these pre-workout can be intense — so try with caution.

Jen also relies on a collagen supplement, which helps with joint and muscle recovery, makes your skin firm and tight — and, as a little bonus, typically adds more protein to the diet.

Because fitness is such a personal journey, there is no one prescription that fits all. However, if building a bigger booty is at the height of your fitness goals, don’t rely on keto, fasting, and cardio to get you there. Heed these notes researched from booty building pros, and don’t forget to let yourself relax and have a piece of chocolate cake every once in a while.