Losing inches has benefits to your self-esteem and overall health, but there's more work involved in making your butt look bigger. To increase your butt size while losing inches, you need a combination of diet, aerobic activity and glute-targeted strength training. Without this combination, your butt is sure to shrink. Always consult with a doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
Diet and Aerobics
As fat shrinks from your waist, it will also shrink from your butt, but flabby fat is obviously not the size boost you want on your buttocks. To lose inches on your body, a healthy diet that mainly consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and fat-free dairy helps you lose the most weight. However, a diet combined with aerobic exercise gives the fastest results to your entire body because you're burning calories while reducing your consumed calories. Burning more calories than you consume is the key to weight loss, and even though strength training does help your body burn calories, a study by Duke University shows aerobic exercise allows you to lose more fat. Aerobic activity includes activities like brisk walking, running, swimming laps, hiking, bicycling and dancing. Do one of these activities 30 to 60 minutes per day most days per week and you'll see reduced body fat.
Squats
The squat is one of the best glute-strengthening exercises to tone your backside. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and tighten your abdominal muscles to keep your spine stable during the entire squat. Keep your shoulders back and down while allowing your arms to hang to your sides. Take a deep breath as you imagine an invisible chair behind you as you bend your knees and lower your hips. Without arching your back, move your buttocks closer to the invisible chair until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Your knees should not move past your toes. Exhale as you push your feet into the floor and return to your starting position. To maximize the size of your butt, perform squats with dumbbells or a barbell.
Step-Ups
Step-ups can be done with or without dumbbells, but just like the squat, you'll get better buttocks results using the dumbbells. Place a sturdy chair or exercise bench in front of you and place your right foot on the elevated platform. Tighten your abdominal muscles to keep your spine straight as you move your body toward the ceiling by pushing off the floor with your left foot until both legs are extended and both feet are on the platform. Step backward and down with your left foot and remove your right foot from the platform so your feet come together on the floor. Alternate by starting with your left foot for the second repetition. If you're using body weight, do three sets of 12 repetitions. If you're using dumbbells, use weights heavy enough to fatigue your muscles by the 12th repetition of one set. There is no need for additional sets if your muscles are already fatigued.
Pear-Shaped Considerations
If you're pear shaped and carry your fat in your buttocks, you're butt is probably already bigger than other areas of your body. It's impossible to spot reduce problem areas but as you lose inches, you're also losing fat on your butt — the results just seem less significant because of the way you store your weight. If you're worried about increasing your butt size by adding strengthening exercises, stop worrying. The squats and step-ups will reveal a toned backside once you've shedded your desired inches.
References
Writer Bio
Melissa McNamara is a certified personal trainer who holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and communication studies from the University of Iowa. She writes for various health and fitness publications while working toward a Bachelor of Science in nursing.