As we age, changes occur in both the fatty tissue and muscle throughout the body. More specifically, as it relates to the butt, the fat naturally atrophies, and the skin becomes looser. In addition, we lose an average of 5% muscle mass every ten years after age 35. These changes all combined affect the shape of your rear and make the butt appear as if it’s sagging.
Fat Atrophy Affects The Shape Of Your Butt As You Age
Fat atrophy is the loss of fatty tissue that can cause pitting and bumps. As the fatty tissue degrades, it may redistribute, causing a sunken appearance. While most of us seem to spend much of our lives trying to lose fat, it would be easy to overlook the problems that fat atrophy in a localized area of the body can cause. Having an appropriate amount of body fat (in the right places) gives a smooth, youthful appearance. It is essential to practice good nutrition with the proper amount of protein to avoid fat atrophy and fuel your muscle.
Muscle Loss Due To Aging Affects Your Health
It may seem to be purely superficial at first, and how your buns look is important to most of us, but a lack of muscle in your hind end can affect your health. Strong glutes can help you avoid back pain and many issues that are connected through the entire posterior chain. Strong glute muscles lead to strong hamstrings and calves, and having strength throughout this group of muscles can eliminate or alleviate pain and help avoid pain and injury altogether.
A Butt Lift Isn’t Purely Cosmetic.
Understanding that strong, active glutes are a key component of your overall health helps to set the stage for why building strong butt muscles is so important. It also helps to change your mindset away from cosmetic options for lifting those buns to how you can get a butt lift without surgery. Routine exercise that is focused on the glutes and posterior chain will help you achieve the butt-lifting results you want!
Advantages of having a strong (and lifted) butt:
- Promotes good posture
- Reduces lower back pain
- Reduces knee pain
- Helps in performing daily activities with ease
For A Butt Lift Without Surgery, Visit The Gym, Not Your Surgeon
There are many different exercises you can do to get a stronger, lifted butt. During each workout, you can opt for 3-4 glute exercises comprising of 2-3 sets each. I am going to introduce you to my favorite four exercises that, when done consistently, will give you strong muscles and the appearance of a butt lift without surgery.
Top 4 Exercises To Get A Butt Lift Without Surgery
1. Squats (with or without added weight)
There are many variations of the basic squat. The key is to perfect your form before incorporating additional challenges like adding weights. It is common to see squats being done with barbells, dumbbells, loop bands, or a kettlebell. Again, it’s most important that your form is correct before adding weight to this exercise.
How to do a squat:
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Your toes should be slightly pointed out, and your hands should be in front of you.
- Slowly push your hips back into a sitting position. Avoid driving your knees forward and instead focus on hinging your hips back, as if you’re sitting down in an imaginary chair.
- Continue to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your knees will be bent at a 90-degree angle. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Perform 8-12 reps for 2-3 sets.
Once you have perfected your form and are certain you are protecting your hips and knees from improper movement, you can try doing banded squats. You can learn more about banded squats in this article, which also includes a video tutorial. This also makes a great reference to ensure your squat form is correct.
2. Glute Bridges
Along with a butt lift, strengthening your posterior chain plays a role in increasing your lower back strength and core stability. When performed correctly with good form, the glute bridge can lift the butt and improve your posture.
How to do a glute bridge:
- Lie face up on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Keep your arms at your side with your palms facing down.
- Lift your hips off the ground until your knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line.
- Hold your bridged position for a few seconds before easing back down.
- Once your hips are back on the ground, repeat the lift.
- Perform 8-12 reps for 2-3 sets.
Once you have perfected your form on the glute bridge, you can add weight by using a dumbbell by holding it across your hip crease. Read more about the yoga bridge post and its benefits in our article, Prime Women Yoga: Bridge Pose.
3. Hip Thrusts
It has been said that hip thrusts are one of the most popular and efficient exercises for growing and strengthening the glutes. If you’re doing hip thrusts routinely, you are on your way to a natural, non-surgical butt lift! Many gyms have special equipment for doing hip thrusts with the ability to increase the amount of resistance by adding weights. A great place to start this exercise is by doing them at home with no additional equipment or weight required.
How To Do Hip Thrusts:
- Set up with your back against an elevated surface (such as a bench or a box) with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- The bench should hit just below your shoulder blades, and your feet should be about shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your chin tucked, push through your heels until your thighs reach parallel to the floor. Your legs should form a 90-degree angle.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top.
- Return to the starting position.
- Perform 8-12 reps for 2-3 sets.
As with many exercises, once your form is perfected, you can amplify this movement and challenge the glutes even more by adding weight. Just as mentioned above with the glute bridge, you can use a dumbbell by holding it across your hip crease, or you can add a loop band for additional resistance.
4. Dumbbell Deadlifts
Deadlifts can be done with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, or even other forms of weights. If you don’t have a set of dumbbells at home, grab something that you can hold in your hands (a gallon of water in each hand) that will help create resistance while performing this exercise.
Deadlifts not only provide a lift to the booty when done consistently, but they also are highly effective for gaining lower body strength. A bonus is that deadlifts also increase your core strength and stability.
How To Do Dumbbell Deadlifts:
- Pick up a pair of dumbbells (or alternate weight) with an overhand grip and hold them in front of your sides. Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet placed shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor.
- Allow your arms to hang down in front of your knees and shins. Keeping your back in a neutral position (not rounded), lower yourself into position slowly and controlled.
- From this position, stand up straight. Be careful not to change the shape of your back. Squeeze your glutes as you straighten, pushing through the ball and heel of your foot.
- Perform 8-12 reps for 2-3 sets.
Perform these four exercises consistently, at least 3-4 times every week. Give it time, perfect your form, stay consistent, and you will notice a more lifted butt, which is the foundation of a stronger and healthier you!
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