You won't get a big butt by doing lots of bodyweight squats and lunges. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body and also one of the strongest. The glutes will grow quickly if given enough reason to, and the best way to accomplish that is very heavy exercise. Perform the right exercises strictly, consistently, carefully and with maximum effort and you'll quickly see progress.
Leg Press
You won't get the same thigh development performing leg presses as you would with squats, but it's a good alternative for people with knee and back problems, due to the stability the machine offers, according to the "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding." One muscle group the leg press may be superior at building compared to squats, though, is the glutes. The reason is that the glutes straighten the body at the hips, and the angle of the leg press forces the glutes to work through a greater range of motion than squats do. To perform a leg press, sit at the leg press machine. Use a wider stance to utilize the glutes more. Lower the weight sled until just before your butt rolls away from the seat. Press the weights back up, being careful not to lock your knees at the top. Perform sets of eight to 12 reps to build the glutes.
Lunges
Lunges aren't a very heavy exercise, but because they primarily work one leg at a time, they can be very effective. "Strength Training Anatomy" explains that you can target the gluteus maximus by stepping out with a larger-than-usual step. To perform lunges, stand with your feet together, holding dumbbells at your sides. Step forward, kneeling down until your forward thigh is parallel to the ground, but not allowing your rear knee to touch the ground. Press with your forward leg and either step forward with your rear leg, or step back with your forward leg. Do the same with your other leg. Perform sets of eight to 12 reps per leg.
Deadlifts
The deadlift is both very simple and very difficult. It's very simple because you're just standing up while holding a barbell. It's very difficult because, as Arnold Schwarzenegger points out in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding," it utilizes just about every muscle in the body, meaning you can lift a lot of weight. The stress this causes will shock your body into packing muscle onto your butt. To perform a deadlift, stand in front of a barbell on the ground with your feet a bit less than shoulder-width apart. Squat down to the barbell, gripping it with your hands shoulder-width apart. The inside of your forearms should be pressed against the outside of your knees. Look forward, keep a straight back and press through your heels to stand with the weight. Follow the same path to set the weight back down. Perform sets of four to six for maximum muscle growth.
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
Once you get strong, you'll find that it's very difficult to perform a lot of big exercises on the same day. You might not be able to perform leg press and deadlifts during the same workout, because each requires so much energy. Stiff-legged deadlifts isolate the glutes more than the traditional deadlift, so you'll use much less weight. This makes stiff-legged deadlifts excellent for warming up before or burning out after bigger lifts. To perform a stiff-legged deadlift, stand with a barbell hanging from your arms before your thighs. Keep a slight bend in your knees for balance, and maintain the same bend throughout the exercise. Lean forward, going as low as you can without rounding your back forward. Stand back up. Perform sets of eight to 12.
References
- "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding"; Robert Kennedy; 2008
- "Strength Training Anatomy 3rd Ed."; Frederic Delavier; 2010
- "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding"; Arnold Schwarzenegger; 1998
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