A thin butt with spindly legs is not exactly the best body type for filling out a pair of jeans. Although this does not have an adverse effect on your health, it can make you feel self-conscious. Gaining weight in your butt and thighs takes the same amount of hard work that it takes to lose weight. By coupling eating changes with the right exercises, you can make your lower body more robust.
Step 1
Increase your calories to promote weight gain. Find your current intake first by tracking your calories for a full day. Add 250 to 500 to this number and make that your new intake. This will cause you to gain about 1/2 to 1 lb. a week, according to the University of Illinois McKinley Health Center. For example, if you currently consume 1,500 calories, make your new intake 1,750 or 2,000.
Step 2
Select healthy foods and eat more often during the day. Stick with nutrient-dense options such as beans, whole grains, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and greens. Have a small, balanced meal every two to three hours to make it easier to fit in your additional calories. Baked salmon with brown rice and steamed asparagus is a meal, for example.
Step 3
Grab a set of dumbbells to do wall ball squats. Hold the weights at your sides and pin a ball to the wall with your mid back. Walk your feet forward slightly and place them about shoulder-width apart. Keep your core tight and back straight as you bend your knees and lower yourself down. Stop when your thighs parallel the floor, stand back up and repeat.
Step 4
Execute a set of leg presses on a leg press machine. Sit on the seat and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the steel plate. Push it up slightly and move the safety handles to the sides. Lower the plate by bending your knees and stop when your thighs are right by your chest. Push the plate back up and repeat. Do not lock your knees when you push the plate up.
Step 5
Stand with your back on a weight bench to do split leg squats. Hold dumbbells at your sides, lift your right leg behind your body and carefully place the top of your foot on the bench. Keep your core tight and back straight as you bend your knee and lower your body. Stop when your thigh parallels the floor and stand back up. Repeat for a set of reps and switch sides.
Step 6
Perform a set of single leg dumbbell straight leg deadlifts with dumbbells. Hold the weights in front of your thighs with your palms facing your body, lift your right foot and bend your knee so your foot is in the air behind you. Keep your left leg straight as you bend forward at the hips. Lower the weights toward the floor and fully extend your right leg in the air behind your body. Hold for a second and rise back to the starting position. Repeat for a set of reps and switch sides.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform 10 to 12 reps of each exercise and do four or five sets. Use the heaviest weights you can handle to maximize muscle exertion and work out every three days. Keep cardiovascular exercise to a minimum. If you choose to do it, keep your time frame to no more than 30 minutes and work out on cardio no more than three days a week.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
- Stability ball
- Weight bench
- Leg press machine
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