The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your posterior; it's the strongest muscle in your body, meaning it has the ability to produce the most force. Your gluteus maximus contracts to power a variety of movements around your hip joint. Its primary function is to extend your hips, or drive your legs back. Whenever you squat or climb stairs, your gluteus maximus does most of the work. Many bodybuilders are interested in significantly increasing the size of their butt muscles, and you can do so by completing high-volume workouts that consist of exercises that effectively target your glutes.
Step 1
Weight-train three days per week. Complete your gluteus maximus workout on nonconsecutive days, such as on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This is the highest training frequency that still allows your muscle the rest it requires between sessions in to recover and grow.
Step 2
Perform exercises that effectively target your gluteus maximus. These exercises include squats, lunges, step-ups and deadlifts.
Step 3
Use correct technique when completing exercises. To perform squats, place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, toes pointed directly forward. Push your butt back as you bend your knees, lowering down until your thighs are parallel to the floor; push back up to starting position to complete one repetition. To complete lunges, take a large step forward with one leg. Once your leg is planted, drop your back knee directly down, stopping just short of touching the floor; reverse the movement to return to starting position and complete one rep. When doing step-ups, be sure your foot is entirely on the box, and during deadlifts, keep your back straight and head up throughout the entire movement.
Step 4
Make your weight-training sessions high volume. Each session should consist of at least eight total sets to stimulate muscle growth, strength and conditioning specialist Dr. Joseph A. Chromiak advises. To significantly increase your gluteus maximus for bodybuilding, choose at least three exercises and complete three to six sets of each. According to Dr. Lee E. Brown of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, sets should be eight to 20 repetitions each.
Step 5
Rest three to five minutes between sets and exercises. Chromiak explains that these shorter rest periods are more effective for stimulating muscle growth.
Tips and Warnings
- It's essential that you use an appropriate amount of weight for each exercise. The weight you're using should allow you to complete the assigned range of repetitions. If you're unable to reach eight repetitions, lighten the weight. If you complete more than 20 repetitions with ease, it's time for heavier weights.
- After high-volume workouts, you may need more than 48 hours of rest. If you're feeling fatigued, consider allowing yourself an additional day off and only training two days per week to prevent your gluteus maximus from becoming overtrained.
Things You'll Need
- Free weights
- Plyometric box
References
- "National Strength and Conditioning Association's Training Performance Journal"; Training for Power: Hypertrophy Training = Volume; Lee E. Brown, Ed.D.; June 2002
- ExRx: Gluteus Maximus
- ExRx: Hip Exercise Menu
- National Strength and Conditioning Association: Strength Training for Muscle Building; Joseph A. Chromiak, Ph.D.
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