Can You Gain Weight to Make Your Butt Bigger?

A couple lifting barbells at the gym.
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It is possible to make your butt bigger by participating in a muscle-building, weight-training program and following a nutritional plan that will allow you to put on weight. The largest, major muscle in your butt is the gluteus maximus, which is responsible for extending your hips. How much weight you can put on at the butt partly depends on your genetics, hormone levels and body type. According to Dr. Lee E. Brown, it can take up to eight weeks to see notable muscle-size gains.

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Step 1

Create a battery of three to four butt exercises to include in your workouts. To avoid having your glutes hit a plateau, routinely mix up the exercises you do in your workouts. Exercises that effectively target your gluteus maximus include squats, lunges, deadlifts and step-ups.

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Step 2

Complete each of the exercises at an intensity and volume that's designed to elicit muscle-size increases. Dr. Helen M. Binkley of the National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends performing three to six sets of six to 12 reps of each exercise. Hold a barbell on the back of your shoulders or dumbbells down by your sides to increase the intensity of each exercise as necessary. The load you're lifting should make completing each set challenging. Support muscle-building further by allowing your butt muscles to only rest 30 to 90 seconds between sets.

Step 3

Schedule your sessions just twice per week so that you can put two to three days of rest in between each one. At the end of each of your workouts, your butt muscle should be left feeling fatigued. This is because your muscle tissue will have been overloaded and broken down. As your muscles recover, they adapt and increase in size. It will take them about 72 hours to fully recover from the workout.

Step 4

Consume an excess of 250 calories every day so that you create a caloric surplus. These extra calories -- beyond what you need for daily expenditure -- will be used to fuel the muscle-building process. An extra 250 calories per day will allow you to put on a half a pound of muscle every week. Increase your calorie intake by incorporating additional healthy snacks throughout the day. Snacks should consist of about a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to proteins. An example of healthy snacks includes a chicken and veggie wrap in a whole wheat tortilla, nut trail mix, whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana slices and apples with low-fat cheese.

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Step 5

Increase your daily protein intake. Dr. Joseph A. Chromiak notes that muscle-building requires a daily consumption about .65 to .8 grams of protein for every pound that you currently weigh. You can increase your protein intake with nuts, low-fat dairy products and lean meats.

Step 6

Eat immediately after each workout. Dr. Chromiak adds that eating a meal that consists of protein and carbohydrates immediately after a workout increases protein synthesis, thus facilitating muscle building.

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