Hi friends! Kathleen here, and today, I want to talk about your butt.
OK, that didn’t come out quite right. I’m not checking out your butt. However, it seems like everyone is suddenly interested in getting more junk in the trunk, know what I mean?
You may have already done a search checking out the different ways to get a bigger behind, and if you are sick and tired of squats (and all of you over 40 are shaking your head yes, right now), then today’s article is for you.
Your search question led you to me. So, is it true that running can make your bum grow bigger?
Yes, indeed, running uphill, running with sprints, and running with uphill sprints will make your butt bigger. However, steady, long-distance running on flat terrain will only tone your bum.
That sounds so straightforward, right? As they say, the devil is in the details, so in this article, I want to talk about big butts, why you don’t have one even when you’re into running, and what you can do to change all that.
Ready? Let’s go!
Does Running Improve Your Bum?
No matter what you call it, your butt matters! Whether it’s tight jeans or a slim skirt, everyone wants to rock it like J.Lo, right?
Before I became a fan of rowing, running (mostly on my treadmill) was my thing. I actually enjoy running because I can zone out, listen to some tunes, and all the stress seems to melt away. I still enjoy running from time to time, though my knees complain a lot now!
I expected a lot of things from running, and one of them was that I would be building a big, round booty.
Yeah. That didn’t happen. I’m not saying my butt wasn’t tight. I had no butt-jiggle, that’s for sure, but bigger? Nope. I was making one big mistake, and if you aren’t getting the behind you want from running, I bet you’re making the same mistake I was.
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What Running Does for You
Running does a whole lot for your body, including burn excess fat, help you lose weight, and improve your aerobic endurance. Hopping on that treadmill will also give you some tight leg and gluteal muscles, but build muscle mass? Not so much.
To get a bigger behind, you need to do a certain type of running. Just chugging down the road for a few miles won’t get you what you’re looking for. This is the big mistake most of us make.
What Muscle Types Do You Get from Running?
First, let’s spend just a minute talking about the two muscle types that you get from running. This will just take a minute, and it will help you understand what you are doing wrong.
The two types of muscle fibers are:
- Type I or slow-twitch muscle fibers – these are the kind of muscle you most likely have, and they come from long-distance running or marathons.
- Type II or fast-twitch muscle fibers – these come from uphill walking/running and sprints or uphill sprints.
Type I muscle fibers are what you get from most running, which is why you don’t see big butts on Olympic runners or those who do marathon running. These muscle fibers are great for endurance because they are small, so they don’t use a lot of energy and can go the distance.
If you want a larger, rounder butt, you need to start sprinting, running uphill, or doing uphill sprints. Let’s talk more about that.
What Makes Your Butt Bigger?
To get that big round behind, you need to add those Type II muscle fibers. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are bigger, and they use a lot of energy. You can activate these muscles and encourage them to grow bigger by doing sudden bursts of intense movements, just like what you do when sprinting.
While these muscle fibers use a lot of energy, they don’t need a lot of oxygen, much like strength training exercises. You don’t really get out of breath lifting weights, but you do use a lot of energy.
Type II muscle fibers grow big, and they also grow new muscle mass. This means that if you focus more on working these muscle fibers, your booty is going to be awesome!
What Exactly Is Sprinting?
In case you aren’t sure what sprinting is, it’s what you do when you run as fast as possible, taking big steps but only doing so for short periods of time. Picture yourself getting ready to jump over an obstacle in the road. Feel how your body automatically speeds itself up with giant steps to get ready to leap? That’s sprinting.
So in short, does running make your butt bigger? Yes, if you add sprints to your running. Doing sprints is how you grow your booty.
Did I just hear you say “more”? You want MORE butt in a shorter amount of time? Then you need to sprint uphill. If that’s too easy for you, you may also try a technique called sprint loading. It involves pulling a load as you sprint uphill.
Is this a lot of work? You bet it is, but did anything you really, really want ever come easily?
What Foods Go to Your Butt?
You probably read the part where I said that Type II muscles require a lot of energy, right? Yep, to get that energy to work and grow, you need to eat the right foods.
Salads are great for weight control, but salads aren’t going to get you a peach butt.
Your tush needs protein! Muscles grow via protein, so put down that salad fork and add some real protein to your salad or other meals, such as:
- Meat (salmon, chicken, beef)
- Brown rice
- Eggs
- Avocados
- Beans
- Dairy
- Chia or flaxseeds
- Oatmeal
- Sweet potatoes
You remember the lyrics to Baby Got Back, right? It says, “Red beans and rice didn’t miss her.” A bubble butt means adding an uphill sprint to your running routine and healthy servings of protein-rich foods to your table.
How Running Adds Muscle Mass to My Butt
First, keep in mind that while excess body fat can make your bottom look big, it also makes it look like two kids fighting under a blanket when you walk.
You don’t want a flabby fanny. You want lower body muscles, including the legs and glutes, that look firm and round.
Your tush has three muscles – the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus. Most of us are familiar with the gluteus maximus not only because it is the biggest muscle in your fanny, but also because it is the largest muscle in the body. Well now, that’s something for a trivia game.
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Does Running Make Your Buttocks Bigger or Smaller
While doing an uphill sprint, all three gluteal muscles and your leg muscles (your hamstrings, quads, and calf muscles) work together to propel you forward. Activating these lower-body muscles with this type of physical activity adds mass and makes them grow bigger.
At this point, I’d like to emphasize one thing: When running hills or getting ready to sprint – and even when you’re just doing regular running – remember to always warm up first to avoid injury. You can walk fast for 5 minutes or do some stretching, or both, but don’t forget to warm up and cool down. I always think that a warm-up is much more important than a cool-down period, but I’m not a doctor so this isn’t medical advice.
If you have any medical condition, or if you’re new to running, you’ll do well checking with your doctor to be sure that running is safe for you.
If you can find a steep hill where you can do sprints as you run uphill and then rest (slow down) while on flat ground or on straightaways, you’ve found the perfect place to burn more calories, reduce fat, and make your glutes bigger.
Does Running Shrink Your Bum?
In addition to “does running make your butt bigger”, some people wonder if running can make it smaller.
In some ways, yes, it does. No, don’t panic and think that you need to stop running to get that big kahuna butt. Let me explain.
As I mentioned earlier, running burns some major calories. If you want to shed off some body weight, then running is a great way to do that.
If you have a lot of fat on your behind, then you may notice your butt getting smaller even though you’re running. This is simply due to fat loss, which is a good thing. Once the fat has melted off, you will find that your butt starts to get bigger again.
What I mean is that you shouldn’t freak out if you see your butt getting smaller at first. Things will turn around, and you can greatly increase your butt muscles by doing sprints or using the incline on your treadmill.
Don’t forget that resistance bands, kettlebell exercises, dumbbells, and squats (Ugh!) are also great for giving your butt a lift and making it nice and round.
So running will help you with weight loss, which may make your behind a bit smaller, but in the end, (sorry about that pun) your bum can look fantastic when you do some incline running and/or uphill sprints.
Which Is Better for Excess Body Fat and Building Your Butt – Treadmill or Outdoor Running?
This is the big question that you will hear all the time.
For growing a bigger butt, I do think that outdoor running is one the most effective ways to do that. You can really get in some serious uphill sprinting, and running on hills will help you build those Type II muscles. Outdoor running on a hard surface is harder on the joints than the treadmill, but if you’re young and have good knees, you should be fine.
Treadmills that have an incline, however, can be really helpful. it may be harder to sprint on a treadmill, but put that incline as high as it can go and feel the burn after a few minutes!
If you can run outdoors, you can get busy muscle building with that butt. If the weather is bad, or if your knees can’t take the outdoors, crank up that incline and go with the treadmill.
Either way, your overall health is going to be excellent!
The Final Takeaway
Short bursts of fast running can go a long way towards building your booty. Longer runs at a slower pace will help you burn calories and help you lose weight.
No matter how you look at it, running is a great way to improve your health and get a lean-looking body. Oh, other than your caboose, of course!
Sprinting is the key that will make your butt bigger and your waist smaller. Who doesn’t want more of that?
Be happy and have a great run!
Written by Kathleen Langdon – TheHealthPot.com Founder
Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES)
Kathleen, a mother of two, struggled with ongoing weight and health issues. She created this website after she turned her life around. She built Thehealthpot.com to help inspire and motivate others with their fitness goals. Read more about Kathleen here.