So, guess what? The gym scene has totally flipped in the last few years, and I’ve been soaking in the vibes. As a trainer with almost two decades in the game, I’ve spotted a cool shift, especially with the ladies – it’s all about that lower body action, and the glutes are stealing the show. And you know who’s to blame? TikTok and the whole social media crew, planting the idea that a killer, round booty is the secret to fitness bliss.
Now, I’m not here to rain on anyone’s parade. The cool thing is that lower body workouts often include back exercises, and since you’re lifting and moving weights with your arms, some of those perks transfer to the upper body, whether you intended it or not. In a nutshell, even if the “glutes first, everything else later” crew hits the lower body four times a week and the upper body only once or twice, it’s still a win. You’ll be carving out a solid core and getting a somewhat stronger upper body along the way.
But here’s the scoop: I’ve noticed that despite their best efforts, some folks just can’t seem to round out their naturally flat butts through glute exercises. Enter the ‘pancake butt,’ a cheeky term for a flat derrière, which might be due to aging, genetics, or other factors.
If you find yourself in the group of gals who aren’t thrilled with their pancake butt situation, fret not – you’re not alone. First of all, you need to know that you don’t have to settle for the buns you’re born with if you’ve always wanted bigger, rounder buns a.k.a. a bubble butt.
Ignore the naysayers who claim you’re stuck with what your mama gave you. In this post, we’ll explore seven reasons why you might have a pancake butt and share seven fantastic exercises you can add to your routine to sculpt a shapelier behind.
What Is Pancake Butt?
As you may have guessed, the term “pancake butt” is merely a slang term for a flat butt. Many factors, including genetics, age, and inactivity at work or at leisure, contribute to the development of a pancake butt.
If you’re coping with menopause around the age of 50, your estrogen levels may begin to drop at that time. Your firmness is diminishing as you shed fat from your butt and muscle mass.
Unfortunately, this begins in your 30s, so the earlier you begin a strong bottom-firming workout routine, the better off you will be in your later years. Here are the top seven reasons why you might be suffering from a pancake butt.
Top 7 Reasons Why You Have A Pancake Butt
1. Genetics
Scientists have discovered undeniable evidence that a person’s genetic make-up affects his or her physical capabilities in the realms of fitness, endurance, stamina, athleticism, and strength. Muscle and strength are just two aspects of physical fitness that are influenced by genetics. Over 40 genes were examined in a single study, and it was shown that their alteration in laboratory mice led to an increase in skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Asb15, Klf10, and Tpt1 were identified as the three genes with the highest levels of expression in skeletal muscle.
Do not let the fact that genetics play a role in anything lead you to give up. Most people won’t get a good butt by putting in no effort and just sitting on it. The ability to increase muscle mass and, thus, a fuller posterior is a constant, barring the presence of a severe genetic condition.
2. Wrong Diet
There is no amount of physical activity that can erase the damage done by eating mac and cheese by the buckets nor undereating will help you get the perky butt you’ve always wanted.
Gains may only be made if the body is supplied with the proper nutrients for building muscle. This means that the type and quantity of food you eat is crucial to your success when trying to transition from a pancake booty to a big booty.
3. No Mind-Muscle Connection
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll get the butt of your dreams from doing mindless lower-body workouts. Establishing a mind-muscle link allows you to put more emphasis on the effort being done by your butt, preventing your quads, hamstrings, and back from taking over and performing all the work.
The strongest change in elevating and plumping the buns is the mind-butt link. One useful piece of advice is to actively visualize the muscles in your butt doing the work. Do your glutes feel like they’re getting a workout with each rep? Don’t make your thighs or back do the work that your behind should be handling. You can strengthen your glutes just by thinking about them, which will lead to actual use.
4. Technique.
If you regularly engage in vigorous exercise without paying attention to your form, you may find that your butts remain undeveloped and flat. For instance, if, while doing leg exercises like leg press, you allow your quadriceps, hamstrings, or back to do all the effort, you will almost certainly develop a pancake butt.
5. Lack Of Sleep & Recovery
Lack of sleep prevents your body’s hormones from being adjusted. You can’t expect excellent performance in any area of your life if you’re constantly exhausted.
Since increased blood flow during active recovery aids in the removal of waste products from soft tissue, it is a crucial part of the recovery process after strenuous exercise. The nutrients carried by the blood aid in the restoration of damaged muscle tissue, connective tissue, and bone.
6. Not Weight Training
Although bodyweight exercises are useful, it is essential to LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS if you want your butt to grow. The key to building muscle, including your glutes, is progressive overload, which you may do through weight training or even resistance bands. If you want a firm, attractive butt, doing nothing but Donkey Kicks for hours won’t cut it.
7. Overtraining
Training your glutes on a daily basis is unnecessary. Just to be clear, I’m going to say it again. You can skip working out your butt every day as when it comes to developing a perky cute butt, more is not better. Keep in mind that rest is when the muscle is actually built, so excessive exercise isn’t just a sign of obsession but also of increased danger of injury and tiredness.
You now know what may be getting in the way of your goal of a firm and perky butt, we’ll go over the seven best workouts for getting rid of a flat butt.
7 Best Exercises To Get Rid Of A Pancake Butt: Sculpting Your Dream Booty
If you’re dreaming of rocking a booty that’s anything but flat – I’ve got the lowdown on what it takes to kick that pancake butt to the curb and sculpt a firm, round masterpiece. It’s all about creating a killer program that taps into three key muscle growth factors. Let’s break it down:
- Muscle Tissue Damage: This is where the magic happens. You need to put those glutes through the wringer, causing some controlled damage. Don’t worry; it’s the good kind! This triggers your muscles to repair and grow, leaving you with a butt that’s far from pancake status.
- Mechanical Tension: Whether you’re squatting, lunging, or doing whatever feels right for your booty goals, focus on creating tension in those muscles. This tension is like a secret ingredient for sculpting that dreamy, round shape.
- Metabolic Stress: Aim to amp up the burn and feel the heat as you push those glutes to their limits. Metabolic stress is all about creating an environment that encourages muscle growth. Think high reps, short rests, and a whole lot of intensity.
Also, let me sprinkle in some extra wisdom from my two decades in the fitness game. It’s not just about direct glute work – compound movements like squats and deadlifts are your sculpting allies. And don’t overlook the importance of nutrition. Feed those muscles with the right nutrients, and watch your results soar.
Now, let’s have a look at the top seven exercises that’ll kick your glutes into high gear,
1. Jump Squats
- Start by standing with your feet about hip-width apart and your knees bent into a squat. Keep your back straight, your chest up, and your knees behind your toes. Keep your arms in front of your chest to stay steady.
- Stand up straight and swing your arms above your head. Get down in a squat position again.
- This marks one rep, repeat for the prescribed number of reps
2. Alternating Forward Lunge
- Stand tall and step forward with your left leg and slowly lower your body until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees and your back knee is just off the floor. Keep your back straight at all times.
- Pause, then lift your left foot off the floor and return as quickly as you can to the starting position.
- Step forward with your right leg on the next rep. Keep going back and forth, doing one rep with your left leg and then one rep with your right.
3. Stairmaster Variations
Many women in the gym are devoted to the elliptical machines, but a simple switch to the Stairmaster will help you improve your cardio while you strengthen your booty. A person with knee problems may not be able to make this change, so it’s important to get professional advice whenever possible.
When using a stairmaster, your glute muscles will be heavily engaged to help you get up those stairs, just like when you’re actually walking up stairs. Using the stairmaster workout variations , you may target the glutes from three different angles. Those shifts can be both forward and backward (a single step), side to side, and rotationally (cross-over step). The glutes can’t be sculpted without these shifts. In conclusion, doing a stairmaster can undoubtedly help you get a bigger and firmer booty.
4. Glute Bridges
- Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Your feet should be under your knees and not in front of them.
- Raise your hips as high as you can while tightening your stomach and buttocks. From your shoulders to your knees, you should make a long line.
- Hold for three seconds and make sure your hips don’t sag and your spine doesn’t round. Use your abs and buttocks the whole time.
- Bring yourself to the ground; this is one rep.
5. Single Leg Deadlift
There are different forms of deadlifts like stiff leg deadlift and Romanian deadlift which are quite effective at developing the posterior chain. Here are the steps to do single leg deadlift
- Start by standing with your feet together and hip-width apart. Hold down in front of you a barbell, or two dumbbells. You may start without any weight if you are new to the move.
- Lean forward at the hips and shift your weight to one leg while your other leg engages and starts to extend straight behind you.
- Lift your extended leg and lean forward until your body is in the shape of a “T.” Your arms should be hanging straight down and holding onto the weight. Keep a slight bend in your standing leg. Bring your extended leg back slowly and get back to the starting position. Do this again with the other leg.
6. Curtsey Lunges
- Step one leg behind you from a standing position, just like you would in an alternating reverse lunge.
- The back leg should go behind the other leg, so that your thighs cross and you bend over like you’re doing a curtsey.
- At the bottom of the lunge, drive through the heel and come back to a standing position. Continue on the other side.
7. Squats
We’ve kept the most versatile exercise for eliminating a pancake butt for last. Squats are one of the best exercises for developing a toned and gorgeous butt if done with sufficient intensity and volume while maintaining a mind-muscle connection.
Squats of all variations help strengthen and tone the glutes. And because there are so many different squat variations, you can change up your routine without losing any of the benefits of this very efficient and adaptable exercise.
And, hip thrusts, considered a distant cousin of glute bridges, deserve an honorary mention due to their ability to deliver impressive results. They possess the potential to be a strong contender in the realm of glute exercises.
Take Away
There are a number of exercises that can help you get rid of a pancake butt. Get started at the level of fitness you’re already at. Start with the basics before progressing to more advanced glute exercises that will have you sprint around the gym.
Keep in mind that the only things standing between you and the physique of your dreams are your own perseverance, commitment, and discipline.
It’s easy to lose sight of the reality that a regular training routine yields the best results when life gets hectic. Consistency in your workouts will always yield better results than a complex regimen that you won’t do often enough to see improvements.
Consult a professional fitness trainer for advice on how to perform each exercise correctly.
