How to Target the UNDERBUTT – Lower Glutes Workout

The underbutt is the lower part of the glutes where the butt meets the upper hamstrings (the glute-hamstring tie-in).

When this is toned, it makes the glutes pop out and look fantastic.

Development of this area creates a nice sleek look to where the butt meets the upper thighs.

It’s crucial to perform glute exercises properly if you want to develop this area of your physique.

Here’s a video demonstrating how to isolate the underbutt.

Before doing these 4 exercises I would recommend activating the glutes.

I have a short article on how to do that here:

How to Fix Dead Butt Syndrome

If you sit for a large part of the day, your glutes won’t fire properly even when doing exercises that target the butt.

2019 Update: A lot of women requested an article on cellulite so I just finished this extensive post: How to Get Rid of Butt Cellulite

This little warmup will fix that.

Here are exercises which target the Underbutt.

• Hip Thrusts and Single Leg Hip Thrust (and pulses)
• Ham Curl
• Split Lunge and Alternating Lunges
• Froggies

These are the 4 exercises demonstrated in the video.

There are obviously more exercises to target the lower glutes, but this is a solid starting point.

How to work the lower glutes without back pain.

Recent studies have shown that the glute muscles atrophy (lose size) in women with chronic lower back pain.

This means it is extremely important to maintain a healthy back if you want nice glutes.

Back pain is bad enough as it is…

…but messing up your goal of getting a shapely booty makes it even worse.

If you have back pain, I highly recommend performing hip bridges before and after every workout.

Even if you don’t have back pain, this exercise is great for your posture.

This also activates the glute muscles.

Here’s how to perform a hip bridge.

• Lie flat on your back with your arms at your sides.
• Push with your heels to lift your hips.
• Create a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement for 2-3 seconds.
• Do 3 sets of 5-10 repetitions.

What you will notice after doing this exercise is that you will stand taller.

Since most of us sit for a large part of the day, our hip flexors tighten and our spine flattens out in an unnatural way.

The hip bridge reinforces the natural healthy curve of your spine.

The world’s top low back injury specialist, Dr. Stuart McGill, highly recommends this exercise.

What is the best exercise to build mass in the glutes?

The shoulder-elevated barbell hip thrust is an exercise that builds mass over entire gluteus maximus.

If you are lacking size in your butt, this is the exercise you will want to include in your workout.

Here’s a video demonstration and explanation by the person who came up with this exercise, Brett Contreras:

The explanation in the video is the best I’ve seen.

Here’s how to do this exercise, but make sure and watch the video for cues and additional tips.

Here’s how to do weighted hip thrusts:

1. Sit on the ground with a bench directly behind you.
2. Have a loaded barbell over your legs with a squat pad on the bar.
3. Roll the bar so it is above your hips.
4. Lean back against the bench so it makes contact with your shoulder blades.
5. Begin the movement by driving through your heels extending your hip vertically.
6. Extend as far as possible then return to starting position.

This takes a bit of practice to get the bar in a comfortable position.

Once you get used to the movement you will be able to work up to pretty heavy weight.

The intermediate lifter should be able to get up to 1.5 times their body weight.

Those who are advanced can lift 2 times their body weight in this exercise.

Sprinting is a fantastic underbutt exercise that also helps you get lean.

Scientific research shows what the glutes barely fire at all when waking but are highly active when sprinting.

The faster the sprint, the harder the glutes fire.

In fact, there is a hypothesis that the large glute size in humans was evolved out of the need to the sprint away from predators.

So a round and firm butt isn’t just for looking killer in a bikini, it is for function as well.

Speaking of bikinis…

Here a great HIIT Sprint Interval Routine for the beach.

Here’s how a summary of how to do HIIT sprinting at the beach.

• Sprint hard for 10 seconds.
• Make note of your footprints in the sand.
• Walk back to the starting point and sprint to where your footprints end.
• Walk back to the start.
• Repeat this 8-10 times.

If you never run in the sand before, be prepared to feel a little sore the next day.

The added difficulty will really hit the lower glutes and underbutt hard.

This is a fantastic way to get a HIIT cardio workout that simultaneously builds and shapes the glutes.

Jumping rope will tighten the underbutt area and add tone and definition to the glutes.

Like sprinting, jumping is an explosive activity that requires the firing of the glute muscles.

Jumping over and over, by doing a jump rope workout will tighten up the hamstrings and glutes and can lift the butt a bit.

I have an entire article on jumping rope called, the 15 minute jump rope workout for fat loss.

Here’s one of the workouts from that article.

How to do a Jump Rope HIIT Workout

• 1-minute slow jumping warm-up
• 1.5 minute of rest
• 30 seconds fast jump
• Alternate 30 seconds of fast jumping with 1.5 minutes of rest for a total of 7 times (14 minutes)

Tip: I would recommend activating the glutes as I discussed earlier, by warming up the butt with hip bridges.

Also…

If you do have a lot of flab and fat to lose, I would recommend getting rid of this with a good cardio routine.

Here’s a simple on to use at the gym that burns fat quickly.

To burn fat and reveal underbutt muscle tone, follow this workout with a 20-30 minute HIIT cardio routine.

Here’s an article I wrote about a cardio machine workout that works extremely well:

How Interval Training Slows the Aging Process

Here’s my go-to HIIT routine that can be done on any cardio machine.

• Start with a warm-up at a comfortable pace for 3-5 minutes.
• Then, increase the resistance or incline to a challenging level and sprint for 30 seconds.
• After the sprint, lower the resistance or incline and recover for 90 seconds.
• Repeat this pattern for a total of 8-10 rounds.

You can gradually increase the level of resistance or incline for each sprint to make it more challenging.

This workout will not only burn fat but also help shape and tone the glutes, just like the beach sprinting and jump rope workouts mentioned earlier.

Stretching and flexibility is important for better activation of the lower glutes while exercising.

Here is a simple stretching routine that can help with better activation of the lower glutes while exercising:

1. Lizard Pose: Start in a high plank position and bring your right foot forward outside of your right hand. Lower your left knee down to the ground and sink your hips towards the floor. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
2. Pigeon Pose: Start on all fours and bring your right knee forward towards your right hand. Extend your left leg behind you and lower your body down towards the ground, keeping your hips square. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
3. Frog Pose: Start on all fours and bring your knees out wide, keeping your ankles in line with your knees. Lower your hips down towards the floor and hold for 30 seconds.
4. Seated Straddle Stretch: Sit on the ground with your legs out wide in a “V” shape. Reach forward towards your feet, keeping your spine straight. Hold for 30 seconds.

Incorporating these stretches into your workout routine can help improve glute activation and overall performance.

A healthy diet can contribute to overall glute development and fat loss around the underbutt region.

Don’t neglect nutrition.

Aim to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

This will help provide your body with the nutrients it needs to build muscle and burn fat.

Additionally, be sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks, as these can contribute to weight gain and hinder progress towards your fitness goals.

To build up the underbutt make sure and get enough protein.

A general guideline for protein intake in women is to consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

This is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for the average sedentary adult.

Here’s how to calculate your protein needs based on your body weight:

1. Convert your weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing your weight (in pounds) by 2.2046.
2. Multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.8 to find your daily protein requirement in grams.
   For example, if a woman weighs 150 pounds (68 kg), her daily protein recommendation would be:

68 kg x 0.8 g/kg = 54.4 grams of protein per day

It’s important to note that this recommendation is for sedentary individuals.

Active women, especially those involved in strength training or endurance sports, may require more protein to support muscle repair and growth.

Also…

No need to go crazy with protein.

I typically eat on the lower end of the recommendations.

I wrote a post about that here:

Low Protein Diet for Weight Loss & Longevity

So make sure and get enough protein without becoming protein obsessed.

The mind-to-muscle connection is extremely important as well when targeting your glutes.

It’s important to focus on the mind to muscle connection.

This means actively thinking about and engaging your glutes during exercises to ensure that they are being activated properly.

Remember to start with lighter weights and focus on proper form to avoid injury.

Emphasize the importance of focusing on the targeted muscles during the exercises to enhance activation and better results.

Underbutt FAQs: