The Big Butt Fitness Trend: 5 Things Contributing to Your Butt Size and Shape

It’s no secret that everyone desires a nice butt.  Not only does it fill your jeans; it also gives you sex appeal, confidence and is essential to a great physique. Images of the best backsides have become a popular trend throughout all social media channels and entertainment, so much so in fact that some individuals have become celebrities from displaying their large posteriors. This popularity has led to a big butt fitness trend, where everyone is making the attempt to increase the size of their butts; unfortunately, the reality is that many people misunderstand the difference between a genetically large butt due to a high body fat percentage and a backside that is a result of lean body mass due to muscular hypertrophy from strength training.

Many factors influence the size and shape of a person’s butt. These factors can include genetics, ethnicity, lean muscle mass, bone structure and gender.

Genetics

A study by found that Genetic heredity substantially influence differences in body shape and configuration, so whether you store body fat your backside or not is highly dependent on your inheritance.

Ethnicity

Depending on your racial and ethnic background the way in which you store body fat and how long does it take to lose muscle can vary greatly. Because of the high risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk in individuals with high rates of abdominal obesity, A study by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas, evaluated the differences in body fat storage for a given BMI based upon race. 708 healthy Black, White and Hispanic women between the age of 16-33 were evaluated in the study. The study found that for a given BMI White women had the highest body fat percentages which was predominantly centrally located around the abdomen, while Black women had the lowest overall body fat percentages based on the same BMI; yet that body fat was distributed in the lower body.  This distinction displays that based upon ethnicity your body type and fat storage can vary greatly, so your ability to store body fat in your backside could be dependent on your ethnic heritage.

Muscle Mass

Having a high body fat percentage puts you at risk for several health risks not to mention the development of cellulite as you age. As women age, their bodies produce less estrogen—a hormone that helps keep blood vessels flowing smoothly. Less estrogen can mean poorer circulation, which can also mean a decrease in new collagen production and the breakdown of older connective tissue. This means that a big butt that is developed from a high body fat percentage will eventually begin to develop cellulite and possibly sag as you age.

Focus on building you backside through strength training and the increase in lean muscle mass. This can be achieved through strength training with a moderate intensity load and rep range of 8-12 reps. Some of the best exercises for building a strong and firm backside are:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Lunges
• Step Ups
• Hip Press

Bone Structure

The size of your pelvis, femur length and angle, as well as muscle attachment points will all influence the shape and size of your backside. All these factors contribute to the size potential that the quads, inner thighs and butt can reach.  These areas will also have an impact on how wide the glutes (butt muscles) attach across the back side of the hip/pelvic bones and the overall shape of your butt.

Gender

Hormones greatly influence fat storage particularly in the backside. Due to estrogen, women tend to carry more fat around their hips and thighs. They also have less supportive connective tissue to keep it all in place.