5 reasons you still can't get that dream bum

As a personal trainer, if a female comes to me 9 times out of 10 the areas they want to work on are the back of their arm, tummy, legs and bum. Browsing round the internet is like a minefield of false, confusing information that can leave you more confused than in the first place. So i'll keep it simple - Here's 5 reasons you still can't get that dream ass:

You don't squat deep enough 

Any piece of fitness literature aimed at women after a good bum will tell them they need to be doing squats. What it doesn't normally say is you need to squat down as low as you can. The top half of the squat activates the quads, but it isn't until you get down low that the hamstrings and glutes (bum) fire up. 

You don't train your pelvic floor 

Believe it or not, if the pelvic floor becomes dysfunctional (commonly caused by pregnancy) the gluteus maximus fibres of the bum become hyperactive as they help stabilise the pelvis and the stomach contents. This in turn will lead to atrophy (shrinkage) of other muscles of the bum. So how do you train your pelvic floor? Quite easy, in fact you don't even need a gym. Imagine your going for a wee, and you want to stop it. You don't squeeze you legs, or abs, you squeeze the muscle underneath your stomach. That's your pelvic floor. Try 3x 8-12 reps. Pause on each rep for a few seconds, relax then repeat. Just remember to keep breathing whilst you do it.

Poor nutrition

The best workout in the world won't work if you don't fuel it with proper nutrition and allow the body to recover. For some meal ideas, have a look around my blog for articles called  '5 meal ideas'. That should give you some inspiration for meals you could try. 

Tight hamstrings

Tight hamstrings will pull down on the pelvis, rocking it back. This will create the illusion the your bum is smaller than it is. If you have optimal hamstring flexibility you should be able lie on the floor and bend your leg to 90 degrees, whilst keeping your knee joint straight. 

You don't lunge wide enough

I see plenty of girls in the gym doing this pathetic little lunge, which is really only working the quads. Instead, lighten the weight and lunge forward as far and as deep as you can. This will have your hamstrings and glutes burning like nothing else and you'll be well on your way to getting that dream bum!


I really do hope this post has given you some ideas you can use in your own training to help you on the way to your goals. As always, any questions please don't hesitate to get in touch.