How to Get a Jiggly Butt: Workout and Nutrition Tips

I have to admit that, when my editor gave me this article to write, I was a bit bemused. After all, don’t fitness buffs want lean, firm muscles that DON’T jiggle? Maybe, I thought, it’s a typo, and what they really meant was how to AVOID jiggly butt.

Then I started to wonder if I’d woken in the Upside-Down, and that soft, weak muscles were now all the rage. What was I going to be asked to write about next? How to get a beer belly?!

So, with my curiosity piqued, I fired up my search engine to find out what jiggly butt was all about.

It turns out (and this was news to British 52-year-old me) that a jiggly butt is a GOOD thing. It’s the combination of well-developed, rounded glutes and a moderate level of body fat. This creates a pleasing, rounding shape that women and men love.

Inspired and now adequately informed, I got motivated by listening to that old-school classic Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot and created what I think is the ultimate jiggle butt workout!

Butt Anatomy

Before we get down to the nitty-gritty of our jiggly butt workout, let’s take a brief look at the muscles that make up your soon-to-be bigger, rounder derrière.

Your butt actually consists of three muscles; gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus (1). These three muscles work together but can also be engaged and emphasized individually. Creating the perfect rounded butt involves paying attention to each of the gluteal muscles.

Gluteus Maximus

Gluteus maximus is the largest of the three glute muscles; that’s what maximus means. Not only is the glute max the largest gluteal muscle, but it’s also the largest muscle in the human body.

The primary function of the gluteus maximus is the extension of your hip. It’s a powerful muscle, so don’t be afraid to train it hard and heavy.

Gluteus Medius

Gluteus medius is a sizeable fan-shaped muscle located on the side of your upper hips. It’s what gives your butt most of its width. If you want a pear-shaped, rounded butt, you need to pay attention to this muscle. The main functions of gluteus medius are hip abduction and internal (anterior fibers) and external (posterior fibers) rotation of your hip.

In addition, glute medius plays a synergistic or helping role in hip extension. Also, it helps stabilize your pelvis, such as when you are standing on one leg, walking, or running.

Gluteus Minimus

Gluteus minimus is the smallest of the three glute muscles, and that’s what minimus means. Located beneath the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius, this small but essential muscle contributes to glute width and roundness. It helps “push out” the other gluteal muscles to make them look larger.

Gluteus minimus is responsible for stabilizing your hips when you transfer your weight from one leg to the other. It plays a part in hip abduction, flexion, and hip extension, too.

If you want to build the rear of the year, you’ll need to pay attention to all these glute muscles. The good news is that, because they often work together, it’s actually pretty straightforward to work them all within the confines of a single workout.

How To Get Jiggly Butt: Workout

When it comes to glute training, most people quickly jump on the squat and lunge bandwagon. While these are good glute exercises, they tend to emphasize your gluteus maximus.

If you want a more rounded butt, you need to take a broader view and work your glutes from multiple directions, and that’s the aim of this workout.

Use this workout to train your glutes 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Hit your other muscle groups on the days in between. Yes, you could go all glutes all the time, but you’ll get better results if you do at least some workouts for the rest of your body too.

Start each workout with 5-10 minutes of cardio, such as the elliptical or rowing machine, to get your blood pumping and raise your core temperature. Then do some dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises to ensure your joints and muscles are ready for what you are going to do next.

Jiggly Butt Workout

Jiggle Butt Workout Exercise Descriptions

You’ll get more from this (and every other) workout if you do each exercise correctly. If you can’t feel your glutes working, you are probably doing that exercise wrong. Not only will improper exercise technique undermine your progress, but it could also lead to injury.

Avoid both these problems by following the step-by-step exercise instructions below.

1. Hip bridge with booty band

Let’s get this jiggly butt workout started with an excellent gluteus maximus and medius exercise. Butt exercises don’t come much better than this one.

How to do it:

1. Sit with your back against a sturdy bench, legs bent, feet flat on the floor. Put a booty band around your legs, just above or just below your knees. Rest a barbell across your hips. Pad it with a rolled towel or gym mat if necessary.
2. Drive your feet into the floor, push your knees out against the band, and lift your hips up toward the ceiling. Your knees, hips, and shoulders should form a straight line.
3. Lower your butt back down to the floor and repeat.

2. Single leg Romanian deadlift

Any exercise that involves standing on one leg increases gluteus minimus and medius engagement. These two muscles must step up and work hard to stabilize your pelvis and keep your hips level. The Romanian deadlift is also a very potent gluteus maximus movement. This makes the single-leg Romanian deadlift is a very effective and efficient jiggly butt exercise.

Learn how to do the Single Leg Romanian Deadlift here.

3. Booty band clamshell

After some pretty serious strength training, you are probably ready for an easier exercise. While this movement is less challenging, it’s still very effective for targeting your gluteus minimus and medius.

How to do it:

1. Put your booty band around your knees and lie down on your side. Stack your hips and bend your knees to 45-degrees.
2. Rest your head on your lower arm and brace your core to stabilize your spine and pelvis.
3. While keeping your feet together, lift and rotate your upper knee outward as high as possible without moving your hips or pelvis. Do NOT lean backward.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat before rolling over and changing legs.

4. Deficit kettlebell sumo deadlift

Conventional barbell deadlifts are a great gluteus maximus exercise but using a kettlebell, sumo stance, and a deficit makes them even better for building a jiggly butt. All three of these adaptations increase glute activation.

How to do it:

1. Place two bumper plates on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Put a kettlebell on the floor between them.
2. Stand on the plates with your feet turned out about 45-degrees.
3. Reach down and grab the kettlebell with an overhand grip. Pull your shoulders down and back, brace your abs, lift your chest, and drop your hips.
4. Drive your feet into the floor and, without rounding your lower back, stand up straight.
5. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and put the kettlebell back down on the floor.
6. Reset your core and repeat.

5. Lateral step-up jump

Adding speed to many exercises usually means you’re cheating. However, with lateral step-up jumps, the speed increases glute activation as you’ll need all the fibers firing to a) drive you up and over the box and b) stabilize your hips. As an added benefit, this exercise will give you a short but valuable cardio workout.

How to do it:

1. Stand sideways on to a 12” step. Lift one foot and place it on the step.
2. Drive down with your inside leg and jump up and over the step. Change legs as you cross over the step so that you land with your opposite foot on the top.
3. Immediately go back over.
4. Continue alternating sides for the prescribed number of reps.

6. Glute march

Your final exercise is relatively low intensity, but your glutes should be pretty tired by now, so you’ll probably welcome the break. This movement involves all three glute muscles, proving a nice end to your jiggly butt workout.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat. Push your hips up, so your knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line. Contract your glutes and core.
2. Without lowering your hips, lift one leg up as high as you can, put it back down, and then repeat on the other side.
3. Continue alternating sides for the prescribed number of reps.

How To Get Jiggly Butt: Nutrition Tips

My soon-to-be world-famous jiggly butt workout should help you achieve glute glory in double-quick time. But, you’ll get even better results if you combine training with a sensible diet.

Here are some nutrition tips for getting a jiggly butt.

Don’t Starve Yourself

A rounded jiggly butt is not super-lean. That doesn’t mean you can eat what you like and gain a ton of fat. However, you don’t want to be ripped either. Use a TDEE calculator and consume around your maintenance level of calories.

It’s ok to Eat Carbs

Intense workouts like this jiggly butt training plan take a lot out of your body. Carbohydrates are your primary energy source during strength training, so you should make sure you consume adequate amounts.

Avoid refined carbs and sugar, as they’re bad for both your health and your waistline. Instead, eat healthy carbs like whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, especially after your workouts.

Pump Up The Protein

A lot of butt-builders forget that trying to get bigger glutes is a type of body building. The exercises in your workout break your muscles down so that they grow back bigger and stronger.

Your body needs plenty of protein to repair muscle breakdown and build your muscles back up. Make sure you provide your body with plenty of what it needs by eating high protein foods several times a day.

Don’t Fear Fats

Contrary to what many people still believe, not all fats are unhealthy, and they won’t automatically lead to weight gain. In fact, some fats are incredibly healthy, and even a few may enhance fat burning. Make sure you include sources of natural fats in your diet, such as olive oil, oily fish, avocados, and whole eggs in your diet.

Hydrate

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the more you sweat, the more effective your workout is. Sweating is just how your body regulates temperature and prevents overheating. Make sure you replace lost fluids with plenty of water and other hydrating liquids. Staying hydrated means that you’ll be able to work out harder and longer and will recover faster, too.

Avoid most energy and sports drinks, as well as soda and processed fruit drinks, as they are too high in sugar to be considered healthy. They could cause weight gain as well.

Supplement Wisely

A few well-chosen supplements could help you reach your jiggly butt goal a little sooner. Good options include:

• Creatine (HCL or monohydrate) for harder, longer workouts and faster recovery
• Pre-workout for an increase in short-term energy
• Protein powder to enhance recovery and muscle growth
• ZMA for better sleep
• Glutamine for better intestinal health, immunity, and faster recovery between workouts

You don’t HAVE to take supplements, and even the best products won’t make up for a lousy diet or lazy training habits. But, if you are looking for an extra edge, these products can help.

How to Get a Jiggly Butt – Wrapping Up

Not everyone is destined to have a Kardashian-like award-winning jiggly butt. However, with the proper workout and a sensible diet plan, most exercisers can add at least some “junk to their trunk” and build a rear-end they can be proud of.

Be warned; this is no overnight project, and you’ll have to be committed and determined to achieve your goal. That said, if you stick with the program, you CAN reach jiggly butt nirvana!

References:

1- Research Gate: The Anatomy and Function of The Gluteus Minimus Muscle researchgate.net