Woman doing deadlifts

The revered bubble butt, many women want it and few have it. While first and foremost I encourage and support you to love your beautiful body just as it is while nourishing it with healthy foods and the right amount of physical activity for your distinct needs, I also understand that every women wants to feel sexy. And let’s be honest, a bubble butt is definitely sexy.

Can Everyone Have a Bubble Butt?

Whether it’s a bubble butt you’re after or any other specific bodily feature, it’s true that some people are simply more genetically inclined to have or easily achieve certain characteristics. However, with a smart diet and the right training, just about everyone can add some much desired junk-in-the-trunk. 

Some of you might be wanting to add some bubble to a flat rear while others want to shape and tone a flabby one. Whatever your goal, the following ten strategies can get you there.

10 Ways to Get a Bubble Butt

Lower Your Carbs

Carbohydrates are probably the most confusing of all macronutrients in the world of nutrition. While carbohydrates are certainly not evil and nothing to be feared, studies prove that some form of low carb diet model is excellent for fat loss and insulin sensitivity.

It’s also essential to focus on whole food carbohydrate sources, ideally from plants, such as root vegetables (sweet potato, for example), seasonal fruits and moderate whole grains and legumes, if you tolerate them well. Refined carbohydrates include processed grains like white flour, commercially prepared baked goods like cakes, cookies, pastries and white bread, all of which have been shown to derail fat loss and contribute to chronic diseases. In other words, they will not do you any favors in the bubble-butt department, to say the least. 

The exact amount of carbs for your body will depend. For reference, a typical Standard American Diet (SAD) is often upwards of 300 grams or more. For fat loss, many people find around 100 grams per day to be helpful, while others do well with 150 grams and some need to go a bit lower, in the range of 50-100 grams per day. Under 30-50 grams per day is considered a Ketogenic diet, so check out this article for more details, as it gets pretty specific and isn’t right for everyone.

Get Enough Protein

Protein is key for muscle growth and synthesis, so naturally it’s a foundational strategy to achieve your bubble butt – and maximizing muscle building is the best strategy. Since strength training will be an important way to strengthen your glutes (more on this in a minute) you need to support all of this training with adequate protein intake.

The topic of how much protein is a hotly debated topic, but many experts agree that one gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is usually a good general target to shoot for.  Lean and high quality sources are best, such as chicken, turkey, fish, grass-finished beef, eggs, plain yogurt and whey protein powder, or a plant based powder if you are sensitive to dairy or vegetarian/vegan. Plant based protein sources include nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast, spirulina, moderate intake of whole grains and beans, tempeh and tofu. 

I’m a big fan of this raw, grass fed whey protein powder.

Eat Good Fats

Contrary to popular belief, the body needs plenty of healthy dietary fat to lose body fat. Thankfully the nutritional myth that a low-fat diet is best for weight loss had been solidly debunked by many clinical studies, but so many years of living the low-fat diet paradigm can be hard to shift away from.

The combination of healthy carbs mainly from non-starchy veggies (more on this in a moment) and plenty of good fats has helped many women drop stubborn pounds. Focus especially on fats from coconut oil, olive oil, MCT oil, nuts and seeds, grass fed butter, ghee, wild caught fish, olives and avocado.

Consider Supplementation

The bulk of your macro and micronutrients should ideally come from food first, but sometimes certain supplements can help fill in the gaps. I like to think of these as our nutritional insurance policy.

Especially if getting in enough protein is a challenge (and for non-meat eaters this can be more likely) consider a high quality protein powder like the ones I mentioned above. If you are eating a very low carb diet and/or don’t eat meat along with regular strength training ,you might also consider a BCAA (branched chain amino acid) supplement to support muscle synthesis and growth.

I often recommend an adaptogen as well, which are nutrients and herbs that support the body’s stress response. Chronic stress and high cortisol levels directly impair the body’s ability to burn fat and reap ultimate benefit from exercise, and this can definitely get in the way of that glute definition you’re going for.

Ashwagandha is one of my favorite adaptogenic herbs, paired with the nutrient vitamin C for adrenal health. You might also consider an adaptogenic blend, like this one from Gaia Herbs. With any and all supplements and herbs, it’s important to first check in with your provider. 

Do Lots of Squats 

Just about every fitness expert agrees that the squat as one of the most important functional movements to be included in everyone’s routine, and is definitely the number one movement for a bubble butt. 

Squats provides lower body strengthening and mobility, and mimic a natural movement that we carry out in daily life. The problem is, squats are not easy, mainly due to poor flexibility and mobility. When done correctly, they work the glutes, hamstrings, quads, erector spinae (muscles lining your spine), abs, adductors (inner high muscles) and much more. If you’re unsure about proper form, check out this instructional video.

Include all types of squats in your routine. The basic squat, sumo squat and split squat. If you’re new to squats, begin with only your body weight, and add weight from dumbbells or household items once you become comfortable with the movement. 

Embrace the Bulgarian Split Squat

I have a distinct memory of a personal trainer colleague of mine (with the best bubble butt I’d ever witnessed) telling me that she owed her perfect rear entirely to the Bulgarian split squat. 

Basically a normal split squat with your back leg raised, this exercise strengthens stabilizing muscles, core muscles and is a serious glute and quad toner. Check out this article for more info and instructions. 

Love the Lunges

Lunges are another great way to achieve a bubble butt, and reverse lunges are especially helpful. Also include forward, lateral and transverse lunges into your routine. Always be mindful of putting most of the weight on your heel of your front foot in the case of reverse lunges, as this targets the butt muscles. 

Don’t Fear the Deadlift

The deadlift is right up there with squats for being one of the best exercises you can do, but a lot of women feel intimidated by this exercise. Deadlifts work extremely well to strengthen the lower and upper back, abs, biceps, quads, forearms, glutes, hamstrings and more. It is the ultimate total body movement with a focus on those posterior chain muscles, bubble butt muscles included.

Deadlifting properly takes a good amount of mobility (similarly to squats), so preparing the body by working on hip mobility is important. Check out this resource for specifics on how to prepare your body for a deadlift (and this should not be underestimated, as you can definitely injure yourself by improperly executing a deadlift).

Always Take the Stairs

Climbing stairs is a powerful way to tone your glutes and quads, not to mention scorches calories. If you work somewhere with stairs, try to take them as often as possible instead of the elevator. Anytime you have the option of stairs, don’t pass up this opportunity to work on sculpting your bubble butt.

On a similar note, investing in a good activity tracker can hugely complement a bubble-butt training program, as all of those daily steps makes a big difference at the end of the day. My clients have had great success with the Fitbit Versa Smart Watch. 

Last but not least, don’t get too hung up on a bubble butt or any other physical modification you’re hoping for. While feeling sexy and confident in your body is important, it’s also equally or more important to love and accept your body just as it is, and hone in on general tips for healthy living and longevity. Just like you work to strengthen your body, also create space and daily opportunities to nourish your mind and spirit.