The 8 Reasons Your Butt Workout isn't Giving You A Killer Booty

How about that Greek myth about the guy who was forever doomed to push a boulder uphill only to watch it roll back down? For many women, the challenge of getting a chiseled, goddess-like bum can feel like a never-ending struggle.

"It can be very difficult to exercise your butts if you have hips or upper legs filled with fat, making it difficult for you to see any muscular growth," says ACE spokesperson Cris Dobrosielski, owner of Monumental Results and author of Going the Distance. "When results arrive slowly, many of us feel like our efforts are not paying off."

Don't raise the white flag just yet if you have been working out at the gym every week and still your booty ain't rockin' everywhere. There are eight perfectly good reasons why your butt routine isn't working-and how you can encourage it to work.

No matter how many squats you do, if you don't maintain proper form while doing them, it'll all be for nothing. When it comes to toning up your backside, technique is everything-and if that goes out the window, all your hard work is wasted.

Personal trainer Monica Nelson says people mistakenly believe they're engaging their glutes when they're not. "You'd be surprised how many times you can do a squat incorrectly."

Rather than worrying about how deep your squats are, Nelson recommends that you focus on these body alignment tips first:

• Hold your chest open and out with your head forward (not down).
• Place your feet hip-width apart or wider with your shoulders back (not rounded).
• Sit in an imaginary chair while squatting, with your back straight and your heels grounded.
• You should have your knees slightly over your ankles when you are at the bottom of your squat.
• Don't let your knees buckle in toward each other as you descend, no matter how tempting it might seem.

A certified strength and conditioning specialist (C.S.C.S.) can also help you nail your form when you're trying other booty exercises for the first time, such as lunges and deadlifts.

The glutes are a workhorse, able to handle much heavier loads than you may realize. The bodyweight squat won't work if you want to get those muscles into a stallion-like shape. Instead, you have to push yourself to your limits.

Women are sometimes reluctant to lift heavy weights because they fear getting bigger," says Janet Hamilton, C.S.C.S., exercise physiologist and lead running coach at Running Strong in Atlanta. In order to challenge a large muscle like the glutes, you should lift until you are fatigued. This usually means using heavier weights and fewer repetitions."

According to Los Angeles trainer Mike Donavanik, ladies shouldn't shy away from harder exercises like barbell hip thrusts, Olympic squats, and trap-bar deadlifts.

It is best to pound out as many of these moves as possible before you start to lose form. According to Hamilton, if you are doing a set of 10, then on your 10th repetition, you should really focus and push yourself to finish it while maintaining your alignment. As you move on to the next set, that point of fatigue will occur sooner -- perhaps at your eighth repetition -- since your muscles have already been fatigued from the previous set. For best results, Hamilton recommends doing three to five sets, fatiguing between six and 12 reps, and taking a one- to two-minute break between each set. (Looking for results? The Slim, Sexy, Strong Workout DVD is the fast, flexible workout you've been waiting for!)

Your progress toward a better backside can also be thwarted by doing the same workouts day after day. If you repeat the same moves over and over again, you won't achieve a round, perky bum.

"Multiple exercises are necessary to build lean muscle mass," says Dobrosielski. "Three days of focused resistance training each week - full extension squats, lunges, and hip hinging, for example - and two days of cardio training that engages your glutes will help. Think about stair stepping, hill climbing, or running."

Think about it: You wouldn't spend weeks putting together a report only to throw it away once you were done, would you? In essence, that's what you're doing if you're working out in the gym and then not eating properly when you get home.

Josh Kernen, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Bridgetown Physical Therapy and Training Studio in Portland, Oregon, says that exercise five to seven days a week is just one part of the puzzle. A clean diet will boost your results and support your work."

Dobrosielski recommends sticking to vegetables, lean proteins, and good fats to build muscle and burn fat, while avoiding sugar, processed foods, and other empty calories. Consult a registered dietitian if you're having trouble figuring out your diet so you get the right balance of nutrients that will keep you healthy and fuel your workouts.

Although it might seem counterintuitive, you actually have to sit on your booty once in a while for it to change. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body, according to Kernen. A high level of activation with heavy lifting leads to muscle breakdown followed by muscle growth. The body needs time to heal all the micro-tearing that occurs in the muscle, which typically takes between 36 and 48 hours." That means you should not work your glutes every day, no matter how eager you are to see progress.

Nelson recommends backing off your training program at least one to two days a week, and incorporating foam rolling, massage, yoga, and other restorative practices into your recovery time.

If you do a few squats and look in the mirror immediately, are you one of those people? When you do this, you're only teaching your brain to become impatient with your fitness regimen, which may cause you to give up before you see any real results.

The body learns to activate and use as many muscle fibers as possible when starting a weight-training program, says Kernen. It takes six to eight weeks for your body to start developing muscle and shaping your glutes. At that point, which is the most critical, people get frustrated and give up."

A bootylicious figure takes time and commitment. Kernen says it's best to know how to reach your goals in advance if you get bored easily. If you plan your routine four to six weeks ahead, you won't pick random exercises every time you go to the gym. If you zero in on your target and commit to it wholeheartedly, no matter how long it takes, you will accomplish your goal.

You might be comparing your rump to figures on your Instagram feed that aren't realistic for your body type, not the fact that your workout isn't working.

You won't have a J.Lo or Kim Kardashian booty if you have a Kate Moss or Kayla Itsines frame, Donavanik says. "You just need to accept your body type and be reasonable with your expectations."

Increasingly, there is a pressure to look flawless in the world of Photoshop and filters. Therefore, it is more important than ever to stop worrying about looking like others and instead focus on your own well-being. If you look at yourself from a different perspective, you might see the results already there.

"It is likely that you are not adequately crediting yourself for the improvements that you made, even if you don't have the 'look' that you see pictured on Instagram," Hamilton says. "Take comfort in knowing that you are moving in the right direction, even if the backside isn't the picture-perfect one you want."

We now come to the next speedbump: genetics. “Your genes determine your physique,” says Hamilton. You may be able to get results with a less-than-ideal workout routine if you're genetically gifted.

Even if you don't have a naturally bodacious behind, you can still shape what your momma gave you. "Stick with it," Hamilton advises. "Just because you don't see the results you want doesn't mean you're not improving your health and fitness. As a result of your strength training, you're better protected against back pain. Maintaining strength is an important part of staying healthy.”