That being said, there’s no exact science that can allow you to spot-reduce fat on any chosen area of your body. So, if you’re wondering how to make your bum smaller and more toned, it’s time to get a little technical.
How can I make my butt smaller?
The easiest way to figure out how to make your bum smaller is to determine whether you need to lose weight (aka fat) or whether you need to reduce muscle. Just as it’s easy to put on weight with a few too many Friday night takeouts, it’s easy to overdevelop your glutes with too many lower body workouts.
It’s pretty easy to tell whether or not you need to lose excess weight or excess muscle:
If you’ve put on excess weight, your clothes should be tighter and the number on the scale has probably gone up. With excess weight gain, you might also notice cellulite on the affected area.
In order to lose bum fat from weight gain, you should slightly reduce the number of calories you consume per day (while never consuming less than 1500-2000 calories per day, for women and men respectively.) Combine a calorie deficit with a safe and healthy exercise regime (moderate exercise 3 times a week) and you should easily lose any bum fat and make your bum smaller and more toned. Unfortunately, there is no way to pick and choose where you lose weight on your body!
If you’ve put on muscle, the number on the scale might be up, but your clothes fit better and your skin might appear more toned.
If you want to stop gaining muscle on your bum, you need to modify your workouts. Overworking the large muscles can be caused by strength training with heavy weights, or even doing repetitive cardio that primarily works the large muscle groups (such as running.) We’ll explain how to modify your exercise routine for less muscle gain further on in the article.
How can I tone my bum?
If you simply want to tone the bum, here are some of our top exercises we’d recommend adding into your lower body routine:
Lunges
Lunges are a great way to work both the hamstrings, glutes and calves. Perform high repetitions alone or with a pair of dumbbells that weigh no more than 3lbs.
Squats
Squats are another no-brainer when it comes to toning, and you can still achieve a small booty while doing them. Simply perform faster repetitions (and a higher number of repetitions) with low or no weights for resistance. The result? Toning and lean muscle without any excess gains or overdevelopment.
Clamshells
If you want to focus on body toning, mat work is a great way to tone the muscles without breaking and developing them. Clamshells are a great low-impact mat exercise that will help[ tone both your glutes and outer thighs.
Leg lifts
For a bum that’s perky and peachy, leg lifts are essential. You should perform leg lifts with light weights if you want a smaller booty and a more toned, tight look for your derriere. Don’t forget to perform equal repetitions on each side.
Fire hydrants
Fab at working the hips, outer thighs and your glutes, fire hydrants are a must-have for any lower body toning workout. You can strap on some light ankle weights for more of a burn, but fire hydrants can be performed without any resistance and still deliver results.
Does strength training make my bum bigger?
It depends. If you’re working out with heavy weights and performing small numbers of repetitions, you’re likely creating muscle each time you work out. When you lift heavy weights, your muscle fibers break down and repair themselves, and the repaired muscles are going to be both stronger and bigger in appearance.
That being said, if you’re scared to lift weights for fear of developing a bodybuilder physique, you really have nothing to worry about. Many men struggle to put on muscle with strength training workouts, even with the in-built testosterone advantage. While strength training will help your muscles grow if you want them to, you can control how much you lift and how many repetitions you perform. For less muscle growth and more toning, you want to focus on light weights (or no weights) and high repetitions.
Plus, don’t forget that you’re not going to build muscle if you don’t actively increase your calorie consumption. Those who achieve a super muscley, body-builder look do so by following high-calorie diets, using protein powders and supplements, and often exceeding up to 4,000 calories a day.
So in short, strength training can make your bum bigger, but only if you put in the work. Otherwise, strength training is a fab way to tone the body.
How to workout without getting a bigger bum?
If you want to workout, tone up and achieve a smaller booty while you’re at it, it’s entirely possible with a dynamic and well-structured exercise regime. Here are our top tips for working out for a tighter, more toned body:
- Focus on high repetitions and low weights
- Don’t lift more than 3lbs
- Incorporate mat work into your exercise regime (pilates, barre workouts) for optimal lifting and toning
- Diversify your cardio. Instead of running and potentially overdeveloping your glutes or thighs, try dynamic and varied movements such as aerobics or dancing
Don’t forget about diet!
When you’re trying to make any part of your body smaller, you need to think about your diet. This also applies to your booty – if you’re trying to lose bum fat or reduce muscle size, it’s important not to overdo it when it comes to calories. The best and healthiest way to lose any excess weight is to reduce your caloric RDA (recommended daily allowance) by around 5-10%, while performing a workout appropriate to your fitness level around 3 times a week.
That being said, there’s no exact science that can allow you to spot-reduce fat on any chosen area of your body. So, if you’re wondering how to make your bum smaller and more toned, it’s time to get a little technical.
How can I make my butt smaller?
The easiest way to figure out how to make your bum smaller is to determine whether you need to lose weight (aka fat) or whether you need to reduce muscle. Just as it’s easy to put on weight with a few too many Friday night takeouts, it’s easy to overdevelop your glutes with too many lower body workouts.
It’s pretty easy to tell whether or not you need to lose excess weight or excess muscle:
If you’ve put on excess weight, your clothes should be tighter and the number on the scale has probably gone up. With excess weight gain, you might also notice cellulite on the affected area.
In order to lose bum fat from weight gain, you should slightly reduce the number of calories you consume per day (while never consuming less than 1500-2000 calories per day, for women and men respectively.) Combine a calorie deficit with a safe and healthy exercise regime (moderate exercise 3 times a week) and you should easily lose any bum fat and make your bum smaller and more toned. Unfortunately, there is no way to pick and choose where you lose weight on your body!
If you’ve put on muscle, the number on the scale might be up, but your clothes fit better and your skin might appear more toned.
If you want to stop gaining muscle on your bum, you need to modify your workouts. Overworking the large muscles can be caused by strength training with heavy weights, or even doing repetitive cardio that primarily works the large muscle groups (such as running.) We’ll explain how to modify your exercise routine for less muscle gain further on in the article.
How can I tone my bum?
If you simply want to tone the bum, here are some of our top exercises we’d recommend adding into your lower body routine:
Lunges
Lunges are a great way to work both the hamstrings, glutes and calves. Perform high repetitions alone or with a pair of dumbbells that weigh no more than 3lbs.
Squats
Squats are another no-brainer when it comes to toning, and you can still achieve a small booty while doing them. Simply perform faster repetitions (and a higher number of repetitions) with low or no weights for resistance. The result? Toning and lean muscle without any excess gains or overdevelopment.
Clamshells
If you want to focus on body toning, mat work is a great way to tone the muscles without breaking and developing them. Clamshells are a great low-impact mat exercise that will help[ tone both your glutes and outer thighs.
Leg lifts
For a bum that’s perky and peachy, leg lifts are essential. You should perform leg lifts with light weights if you want a smaller booty and a more toned, tight look for your derriere. Don’t forget to perform equal repetitions on each side.
Fire hydrants
Fab at working the hips, outer thighs and your glutes, fire hydrants are a must-have for any lower body toning workout. You can strap on some light ankle weights for more of a burn, but fire hydrants can be performed without any resistance and still deliver results.
Does strength training make my bum bigger?
It depends. If you’re working out with heavy weights and performing small numbers of repetitions, you’re likely creating muscle each time you work out. When you lift heavy weights, your muscle fibers break down and repair themselves, and the repaired muscles are going to be both stronger and bigger in appearance.
That being said, if you’re scared to lift weights for fear of developing a bodybuilder physique, you really have nothing to worry about. Many men struggle to put on muscle with strength training workouts, even with the in-built testosterone advantage. While strength training will help your muscles grow if you want them to, you can control how much you lift and how many repetitions you perform. For less muscle growth and more toning, you want to focus on light weights (or no weights) and high repetitions.
Plus, don’t forget that you’re not going to build muscle if you don’t actively increase your calorie consumption. Those who achieve a super muscley, body-builder look do so by following high-calorie diets, using protein powders and supplements, and often exceeding up to 4,000 calories a day.
So in short, strength training can make your bum bigger, but only if you put in the work. Otherwise, strength training is a fab way to tone the body.
How to workout without getting a bigger bum?
If you want to workout, tone up and achieve a smaller booty while you’re at it, it’s entirely possible with a dynamic and well-structured exercise regime. Here are our top tips for working out for a tighter, more toned body:
Don’t forget about diet!
When you’re trying to make any part of your body smaller, you need to think about your diet. This also applies to your booty – if you’re trying to lose bum fat or reduce muscle size, it’s important not to overdo it when it comes to calories. The best and healthiest way to lose any excess weight is to reduce your caloric RDA (recommended daily allowance) by around 5-10%, while performing a workout appropriate to your fitness level around 3 times a week.