My Wife's Butt Got Flat... So I Fixed It In 90 Days
In a Nutshell
A couple with flat glutes—wife with a history of back injury avoiding squats/deadlifts, husband using heavy compounds—followed Brett Contreras' glute framework (press, hinge, squeeze, abduction) for 90 days, training glutes 2-3x/week via back-friendly moves like glute-dominant box squats, single-leg deadlifts, scoop-method hip thrusts, and abductions. Wife gained +2 cm (92 to 94 cm), outpacing husband's +1.5 cm (92.5 to 94 cm) despite her restrictions, proving effective glute growth without spinal loading; both improved jumps, strength, movement, and relationship through shared meals/training. Key: prioritize glute-specific volume/frequency, progressive overload with form checks, adequate calories—workouts in Built with Science Plus app.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Both have no butts. Wife trained with one of the most jacked personal trainers for 10 years. Her life looked perfect externally, but 5 years ago she hurt her back badly doing heavy squats, making her butt flatter than she'd like. Husband went from cake to pancake due to sitting more and finding glute training uncomfortable, so he got lazy. Strong glutes improve movement, lifting strength, back tightness, and knee pain. For 90 days, mission to build glutes: wife avoids squats, deadlifts, heavy spinal loading; husband uses whatever. If injured wife outgrows him, he goes vegan for 30 days.
Without crazy heavy weights, without squats, without deadlifts, can she still grow her glutes?
Yeah, this is a piece of cake. I know it sounds impossible to you because you built your glutes with heavy squats and deads.
That's Brett Contreras, inventor of the hip thrust, dedicated to studying glutes.
To build well-rounded glutes, Brett recommends four movement patterns: lower body press, lower body hinge, squeeze, and abduction. Used simple approach to transform flattest butts. For wife's sensitive back, workarounds for heavy barbell exercises.
Glute dominant step up: lean forward, reach back, tap, come up. Looks like squat or glute dominant box squat with mostly vertical shins, training glutes as if squatting. Body weight tolerated well, then 15lb (7kg) dumbbell. Shin mostly vertical, thigh parallel creates most hip extension torque, getting stretch and loading. Foot slightly back.
Safer than traditional deadlifts, challenges glutes as much with less weight. Key: keep knee slightly bent to activate glutes over hamstrings.
Yes. Come up. Don't even straighten it out. Yep. Oh, that's yes. Right there. Just like that. Perfect.
Okay. So, I'm not coming like full stand.
Yep. Exactly.
How's it feel, Bab?
I feel it.
I'm so weak.
Feet back for 90° knee angle, crawl higher on bench. Check natural form for spine hyperextension. She doesn't have tendency. At top of rep, avoid overextending hips creating lower back pressure—most common back pain cause. Use scoop method: tuck chin down, move from chest down, tilt pelvis upwards by squeezing glutes. Won't get as high, but safer. Lifting heavier than in years.
Penalty-free volume: adds glute hypertrophy stimulus without much fatigue. Pads for active range, hold handles, tap in. Target upper glutes sitting upright; lean forward at end to switch to lower glutes. Pair sets back-to-back for multiple glute areas.
General rule of thumb, if you have low back pain, if it feels off, if you feel anything during the movement itself, don't do it. Skip it.
Trip to Brett successful. Wife's workout: glutes twice per week, tracked in Built with Science Plus app. Husband steals some exercises but does heavy compounds like squats, deadlifts to test advantage. Day one: wife's glute circumference 92 cm, husband's 92.5 cm. Glutes drive power, speed, force production—explosive athletes have powerful glutes.
Vertical jump day one: husband 51.9 cm (just beating average). Broad jump excellent.
Week one rough—husband lazy on glutes past 6 months, struggling. Wife concerned no soreness post-workouts, thinks soreness means growth.
Studies show soreness not indicator of growth. Brett chose exercises causing less soreness/muscle damage than squats, deadlifts, Bulgarians for faster recovery.
Heavy squats boost testosterone 10-20% (higher than leg press), lasts 15-45 minutes before baseline—no hormonal advantage.
You don't want a hug?
No. Get away from me.
Wife scared to push hard fearing back injury; struggles distinguishing glute cramp from SI joint/piriformis issue on left side. Struggling to eat enough, scared of fat gain, especially on period (gains 2-3 lb water weight in stomach/face).
Husband's glutes adapting, boosting squats—smoother, stronger. Squat tweak for glutes: shins more vertical, push hips back, lean forward (shifts from quad-dominant).
2023 Brett study: squats vs hip thrusts—squats grew quads/inner thighs more, glutes equal.
Week 3: wife PRs, glutes popping.
Bab, you just did 135 lbs. That's a plate. You said
I know. I'm really proud to be honest cuz I haven't done this weight in like 6 years. My girls are proud of me too. And it actually felt really easy. Like that was 12 reps.
Husband also gaining.
Women recover faster from lower body workouts per Brett, train glutes more volume/frequency. Husband needs 1-2 extra recovery days, can't match her sets. 80% of wife's training glute-dedicated vs husband's split volume. Prioritizing one area directs more resources (like husband's past shoulder growth).
30 days: wife +1 cm (93 cm), husband +1 cm (93.5 cm)—tied. Wife under-eating calories.
Husband cooks for wife first time in years to motivate eating. They met 10 years ago at gym; work/injury reduced time together—experiment rebuilds that.
Oh my god. You actually like it?
Mhm. It's really good. Like a restaurant.
Study: vegans vs meat-eaters at 0.7g protein/lb bodyweight/day (12 weeks)—same muscle/strength gains regardless of sources (tofu, soy, lentils vs meat, shakes, eggs).
Bar test fail for both (back stops wife, husband slightly better). Wife ramps to 30-40 sets/week (3 days) like Brett's max-growth clients, from 20 sets/2 days.
Tightness in upper left glute/lower back leads to injury—pause challenge few days.
I hurt my back at the gym yesterday and I came today to try to work out and it's very clear that I'm going to need a few days off, which is really frustrating for me.
Pressure to not let down viewers/husband. After rest, back better, resumes. Week off makes glutes look/feel flatter (less glycogen/water)—not muscle loss (takes 3+ weeks). Dial back to 2 days/week to avoid re-injury. Home workout variations added to app.
Wife's glutes fastest progress ever. Husband's glute training improves running (feels like glutes contribute more), other exercises stronger, body moves/feels better. Add 3 hard sets hip thrusts to leg days if neglecting glutes.
Hawaii trip shows gains. Wife PRs two plates (225 lbs?) hip thrust first time.
I am finally done my glute video with Jeremy. I am so grateful that Brett Contreras let us come into his home. He showed me a bunch of lower back friendly glute exercises and I'm forever grateful for him for that because doing this challenge just showed me that I am capable and there are ways of getting a booty.
Husband's jumps: vertical +5 cm (high end above average), broad +2 cm.
Wife: 92 cm to 94 cm (+2 cm). Husband: 92.5 cm to 94 cm (+1.5 cm). Wife wins—he goes vegan 30 days. Both win: more dinners together, her cake, his pride in her overcoming fears, enjoying gym without crazy heavy. No must-do exercises—good form, body-fitting exercises matter.
Built with Science Plus app: includes both workouts, adjusts based on body response. Free 2-week trial: builtwithscience.com.
Watch video with Brett on two exercises to fix flat butt.
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