How To Shrink A Fat Butt: 7 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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• Butt Shaping

How to Lose Butt Fat: Expert Advice Download Article Tips for slimming down your bum, with and without exercise Co-authored by Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: March 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Best Exercises to Shrink Your Butt
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• Dieting to Lose Weight
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• Weekly Meal and Exercise Plan to Shrink Glutes
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This article was co-authored by Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Melody Sayers is a Registered Dietitian and NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) Certified Personal Trainer. She is the owner of Elevate Your Plate®, a private nutrition counseling and personal training practice, focused on an evidence-based, individualized, realistic, and results-driven approach to improving one's health. With over 8 years of experience, Melody has worked in both the private and public health sectors, helping both individuals and communities achieve milestones in managing their weight and preventing disease. She currently holds a Certificate in Adult Weight Management and a Master of Science in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science from the California State University - Northridge. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,624,372 times.

Worried you're carrying too much weight in your posterior? Targeting the weight in your butt is a common fitness goal for a lot of us. Fortunately, that means there are a lot of exercise and diet tips you can use to slim down, especially in your glutes. Keep reading for a comprehensive list of tips to shrink your derriere and meet your weight loss goals.

Things You Should Know

• Do glute exercises, like deadlifts and squats, to target your butt while exercising.
• Try cardio workouts, like swimming, running, and cycling, to lose weight.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and avoid junk food to lose weight over time.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Best Exercises to Shrink Your Butt

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1. 1 Work your glutes. Strength-training exercises are ultimately the best way to shrink your butt. Muscle takes up less physical space than fat so toning your butt (turning the fat into muscle) will lift it and make it smaller. Carrying more muscle will also increase your metabolism and bring your whole body into proportion.[1]
   • Doing dead lifts is a great exercise for your glutes. When doing a deadlift, emphasize form over weight. Keep your spine in a neutral position and aligned with your head and shoulders, engage your core throughout the deadlift, and rest your weight on your heels.[2]
   • Add squats into your routine. With your legs hip-width apart, slowly bend your knees, engaging your glutes as you go. Bend down as far as you can with your back straight, then stand back up to complete 1 squat.
   • Doing lunges is another fantastic exercise for your butt.[3] With one leg in front and one leg behind you, slowly bend your front knee until it’s at a 90-degree angle to the floor. Then, stand back up to complete 1 lunge.
   • Do wall sits to fire up your glutes. With your back against a wall, bend your legs at a 90-degree angle to the floor, like you’re sitting in a chair. Hold the position for as long as you can, then stand up.
   • Climb stairs to work your glutes. Simply walking up a set of stairs is a great way to target the muscles in your bum. As often as you can, take the stairs instead of an elevator to slim down.
2. 2 Get into cardio to lose weight. Since fat is the culprit to a big butt, cardio is the quickest answer to blasting it away. Running, swimming, boxing, or cycling will burn the most calories.[4] Burning calories leads to weight loss, which equals a smaller butt.
   • In addition to straight-up cardio, try interval training—it burns even more calories than its one-paced counterpart.[5] Exercise full out for 30 seconds and rest for a couple of minutes. Repeat 8-10 times. Your metabolism will get upped in minutes and stay up. And the best part? The hard part of your workout is done in 15 minutes.
   • Find cardio exercises and routines that you like and will stay motivated to do. You might like running or doing HIIT routines in your home, or you might prefer something else. The best cardio exercise is the one that you enjoy doing.[6]
   • Reader Poll: We asked 262 wikiHow readers if they found cardio effective for losing weight, and 71% of them said yes. [Take Poll]
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3. 3 Begin circuit training to mix up your exercise routine. Pick a high-intensity exercise, like squats, lunges, or climbing stairs. Then, alternate between this glute-toning exercise and a different high-intensity cardio activity every 30 minutes.[7]
   • Circuit training is about combinations of using weights and doing cardio. If you don't have access to a number of weights or machines, jog with weights in intervals of a minute or two. Otherwise, add weights to your cardio exercises. You'll be killing 2 birds with one dumbbell.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Dieting to Lose Weight

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1. 1 Cut calories. The fewer calories you eat, the easier it is to lose weight. More calories lost equals a smaller everything—including your bottom. Cutting calories with exercise may not be enough, so adjust your eating habits, too.[8]
   • 1 pound (0.45 kg) is 3,500 calories. If losing 10 lbs (4.5 kg) is your first goal, cutting 500 calories a day will equal the loss of 1 lb (0.45 kg) per week, 10 weeks in total. But don't forget: exercise burns calories, too.
   • Focusing on your diet is the best way to get a smaller butt without exercising.
2. 2 Eat the right carbs and fats. So often carbs and fats are made into villains. However, there are good carbs and good fats that are very important to your diet; they give your body energy, maintain your metabolism and help your digestive system absorb vitamins.[9] Try to eat around 50 grams of carbs per day to lose weight.
   • Avocados, olives, nuts, olive oil, and salmon all have good unsaturated fats that will keep you satiated, which will keep you from overeating later.
   • Whole-grain and whole-wheat breads, cereals and pasta, oatmeal, couscous, quinoa, and brown rice are good carbs that provide fiber, energy, and keep your insulin levels normal.
3. 3 Get a healthy amount of dairy and protein. Both of these food groups help you build muscle and are full of nutrition. Dairy and protein will also make it easier to get through your workouts.[10]
   • In general, try to eat around 3 cups (360 g) of dairy and 1/2 cup (60 g) of protein per day.
   • Eggs, turkey, chicken, fish, low-fat yogurts, milk, cheeses, and cottage cheese are all good options. If you opt for red meat, choose lean options.
4. 4 Cut out empty calories and junk food. To cut calories, eliminate the bad fats and empty calories. That means no junk food and no sugary drinks. Eliminating empty calories will help your body tack on muscles instead of fat.[11]
   • Load up on the fruit and vegetables. They are low-calorie but still dense, providing you nutrition, few calories, energy, and leaving you fuller longer.
   • Drink water to lose weight, too. Drinking 2 cups (250 mL) before every meal will satisfy you, hydrate you, and keep weight off.[12]
   • Cutting out junk food is great, but don’t worry if you slip up every now and then. Having a small treat after a big exercise session is much better than not exercising at all.
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Weekly Meal and Exercise Plan to Shrink Glutes

Sample Weekly Meal Plan to Shrink Glutes Sample Weekly Exercise Plan to Shrink Glutes

Expert Q&A

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• Question How long will it take to trim a healthy butt? Michele Dolan Certified Fitness Trainer Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology. Michele Dolan Certified Fitness Trainer Expert Answer Exercise combined with a good diet can change your rear view in 2-3 months. If that seems like a long time, consider how long it took you to get a big butt. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 90 Helpful 306
• Question I would like to know how many sets to do to lose the weight in my thighs and butt. Michele Dolan Certified Fitness Trainer Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology. Michele Dolan Certified Fitness Trainer Expert Answer Start with 3 sets of 12-15 reps. If you want to build more muscle, then after 3-4 weeks, increase the weight, and perform 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps. If you want to keep the toning but not build muscle size, increase the reps. As long as your joints feel fine, you can do as many reps as you want. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 36 Helpful 114
• Question What are common mistakes people make when doing deadlifts? Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer Melody Sayers is a Registered Dietitian and NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) Certified Personal Trainer. She is the owner of Elevate Your Plate®, a private nutrition counseling and personal training practice, focused on an evidence-based, individualized, realistic, and results-driven approach to improving one's health. With over 8 years of experience, Melody has worked in both the private and public health sectors, helping both individuals and communities achieve milestones in managing their weight and preventing disease. She currently holds a Certificate in Adult Weight Management and a Master of Science in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science from the California State University - Northridge. Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer Expert Answer The biggest mistake with a deadlift is confusing it with a squat. While a deadlift is a similar movement to a squat in which you sit your butt back and stay heavy in the heels. A deadlift is a hinging movement where you create a neutral spine that is parallel with the ground, and is not a squatting movement where you keep your chest up. The biggest mistakes I see with deadlifts are: people who lock out their knees, people who do not create a neutral spine with their head, shoulders, and back in alignment, meaning they look down or look up, people who arch their back and do not engage their core, and people who do not keep the weight heavy in their heels and lean forward. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 11 Helpful 34

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Tips

• Keep in mind that while it’s not possible to spot-reduce fat in any area, dieting and exercise will help you lose weight overall.[13] Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Consult a doctor before you start any extreme diet or exercise regimen. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 4

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References

1. ↑ https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/blog/5937/build-your-glutes-with-this-strength-training-routine/
2. ↑ Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT. Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer. Expert Interview
3. ↑ Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT. Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer. Expert Interview
4. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3630467/
5. ↑ https://acsm.org/high-intensity-interval-training-fitness/
6. ↑ Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT. Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer. Expert Interview
7. ↑ https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/expert-articles/6010/dynamic-circuit-training-for-weight-loss/
8. ↑ https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/weight-and-body-positivity/essential-nutrients-for-women-while-cutting-calories
9. ↑ Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT. Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer. Expert Interview

More References (4)

10. ↑ https://www.allinahealth.org/health-conditions-and-treatments/eat-healthy/nutrition-basics/protein/dairy
11. ↑ https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/about-us/news/blogs/eight-ways-to-cut-the-junk
12. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29633983/
13. ↑ https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/blog/3629/myths-and-misconceptions-spot-reduction-and-feeling-the-burn/

About This Article

Co-authored by: Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer This article was co-authored by Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Melody Sayers is a Registered Dietitian and NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) Certified Personal Trainer. She is the owner of Elevate Your Plate®, a private nutrition counseling and personal training practice, focused on an evidence-based, individualized, realistic, and results-driven approach to improving one's health. With over 8 years of experience, Melody has worked in both the private and public health sectors, helping both individuals and communities achieve milestones in managing their weight and preventing disease. She currently holds a Certificate in Adult Weight Management and a Master of Science in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science from the California State University - Northridge. This article has been viewed 2,624,372 times. 34 votes - 74% Co-authors: 47 Updated: March 24, 2025 Views: 2,624,372 Categories: Butt Shaping Article SummaryX

If you want to shrink your butt, exercise your glutes with dead lifts, squats, and lunges so that it looks smaller and more toned. Since extra fat on your butt makes it look bigger, add more cardio like running or swimming to your workout routine to burn extra calories. Another way to make your butt look smaller is to eat more nutritiously so you can build muscle and lose weight. To do this, eat a healthy amount of dairy and protein like eggs, chicken, low-fat yogurt, and milk. It may be hard, but try to avoid empty calories like junk food and soda since those will just get stored in your body as fat. Instead, opt for healthy alternatives like fruit, vegetables, and water. For more advice from our Fitness co-author, including how to cut calories to make your butt smaller, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer 34 votes - 74% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 47 Updated: March 24, 2025 Views: 2,624,372

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"Learned that I should keep running but add more to my workout regime."

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