Butt fat has got to go
January 14, 2009 2:13 PM Subscribe
How can I get rid of my ass sag?
I'm a twenty-five year old male with odd weight distribution. Because of a high metabolism, I'm in pretty good shape, physically at least, at a fine weight for my height and frame, and thin to the point of being skinny. However, I have accumulated a little fat over the last couple of years, all (rather unusually, according to my fairly basic understanding of male physiology) in my ass. This as resulted in enough ass sag to cause creases where my legs meet my butt that are more or less permanent in any standing or otherwise straight position (ie, they go away when I'm sitting or otherwise curled up, but whenever I'm standing or laying flat, they're there). This wouldn't be a big deal, as I'm not showing my butt off to anyone, except that I'm starting to get a lot of pimples or ingrown hairs within the creases, which are then exacerbated when I sit, since that's right where a lot of my weight rests when I'm sitting.
My current, fairly rudimentary exercise regime is thirty minutes or so of running on a treadmill once a week, which is usually the only time I can conveniently use my university's circuit room, and several reps of pushups and leg-lifts three or four times a week before I shower. I'm not a very physical person and as much as I've tried over my life, I've never been able to make myself like exercise, and when I get busy my work-outs are usually the first thing to go.
So my question pertains to what sort of exercises will help me tone my butt the quickest, as this whole sagging butt thing is getting very old. If necessary, and I'm sure it probably is, I'm capable of working up the motivation to work out more often, but I'd rather not if I don't have to, as school keeps me pretty busy. I'd also rather not have to spend any money on a gym membership or any sorts of classes, as I'm already planning on starting tango and possibly parkour lessons in the near future, if my schedule will allow them. My university's circuit room has those stair climbing machines, rowing machines, bike machines, and various weight machines, if any of those will help. I don't ride any sort of real bike.
I'm a twenty-five year old male with odd weight distribution. Because of a high metabolism, I'm in pretty good shape, physically at least, at a fine weight for my height and frame, and thin to the point of being skinny. However, I have accumulated a little fat over the last couple of years, all (rather unusually, according to my fairly basic understanding of male physiology) in my ass. This as resulted in enough ass sag to cause creases where my legs meet my butt that are more or less permanent in any standing or otherwise straight position (ie, they go away when I'm sitting or otherwise curled up, but whenever I'm standing or laying flat, they're there). This wouldn't be a big deal, as I'm not showing my butt off to anyone, except that I'm starting to get a lot of pimples or ingrown hairs within the creases, which are then exacerbated when I sit, since that's right where a lot of my weight rests when I'm sitting.
My current, fairly rudimentary exercise regime is thirty minutes or so of running on a treadmill once a week, which is usually the only time I can conveniently use my university's circuit room, and several reps of pushups and leg-lifts three or four times a week before I shower. I'm not a very physical person and as much as I've tried over my life, I've never been able to make myself like exercise, and when I get busy my work-outs are usually the first thing to go.
So my question pertains to what sort of exercises will help me tone my butt the quickest, as this whole sagging butt thing is getting very old. If necessary, and I'm sure it probably is, I'm capable of working up the motivation to work out more often, but I'd rather not if I don't have to, as school keeps me pretty busy. I'd also rather not have to spend any money on a gym membership or any sorts of classes, as I'm already planning on starting tango and possibly parkour lessons in the near future, if my schedule will allow them. My university's circuit room has those stair climbing machines, rowing machines, bike machines, and various weight machines, if any of those will help. I don't ride any sort of real bike.
Get on your bike and ride
posted by caddis at 2:28 PM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by caddis at 2:28 PM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Wall sits. Lots...and lots...and lots of wall sits.
posted by mynameisluka at 2:38 PM on January 14, 2009
posted by mynameisluka at 2:38 PM on January 14, 2009
Stairmaster! And take the stairs rather than the elevator.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:41 PM on January 14, 2009
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:41 PM on January 14, 2009
You can ride a bike, but if you want to get there quicker, run.
posted by Zambrano at 2:42 PM on January 14, 2009
posted by Zambrano at 2:42 PM on January 14, 2009
Spot reduction doesn't work.
Try to add more general cardio to your weekly routine. And/or high-intensity weight lifting to build more muscle which can help to burn more calories even at rest. And/or decrease the amount of calories you consume (with the caveat that you should eat regularly - 'accidentally' putting yourself into starvation mode -> whatever you eat next goes straight to your ass).
posted by porpoise at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2009
Try to add more general cardio to your weekly routine. And/or high-intensity weight lifting to build more muscle which can help to burn more calories even at rest. And/or decrease the amount of calories you consume (with the caveat that you should eat regularly - 'accidentally' putting yourself into starvation mode -> whatever you eat next goes straight to your ass).
posted by porpoise at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2009
Best answer: If you're comfortable with experiencing a fair amount of pain while obtaining the ass of your dreams, I would suggest Callanetics.
I started out with the beginner version, which totally kicked my arse. I haven't advanced. It was simply too painful and I was too out of shape for it. However, this comes highly recommended for pulling the ass up to its proper position.
Yes, you are a guy, and yes, the Callanetics dvd hasn't been updated since the 80's and is geared toward women. Still, it would probably work for you if you can hang with it.
My husband has done the with me, and said, "Wow, I can definitely see how that would work on the ass, if I was willing to continue with it."
posted by Issithe at 2:48 PM on January 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
I started out with the beginner version, which totally kicked my arse. I haven't advanced. It was simply too painful and I was too out of shape for it. However, this comes highly recommended for pulling the ass up to its proper position.
Yes, you are a guy, and yes, the Callanetics dvd hasn't been updated since the 80's and is geared toward women. Still, it would probably work for you if you can hang with it.
My husband has done the with me, and said, "Wow, I can definitely see how that would work on the ass, if I was willing to continue with it."
posted by Issithe at 2:48 PM on January 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Lotte Berk.
It's in the same pool with yoga and pilates, but more aerobic like the aforementioned Callanetics, and literally ass-kicking.
posted by padraigin at 3:08 PM on January 14, 2009
It's in the same pool with yoga and pilates, but more aerobic like the aforementioned Callanetics, and literally ass-kicking.
posted by padraigin at 3:08 PM on January 14, 2009
Squats, squats, and more squats, then do some Plyometrics then some more squats.
posted by kanemano at 3:21 PM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by kanemano at 3:21 PM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
3rd the suggestion to ride a bike regularly. The investment in a 'real' bike can be under $200; certainly cheaper than a gym membership. Make it your primary mode of transport, so you will not need any special time or motivation to exercise. Don't expect instant change- commit yourself to 6-8 weeks before you judge any results.
posted by TDIpod at 3:50 PM on January 14, 2009
posted by TDIpod at 3:50 PM on January 14, 2009
Best answer: No one has mentioned butt kicks. Try 25 on each side and then 25 on each side. See if you can get to a hundred or 200. Really, just 25 each side is a good start. This will tone your butt, although of course it will ache a bit sometimes too.
Here's a fancy version of a butt kick workout. Joyce Vedral had good explanations of butt kicks in her books, but I don't see them on her site anymore. She also had a book for men. I imagine some of these are in your library.
The bridge exercise also helps. Just lie on your back, and keeping your feet and shoulders on the ground push your hips up in the air. Hold. Repeat.
The gluteus maximus is a big muscle, so if you do these as a stress break for a couple minutes, it'll get your blood moving and clear your head a bit. Easy to fit into your day.
posted by Listener at 3:54 PM on January 14, 2009
Here's a fancy version of a butt kick workout. Joyce Vedral had good explanations of butt kicks in her books, but I don't see them on her site anymore. She also had a book for men. I imagine some of these are in your library.
The bridge exercise also helps. Just lie on your back, and keeping your feet and shoulders on the ground push your hips up in the air. Hold. Repeat.
The gluteus maximus is a big muscle, so if you do these as a stress break for a couple minutes, it'll get your blood moving and clear your head a bit. Easy to fit into your day.
posted by Listener at 3:54 PM on January 14, 2009
Best answer: Cardio is a waste of time. Don't bother. It can get you in shape, but it takes too much time and is incredibly boring. The best use of your time is a full body workout with weights. Focus on compound exercises (squats, pull ups, bench press, dead lifts, etc - google it) Hit squats a couple times a week (free weights or a smith machine if prefered). Do three sets of each for 8-10 reps with as much weight as you can do and still complete the sets. Concentrate on your muscles when you lift, don't goof off and let your focus wander. Be honest and don't cheat.
This doesn't take very much time to do. 30 minutes a day 4-5 times a week is plenty.
Remove physical obstacles to get to the gym. Keep a gym bag ready and stocked with what you need to get in and out as quickly as possible. Build it into your routine. Go every weekday before class or after - pick a consistent time that works for you and don't make excuses.
Obviously you can ask this question and get a million different answers - but from someone with a very tight schedule I can tell you this is the best way for me.
posted by Craig at 4:03 PM on January 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
This doesn't take very much time to do. 30 minutes a day 4-5 times a week is plenty.
Remove physical obstacles to get to the gym. Keep a gym bag ready and stocked with what you need to get in and out as quickly as possible. Build it into your routine. Go every weekday before class or after - pick a consistent time that works for you and don't make excuses.
Obviously you can ask this question and get a million different answers - but from someone with a very tight schedule I can tell you this is the best way for me.
posted by Craig at 4:03 PM on January 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
Lunges, stairs, step ups with weights, squats, hamstring curls, long bike rides with lots of climbing.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 4:30 PM on January 14, 2009
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 4:30 PM on January 14, 2009
Spot reduction doesn't work.
Yes it does. Especially in this case, where the problem is a lack of muscle tone.
Just look at people who work out in an unbalanced manner. They will have, say, rock hard abs and a giant ass. Or giant, fat-free arms and legs, and a big ol' beergut.
posted by gjc at 6:48 PM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Yes it does. Especially in this case, where the problem is a lack of muscle tone.
Just look at people who work out in an unbalanced manner. They will have, say, rock hard abs and a giant ass. Or giant, fat-free arms and legs, and a big ol' beergut.
posted by gjc at 6:48 PM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You can ride a bike, but if you want to get there quicker, run.
Not if you want to get your glutes into shape. Biking is so much better.
This thread is an example of why "best answer" is such BS.
posted by caddis at 8:37 PM on January 14, 2009
Not if you want to get your glutes into shape. Biking is so much better.
This thread is an example of why "best answer" is such BS.
posted by caddis at 8:37 PM on January 14, 2009
Best answer: Yes it does. Especially in this case, where the problem is a lack of muscle tone.
Except that's not spot reduction, that's gaining muscle in an area to make it APPEAR as if there's less fat. Should we go on PubMed for you or can you do it yourself?
Squats and deadlifts, dude, squats and deadlifts.
posted by Anonymous at 9:04 PM on January 14, 2009
Except that's not spot reduction, that's gaining muscle in an area to make it APPEAR as if there's less fat. Should we go on PubMed for you or can you do it yourself?
Squats and deadlifts, dude, squats and deadlifts.
posted by Anonymous at 9:04 PM on January 14, 2009
You said you were pretty lean, biking and running and all that stuff is good excercise but that's not going to build any muscle on your ass. This poem is in front of one of the squat racks in my gym, it's pretty fitting for this situation.
Down this road, in a gym far away,
a young man was heard to say,
"no matter what i do, my legs won't grow"
he tried leg extensions, leg curls, and leg presses , too
trying to cheat, these sissy workouts he'd do.
from the corner of the gym where the big men train,
through a cloud of chalk and the midst of pain
where the noise is made with big forty fives,
a deep voice bellowed as he wrapped his knees.
a very big man with legs like trees.
laughing as he snatched another plate from the stack
chalking his hands and monstrous back,
said, "boy, stop lying and don't say you've forgotten,
the trouble with you is you ain't been SQUATTIN'.
posted by BrnP84 at 11:06 PM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Down this road, in a gym far away,
a young man was heard to say,
"no matter what i do, my legs won't grow"
he tried leg extensions, leg curls, and leg presses , too
trying to cheat, these sissy workouts he'd do.
from the corner of the gym where the big men train,
through a cloud of chalk and the midst of pain
where the noise is made with big forty fives,
a deep voice bellowed as he wrapped his knees.
a very big man with legs like trees.
laughing as he snatched another plate from the stack
chalking his hands and monstrous back,
said, "boy, stop lying and don't say you've forgotten,
the trouble with you is you ain't been SQUATTIN'.
posted by BrnP84 at 11:06 PM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Eh...to add muscle to your ass, sure, squats and deadlifts are good. Schroedinger is a good person to listen to on these matters. Look at some videos online to see what good form is. The crossfit site has good videos. To lose fat from your ass...well, you can't choose where to lose fat. But in general, building muscle will help you lose fat, so squats and deadlifts are still good. BUT...
If you have a fat distribution that is unusual for a male, then maybe you have a hormone imbalance? Normally a guy would have his fat on his belly (that's where mine is). Maybe it's be worth going to a doctor.
posted by creasy boy at 1:06 AM on January 15, 2009
If you have a fat distribution that is unusual for a male, then maybe you have a hormone imbalance? Normally a guy would have his fat on his belly (that's where mine is). Maybe it's be worth going to a doctor.
posted by creasy boy at 1:06 AM on January 15, 2009
Except that's not spot reduction, that's gaining muscle in an area to make it APPEAR as if there's less fat. Should we go on PubMed for you or can you do it yourself?
Thanks for the attitude. Just because a website says something is true doesn't make it so. When people use certain muscles more than others, there is less fat in those areas. Like I said, go to a gym and look at real people. The effects of (mostly inadvertent) spot reduction are obvious.
Look, I'm not disagreeing that conventional wisdom says spot reduction doesn't work. I'm disagreeing with that "wisdom", which coincidentally is often used in conjunction with someone selling something. "Spot reduction doesn't work, that's why you need to buy my product!" The issue is that it doesn't work very well for most people, nor does it show instant results. But I guarantee you, if you find someone who uses one muscle group significantly more than other groups, there will be fat buildup differences beyond statistical noise. Besides the examples I gave before, look at someone with a physical disability who favors one side of their body over another. Say, an arthritic knee. The overworked leg will have less fat and more muscle, and vice versa for the underused one.
posted by gjc at 7:45 AM on January 15, 2009
Thanks for the attitude. Just because a website says something is true doesn't make it so. When people use certain muscles more than others, there is less fat in those areas. Like I said, go to a gym and look at real people. The effects of (mostly inadvertent) spot reduction are obvious.
Look, I'm not disagreeing that conventional wisdom says spot reduction doesn't work. I'm disagreeing with that "wisdom", which coincidentally is often used in conjunction with someone selling something. "Spot reduction doesn't work, that's why you need to buy my product!" The issue is that it doesn't work very well for most people, nor does it show instant results. But I guarantee you, if you find someone who uses one muscle group significantly more than other groups, there will be fat buildup differences beyond statistical noise. Besides the examples I gave before, look at someone with a physical disability who favors one side of their body over another. Say, an arthritic knee. The overworked leg will have less fat and more muscle, and vice versa for the underused one.
posted by gjc at 7:45 AM on January 15, 2009
Not directed at anyone - just for general reference.
PMID: 17596787
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Jul;39(7):1177-85.
PURPOSE: It is believed spot reduction, the exercise-induced localized loss of subcutaneous fat, does not occur as a result of an exercise program; however, evidence as a whole has been inconsistent. To reexamine this concept, we compared subcutaneous fat measurements before and after resistance training among 104 subjects (45 men, 59 women). METHODS: Subjects participated in 12 wk of supervised resistance training of their nondominant arm. Magnetic resonance imaging and skinfold calipers examined subcutaneous fat in the nondominant (trained) and dominant (untrained) arms before and after resistance training. Repeated-measures ANCOVA tested for subcutaneous fat differences within and between arms before, after, and from before to after resistance training by gender and measurement technique, with BMI and age as covariates. Simple linear regression compared subcutaneous fat changes before and after resistance training as assessed by MRI and skinfold. RESULTS: Subcutaneous fat, measured by skinfold, decreased in the trained arm and not the untrained arm in the men (P <> 0.05). MRI determinations of subcutaneous fat changes were not different between arms in the total sample and by gender (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous fat changes resulting from resistance training varied by gender and assessment technique. Skinfold findings indicate that spot reduction occurred in men but not in women. In contrast, MRI found a generalized subcutaneous fat loss independent of gender, supporting the notion that spot reduction does not occur as a result of resistance training. MRI, sensitive to changes along the entire upper arm, detected greater variation in resistance training responses, preventing significant differences between trained and untrained arms. Variation in upper-arm resistance training response was not evident from a single skinfold measurement at the belly of the muscle.
posted by Craig at 11:30 AM on January 15, 2009
PMID: 17596787
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Jul;39(7):1177-85.
PURPOSE: It is believed spot reduction, the exercise-induced localized loss of subcutaneous fat, does not occur as a result of an exercise program; however, evidence as a whole has been inconsistent. To reexamine this concept, we compared subcutaneous fat measurements before and after resistance training among 104 subjects (45 men, 59 women). METHODS: Subjects participated in 12 wk of supervised resistance training of their nondominant arm. Magnetic resonance imaging and skinfold calipers examined subcutaneous fat in the nondominant (trained) and dominant (untrained) arms before and after resistance training. Repeated-measures ANCOVA tested for subcutaneous fat differences within and between arms before, after, and from before to after resistance training by gender and measurement technique, with BMI and age as covariates. Simple linear regression compared subcutaneous fat changes before and after resistance training as assessed by MRI and skinfold. RESULTS: Subcutaneous fat, measured by skinfold, decreased in the trained arm and not the untrained arm in the men (P <> 0.05). MRI determinations of subcutaneous fat changes were not different between arms in the total sample and by gender (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous fat changes resulting from resistance training varied by gender and assessment technique. Skinfold findings indicate that spot reduction occurred in men but not in women. In contrast, MRI found a generalized subcutaneous fat loss independent of gender, supporting the notion that spot reduction does not occur as a result of resistance training. MRI, sensitive to changes along the entire upper arm, detected greater variation in resistance training responses, preventing significant differences between trained and untrained arms. Variation in upper-arm resistance training response was not evident from a single skinfold measurement at the belly of the muscle.
posted by Craig at 11:30 AM on January 15, 2009
I thought the business about spot reduction was to say that you can't do a ton of crunches and eat like a pig and have nice abs.
however, if you do a ton of crunches and watch your weight, you *will* get nicer abs-- and anyone who says otherwise hasn't been to a gym.
i don't care if it doesn't show less fat on an MRI-- you look less fat when your muscles are defined and you are skinnier!
And I would bold a different part of this abstract:
PURPOSE: It is believed spot reduction, the exercise-induced localized loss of subcutaneous fat, does not occur as a result of an exercise program; however, evidence as a whole has been inconsistent. To reexamine this concept, we compared subcutaneous fat measurements before and after resistance training among 104 subjects (45 men, 59 women). METHODS: Subjects participated in 12 wk of supervised resistance training of their nondominant arm. Magnetic resonance imaging and skinfold calipers examined subcutaneous fat in the nondominant (trained) and dominant (untrained) arms before and after resistance training. Repeated-measures ANCOVA tested for subcutaneous fat differences within and between arms before, after, and from before to after resistance training by gender and measurement technique, with BMI and age as covariates. Simple linear regression compared subcutaneous fat changes before and after resistance training as assessed by MRI and skinfold. RESULTS: Subcutaneous fat, measured by skinfold, decreased in the trained arm and not the untrained arm in the men (P <> 0.05). MRI determinations of subcutaneous fat changes were not different between arms in the total sample and by gender (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous fat changes resulting from resistance training varied by gender and assessment technique. Skinfold findings indicate that spot reduction occurred in men but not in women. In contrast, MRI found a generalized subcutaneous fat loss independent of gender, supporting the notion that spot reduction does not occur as a result of resistance training. MRI, sensitive to changes along the entire upper arm, detected greater variation in resistance training responses, preventing significant differences between trained and untrained arms. Variation in upper-arm resistance training response was not evident from a single skinfold measurement at the belly of the muscle.
posted by Maias at 5:50 PM on January 15, 2009
however, if you do a ton of crunches and watch your weight, you *will* get nicer abs-- and anyone who says otherwise hasn't been to a gym.
i don't care if it doesn't show less fat on an MRI-- you look less fat when your muscles are defined and you are skinnier!
And I would bold a different part of this abstract:
PURPOSE: It is believed spot reduction, the exercise-induced localized loss of subcutaneous fat, does not occur as a result of an exercise program; however, evidence as a whole has been inconsistent. To reexamine this concept, we compared subcutaneous fat measurements before and after resistance training among 104 subjects (45 men, 59 women). METHODS: Subjects participated in 12 wk of supervised resistance training of their nondominant arm. Magnetic resonance imaging and skinfold calipers examined subcutaneous fat in the nondominant (trained) and dominant (untrained) arms before and after resistance training. Repeated-measures ANCOVA tested for subcutaneous fat differences within and between arms before, after, and from before to after resistance training by gender and measurement technique, with BMI and age as covariates. Simple linear regression compared subcutaneous fat changes before and after resistance training as assessed by MRI and skinfold. RESULTS: Subcutaneous fat, measured by skinfold, decreased in the trained arm and not the untrained arm in the men (P <> 0.05). MRI determinations of subcutaneous fat changes were not different between arms in the total sample and by gender (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous fat changes resulting from resistance training varied by gender and assessment technique. Skinfold findings indicate that spot reduction occurred in men but not in women. In contrast, MRI found a generalized subcutaneous fat loss independent of gender, supporting the notion that spot reduction does not occur as a result of resistance training. MRI, sensitive to changes along the entire upper arm, detected greater variation in resistance training responses, preventing significant differences between trained and untrained arms. Variation in upper-arm resistance training response was not evident from a single skinfold measurement at the belly of the muscle.
posted by Maias at 5:50 PM on January 15, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Meagan at 2:27 PM on January 14, 2009