Why isn't my butt getting bigger?

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I've been doing those butt lift things at the gym (lye on stomach, push leg back towards the ceiling) for almost 7months and nothing is happening to my butt :(. I lift about 120lbs using one leg at a time. I do 5sets of 8reps. Is that not enough because it feels like enough? Squats get me light headed, so does this machine but when I do squats with the heavier weights, sometimes I get so light-headed I feel like I'll just drop down.

Can someone advise? I need nicer buns by summer. :eek:
 
Since I'm not 100% sure which machine you're referring I can't make any absolute claims on the exercise in question. But I do know that with squats, deadlifts and lunges (supposedly the big 3 of glute builders), it's very easy to leave the glutes out of the exercise. The glutes get the most work in hip hyperextension (not to be confused with lumbar spine hyperextension), thus exercises like glute bridges and hip thrusts, which involve hip hyperextension in a position where the hamstrings are weaker than the glutes, tend to do pretty well at building the glutes. It sounds like the machine you're describing sets you up to do a movement like a 1-legged hip thrust, only face down. If you know that you're working your glutes hard with the exercise (and if you are, you will know about it), then the two most likely problems I can think of are:

1) Low frequency training. I'm not sure how often you're doing the exercise. If you're doing the whole body-part split thing that most muscle mags recommend, then that's going to give some rather slow progress, unfortunately. Try doing glute-specific exercise 2-3 times per week.
2) Not eating enough. If you aren't in a calorie surplus, you won't usually build much, if any, muscle. Could require some bulking and then cutting to get the butt you're after.

Other than that, does this machine have you doing the lifts with straight legs or bent knees? The straighter the legs, the more you'll use your hamstrings. If your legs are bent, however, it'll be easier to focus on your glutes. And you may benefit from different rep ranges.
 
This machine has my legs slightly bent, and it's one leg at a time. I also do this twice a week when I got to the gym. It's the one when I am lying on my stomach, head towards the floor, the resistance bar is behind me and I have to lift it using my mid-foot (Middle of foot) towards the ceiling. I know that may sound confusing, but I don't know what it;s called and I just came from the gym today (LOL). Thanks so much, I wonder if I'm not doing it enough then. Today I increased it to 160Lbs.
Goldfish said:
Since I'm not 100% sure which machine you're referring I can't make any absolute claims on the exercise in question. But I do know that with squats, deadlifts and lunges (supposedly the big 3 of glute builders), it's very easy to leave the glutes out of the exercise. The glutes get the most work in hip hyperextension (not to be confused with lumbar spine hyperextension), thus exercises like glute bridges and hip thrusts, which involve hip hyperextension in a position where the hamstrings are weaker than the glutes, tend to do pretty well at building the glutes. It sounds like the machine you're describing sets you up to do a movement like a 1-legged hip thrust, only face down. If you know that you're working your glutes hard with the exercise (and if you are, you will know about it), then the two most likely problems I can think of are:

1) Low frequency training. I'm not sure how often you're doing the exercise. If you're doing the whole body-part split thing that most muscle mags recommend, then that's going to give some rather slow progress, unfortunately. Try doing glute-specific exercise 2-3 times per week.
2) Not eating enough. If you aren't in a calorie surplus, you won't usually build much, if any, muscle. Could require some bulking and then cutting to get the butt you're after.

Other than that, does this machine have you doing the lifts with straight legs or bent knees? The straighter the legs, the more you'll use your hamstrings. If your legs are bent, however, it'll be easier to focus on your glutes. And you may benefit from different rep ranges.
Click to expand...
 
I just thought of another possible issue. Being the macho, hairy-chested kind of guy that I am, I hate acknowledging this possibility, but you might actually be doing too much weight to activate your glutes properly. If they're a weak point, then after a certain level of resistance, they may be prone to switching off/giving up and letting other muscles do the work. I remember the first time I tried hip thrusts, my glutes fired like crazy when using just the 45lb barbell. When I added 45lb onto the bar, it was still a relatively light load, but my glutes wouldn't fire half as well as they did with just the bar. That's worth consideration.
 
Try doing stiff leg deadlifts with proper form. I guarantee you will feel your glutes light up after doing 4 - 5 sets of very slow and proper stiff leg deadlifts. Along with this, I would suggest doing deep squats to really engage and contract the glutes.
 
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