A treadmill is used for cardiovascular workouts. It works primarily for weight loss as opposed to strength training which helps with muscle mass.

Cardio leads to overall fat reduction which naturally includes fat stored in the bum area. Simply put, cardio using a treadmill can help your bum look and feel smaller but keep in mind that genetics also play a role here.

Women in particular tend to store more fat along the thigh and hip area. The manner of workout can also affect how the bum develops. For example, sprinting actually helps create a fuller bum compared to long-distance running. This is because sprinting engages the glute muscles in a different way.

So how should you use a treadmill in a way that helps the glute muscles? Here’s what you need to know:

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Can the Treadmill be Used to Target the Glutes?

You can use the treadmill for this but you may need to use it differently from what you’re accustomed to. A common approach is by walking on an incline.

By doing this, your glutes, hips, and upper thigh muscles are forced to engage with each step, essentially prompting you to clench and unclench during the workout. Done repeatedly, this helps build the butt muscles so that they evolve into an impressive shape.

Of course, don’t forget that your diet and body type play a major role in how things turn up. For example, some people simply aren’t predisposed to have rounded bums. A good workout can help round up this area but the size may remain more or less the same.

As for your diet, the workouts should be accompanied by clean eating habits. The calories you burn off should be more than the calories you take in so any fat deposits in your body will be depleted.

How to Tone Your Bum Using the Treadmill

So let’s say you already have a treadmill and want to start toning your bum using only this equipment. If you haven’t already, we have a helpful treadmill buy guide and review you can refer to.

Here’s a good workout you can follow to target the glutes:

1. Gentle Treadmill Warmup to Activate Your Glutes

Start with a warm up – 10 to 15 minutes of moderate walking should be enough to get this done. The goal is to simply warm up your blood and get your mind and body in the right mindset for what’s coming ahead. The warmup can be on a flat surface of the treadmill. And while you’re at it, do a little stretching.

2. Engage in Treadmill Inclination

Once you’re done with the warm-up, slowly raise the incline of the treadmill. There’s no need to maximise the incline of your treadmill. Just start low and then increase the incline by 2 or 3 intervals, depending on your body’s reaction.

The goal is for the workout to be hard enough that you’re sweating and gulping for air but not too hard that you’ll faint. Pace yourself and carefully gauge your body’s reaction to each increase in incline. For bum improvement, opt for incline over speed.

3. Do Treadmill HIIT

HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is an incredibly effective way of losing weight quickly. Done on an incline, it can definitely help engage the hip, thigh, and glute muscles to perform beyond expected. You should be able to feel your glutes clench with each step and your heart rate go at a rapid pace.

Note that you should not aim too far too fast. Instead, start HIIT on a flat treadmill surface and try to do 60 seconds on and 30 seconds off. When you’re comfortable doing this continuously for around 5 repetitions, you can increase the incline and continue with the 60-30 second cycle.

It’s also perfectly fine to perform HIIT workouts on a flat surface, that is, without engaging the incline. Note though that this might only work towards weight loss without really making your bum appear rounder and tighter.

4. Treadmill Walking Lunges

Lunges have always been an effective way of targeting the bum area. In order to do this, get your treadmill started at a slow pace and perform traditional lunges with each step. Make sure to bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and keep the glutes engaged with each step.

You can speed up the treadmill once you’re comfortable performing the lunges. Remember that safety is the primary concern here so don’t try to speed up too soon as your body gets used to the movement. If you want to further increase the intensity of the workout, you can try inclining the treadmill with the lunge.

Make Sure to Use Proper Forms to Avoid Injury

Review the proper form for treadmill use. You want to make sure that you’re doing the workout properly. Otherwise, you may only cause damage to certain body parts. Wearing the proper gear will go a long way in making sure you’re getting the most out of the workout.

A common mistake when using treadmills is that people hold onto the bars which is actually counterproductive. Walking incline on a treadmill should be done with your hands swinging by your side to maintain your balance.

How to Know If You Are Activating the Glutes

The best way to know that your glutes are activated is by simply touching them. You should be able to feel the muscles firing up as you expose them to rigorous exercise.

Note though that if you’re just starting with the workouts, the glutes may not be immediately engaged in the exercise.

Since the glutes are rarely activated throughout the day, it can take a long time to essentially warm them up. Hence, you have to dedicate hard work to get those glute muscles fired up and activated.

Choosing workouts that specifically target the bum area can help speed up this process. If you really want to make your bum smaller, it makes sense to start losing weight first and then integrate muscle building in between your cardio.

Final Thoughts

Treadmills are often seen as full-body workouts but they can actually be used to help target certain body parts like the thighs, abs, and bum. It all depends on how you intend to use the product in order to meet your current fitness goals.

Bear in mind that not all treadmills will do since some products have more features than others. If you plan to use treadmills to help with your glutes, you can apply some of the workouts mentioned here and watch your backside transform.

1. What other cardio machines can be used to tone glutes?

Elliptical exercise machines can also help in building the glutes if used correctly. This can also be integrated with HIIT workouts so you’ll burn fat and activate the bum muscles. Of course, elliptical machines and treadmills have their own pros and cons so you’d want to use them according to your fitness goals.

2. Why are my glutes not sore after working out?

If your glutes are not sore after a workout, chances are they weren’t properly activated during the routine. If you spend most of the day sitting down, then the glute muscles aren’t used to being in motion which means that it will take longer to get them activated. Focusing on the glute muscles with each workout should help fire up this body part.

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