Men like big butts and they cannot lie.
For decades, straight men often ignored their glutes in the gym, not wanting to draw attention to their butts and focusing rather on their abs or biceps.
Now, the derriere is having its day.
Many fitness influencers are now tailoring their content to show men their go-to exercises for a “shelf-like butt,” and more and more men are showing up to Pilates and other classes that focus on the glutes.
“It is trending more the last few years than the last few decades in my career,” John Rusin, a physical therapist and personal trainer with Pain-Free Performance, told GQ.
“It was once laughed at. And now people are standing in line at commercial centers to use the hip thrust machine.”
Conversations around male bodies and physiques aren’t as common as the same conversations had around female bodies.
Other than the “dad bod,” the societal standard for male body seems to have remained the same: broad shoulders, big arms, sturdy chest, mostly ignoring the lower body altogether.
“The ability to have a bigger, broader shoulder, a V taper-style of torso — it’s the separator from men and women many times,” Rusin explained. “Many men think it’s more masculine to be able to have bigger, broader shoulders, big chest, biceps, upper body. The lower body just goes to the wayside.”
But times are changing.
“I’ve seen a major evolution in how men approach glute training, and we’re seeing a growing focus on functional glute strength,” Juddy Ferguson, F45 headquarters senior athletics educator, said.
GQ spoke to several fit fellas about their glute goals.
“When I started taking fitness more seriously, a nice butt became my top goal,” said 33-year-old Rich, adding that he was drawn to the killer cabooses of the superheroes he read about in comic books.
Kevin, also 33, added that his butt is the body part he gets the most praise for from both men and women.
“I have a huge ass that has been used as a pillow,” he confessed, adding that “people notice” his butt and it’s certainly played a role in his love life.
Ass aesthetics do pay off in the dating field — as a GQ poll revealed that a readers indeed “love a good man butt.”
“There’s nothing worse than a guy that has a great upper body but two toothpicks for legs,” Taylor, 29, told GQ. “My boyfriend has a literal shelf butt and looks really strong. So much of the power when he’s doing sports — or having sex, TMI — comes from the lower half of his body.”
However, not every guy is willing to go the extra mile for a well-endowed rear. While over 90% of Brazilian butt lift patients are women, more than 400 men in the US got BBLs in 2023 — and the interest keeps growing.
According to Allure Esthetic Plastic Surgery, a “male BBL” is specifically customized to leave a more sculpted and masculine contour, ensuring that it looks “proportionate and natural to the male physique.”
A good butt isn’t just a sight to see — it’s also a sign of psychical strength.
“The glutes are the powerhouse of the entire body,” Rusin said. “They sit on the backside of the hip, which is the second most mobile joint in the body, and are really active in every single movement that you could possibly think of.”
“Whether you’re a man or woman, you can’t afford not to train them,” he added.
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