The treadmill is a popular piece of equipment, often used with the goal of enhancing gluteal muscles for a rounder, firmer appearance. Whether walking on a treadmill can make your bum bigger depends entirely on how you use the machine. Simply walking at a moderate pace on a flat surface primarily results in cardiovascular benefits and muscular endurance. Achieving a noticeable increase in muscle size requires the exercise to be intentionally structured to trigger muscle growth.
The Physiology of Muscle Growth
The goal of increasing muscle size, known as hypertrophy, requires stimulating muscle fibers beyond their normal capacity. This stimulation is primarily achieved through mechanical tension, the physical stress placed on the muscle during exercise. When the muscle experiences sufficient tension, it initiates signaling pathways that increase protein synthesis. This increased protein synthesis allows muscle cells to repair and grow larger over time.
For muscle growth to continue, the tension must be progressively increased, a concept known as progressive overload. If the stress remains the same, the body quickly adapts, and the muscle stops growing. Therefore, for glute growth, the treadmill workout must continually become more challenging by increasing resistance or volume. Without progressive overload, the exercise remains focused on muscle endurance and cardiovascular health, which do not lead to significant size increases.
Glute Activation During Standard Walking
Walking on a flat treadmill surface, typically at a zero or low incline, does not place enough mechanical tension on the gluteus maximus to stimulate hypertrophy. During standard walking, the gluteal muscles are primarily recruited for stability rather than power generation. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, the smaller muscles on the side of the hip, work to stabilize the pelvis and prevent tipping when one foot is off the ground.
The primary propulsion for forward movement on flat ground comes more from the hip flexors and calf muscles than the powerful gluteus maximus. This low-resistance, high-repetition activity builds muscle stamina and tones existing muscle tissue, but it does not create the necessary stress for muscle fibers to expand. Regular flat walking is excellent for overall fitness but is insufficient for increasing glute size. The stimulus must be greater than what is encountered in daily life to force muscle growth.
Optimizing Treadmill Settings for Glute Size
To shift treadmill walking from an endurance activity to a size-building exercise, you must significantly increase the resistance placed on the gluteus maximus. The most effective way to achieve this is by dramatically increasing the machine’s incline setting. Walking at an incline mimics a steep hill climb, forcing the glutes and hamstrings to work harder to extend the hip and lift the body against gravity. Studies show that incline walking increases glute muscle activation compared to walking on a flat surface.
A suitable starting point for a hypertrophy-focused glute workout is setting the incline between 10% and 15%. The speed should be challenging but sustainable, typically in the power-walking range of 3.0 to 3.5 miles per hour. This combination of high incline and moderate speed forces the glutes to contract with greater force, providing the mechanical tension needed for growth. Avoid holding onto the handrails, as leaning on them reduces the total load and removes the necessary resistance from the lower body.
For maximum results, incorporate interval training by alternating between sustained periods of high incline and short recovery periods at a lower speed. A sample structure might involve five minutes at a 12% incline followed by one minute of recovery at a 3% incline, repeated several times. As strength increases, apply progressive overload by increasing the incline, extending the duration of the high-incline periods, or slightly increasing the speed. This constant challenge forces the muscle to continually adapt and grow larger.
Dietary Requirements for Muscle Hypertrophy
Even the most optimized treadmill workout will not result in glute size increases without nutritional support. Muscle growth is an energy-intensive process requiring both building blocks and a slight caloric surplus. Protein intake is the most important factor to provide the raw materials for muscle repair and growth.
The recommended range for maximizing muscle accretion with resistance training is between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. This intake ensures enough amino acids are available to fuel the increased protein synthesis triggered by intense exercise. You must also consistently consume slightly more calories than you burn, known as a caloric surplus. A reasonable target for this surplus is often a 5% to 10% increase above maintenance calories. This slight excess of energy provides the fuel needed to build new muscle tissue rather than simply maintaining existing mass.