Why do I feel my quads more than my glutes?

Author: Taya Rippin  |  Last update: Friday, September 5, 2025

This is a common issue, often due to tight quads dominating the movement. When your quads are short or tight, they can restrict proper hip extension, causing them to engage more than they should during a bridge.

Why do I feel it in my quads and not glutes?

Feeling glute exercises primarily in your thighs/quads instead of your glutes could indicate that those muscles are taking over the movement, possibly due to improper form or muscle imbalances.

Why are my quads growing more than my glutes?

Why do my quads grow more than my glutes? It is easier for you to gain muscle in your quads than glutes even if you are doing more glute movements. You could be quad dominant. You could be pushing through your toes. Your form could be incorrect resulting in quad dominance.

Why do I feel squats more in my thighs than glutes?

Your quadriceps are the primary mover in a squat, not the glutes, so this is to be expected. The tension in a squat actually lessens towards the top of the movement, where the glutes would be most active, so they aren't the best exercise for glutes.

Why don't I feel it in my glutes when I do squats?

The more you sit, the less you use your glute muscles. This can make it more difficult to activate them during a workout," he explains. In fact, "it's possible that you're squatting without actually activating your glutes," he says, and if your glutes aren't activating, they're not getting stronger.

4 Exercises That Built My Quads

How to fix quad dominance?

The 7 Best Exercises for Quad Dominance
  1. Bird dogs. Start kneeling down on all fours. ...
  2. 2. Box Step Ups. Start standing in front of a box, chair, or bench, with your left foot resting on the platform. ...
  3. Floor Bridges. ...
  4. Dumbbell Hip thrusts. ...
  5. Reverse Lunges. ...
  6. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts. ...
  7. Side Clams. ...
  8. Isometric Floor Bridges.

Why are my glutes not toning?

A person may have a flat butt because of age, genetics, glute use, or problems with glute activation. Luckily, you can add moves to your workout to help build bigger, stronger glutes. Those options include glute-focused cardio exercises, general glute-focused exercises, stretching, and unilateral movements.

How do I know if I'm glute or quad dominant?

If your quad muscles feel especially tight and sore post-run, you're hit with knee pain when you increase mileage, or you just don't feel the burn in your glutes when doing squats, there's a good chance you're quad dominant (or, overusing your quads).

How to isolate glutes from quads?

Glute Isolation Exercises: 7 Moves for a Stronger Butt
  1. Hip Thrusters.
  2. Lateral Step-ups.
  3. Single-Leg Glute Bridge.
  4. Donkey Kicks.
  5. Banded Lateral Side Steps.
  6. Side Lying Leg Lifts.
  7. Hip Hitch.
  8. Frequently Asked Questions.

How do I activate my glutes only?

Some of the best exercises for glute activation include the following:
  1. Full Extension Step-Up.
  2. Resistance Band Kickbacks.
  3. Wall Single-Leg Glute Bridges.
  4. Hip Drop and Lift.
  5. Toe Stab Hip Raises.
  6. Toe Up Hip Raises.
  7. Toe Down Hip Swings.
  8. Toe Up Hip Swings.

Why don't I feel my glutes in hip thrusts?

If you don't feel your glutes in hip thrusts it's likely that you're not fully externally rotating at the top of the motion! 😊 The glutes are under the most tension at the top so properly “locking out” is especially important for growth. The 8-8-8 method is great because it FORCES you to practice external rotation.

How many squats to get a bigger bum in a week?

Try doing squats, weighted lunges, donkey kicks, and glute bridges, which all target the muscles in your butt. Do 3 sets of 20 reps for each exercise, and do your butt workout every other day, at least 3 times throughout the week.

Does squeezing buttocks make it firmer?

Researchers found that those who performed gluteal squeezes increased their hip extension—or glute—strength by 16 percent compared to an 11 percent increase in those who performed glute bridges. Gluteal girth also increased in the group who performed gluteal squeezes.

How long does it take to tone glutes?

One important thing to remember is that glutes don't grow overnight. Rather, most people start seeing noticeable changes within 6-8 weeks. For others, they might notice progress around 10-12 weeks. Again, this is all based on training, diet, and - of course - body type.

What causes flat buttocks?

As you age, your butt may flatten and lose shape due to lower amounts of fat in the buttocks and loss of collagen in the skin. Dormant butt syndrome is a condition that occurs when your gluteal muscles are weak, and your hip flexors are tight causing them to not work as efficiently as they should.

How do you feel glutes instead of quads?

Focus on Form: Encouraging clients to start each squat or lunge by lowering the hips back rather than bending the knees forward helps reinforce proper muscle recruitment patterns. This shift allows the glutes to engage before the quads, ensuring they work harder during the exercise.

Can you grow glutes with bad genetics?

The truth is that not everyone will get what they consider the perfect glutes unless their genetics make it so, but that doesn't mean you can't make some progress with training. Eat right, strengthen the glutes, and anyone can get better, if not perfect, glutes.

Are squats more quads or glutes?

The narrower your squat stance, the more you will activate your quads. A wider stance causes more glute activation. Therefore, if you'd like to target your quads more, narrow your squat stance, and if you'd like to target your glutes more, widen your stance. Use both types of squats to strengthen your legs and glutes.

Why is my bum not perky?

IT'S MAINLY ABOUT THE FATIt's true that exercising regularly helps greatly to firm up your butt, but one of the biggest issues is fat. The butt (along with the waist and upper thighs) is a magnet for fat. It stores fat to be used as energy by the body when you don't get enough food.

How to fix dead butt syndrome?

Bridges, planks, squats, and leg lifts may all be done while lying down to keep your glutes in the greatest shape possible. Adding a band or an ankle weight for further resistance can be advantageous in some cases. If you have to sit for a good portion of your day, at least switch things up a bit.

Which sleeping position reduces buttocks?

Also, sleeping in the fetal position weakens the butt and that position, too, is very popular. “Sitting for extended periods throughout the day weakens the glute muscles and puts strain on other parts of our core, as does sleeping in the fetal position,” explained Kolba.

Is it bad to be quad dominant?

However, being quad dominant—meaning you over rely on this muscle group—can cause problems, like knee pain, for runners. If you've ever noticed hamstring or back tightness, never felt your glutes “turn on” during a leg workout, or you lack that explosive kick to finish out a sprint, you could be a quad-dominant runner.

Why do I never feel workouts in my glutes?

With many people sitting down for large portions of their day, glute activation is reduced, and these muscles become weaker than they should be. For more active people, reduced glute strength and poor activation can result from an over-reliance on other muscles during athletic or everyday movements.

What are the symptoms of weak glutes?

Watch out for the following symptoms to determine if you have weakness in your gluteus medius:
  • Chronic muscle pain in the joints and groin area.
  • Internal rotation of the knees.
  • Abnormal movement pattern due to weak abductor muscles.
  • Muscle tightness as the body compensates for the lack of hip stability and control.

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