How to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

Co-authored by Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS

Last Updated: March 21, 2024 Approved

With most cultures obsessed with being slim and losing weight, people who want to gain weight often have a hard time finding resources to help them. In trying to gain weight safely, you will need to follow a healthy diet and exercise plan. ^{[1]
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Expert Source

Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS
Board Certified Family Medicine Specialist

Expert Interview. 8 May 2020.} Gaining weight in specific areas, such as your hips, requires a targeted workout that will build the sets of muscles that surround those areas. When you gain inches or centimeters around your hips, you will also need to expect your bottom or butt to grow as well. Gain an inch on your hips by creating a workout that will target that area and by eating more calories to support the growth of muscle around the hips.

Things You Should Know

Target your upper legs and glutes with hip bridges, squats, lunges, and leg raises. Use cardio machines like the stairmaster, elliptical, or a bike 1–2 times a week for 30 minutes. Personal trainer Landis Owens also advises “putting more protein in [your] food…to build that hourglass body.”

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Doing Aerobic Exercises to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

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1
Use the stair master. Cardio exercises, like using the stair master, can help build the muscles around your hips and butt. Incorporating the stair master as a form of cardio can help increase the size of your hips. ^{[2]
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Research source}
- Studies have shown that the stair master recruits about 24% of your glutes and hip muscles.
- Use the stair master 1-2 times a week for at least 30 minutes per session.
- To make this exercise more challenging and target your hips and butt, lean forward when stepping and do not hold onto the side rails. This forces your body to use your butt muscles more significantly.
- Also take large steps - almost as if you were taking two at a time. This actives a large portion of those muscles.
2
Hop on the elliptical. Another cardio machine that can help tone your butt, hips and increase the size of your hips is the elliptical. It gives you the opportunity to really work those muscles.
- The elliptical machine recruits about 36% of your butt and hip muscles. This is slightly more than the stair master.
- Use the elliptical for at least 30 minutes. However, to get a well rounded workout, try doing 15 minutes of the stair master plus 15 minutes on the elliptical.
- To help target your hip and butt muscles, really focus on pressing down your foot, heel first. Also ease your hips backwards a bit, so that your butt is popping out a bit. This position helps specifically target those muscles.
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3
Walk or jog on the treadmill. Running is a great cardio exercise. In general, it's a great way to target your butt and hips. However, using a treadmill allows you to use the incline function making this machine a great way to increase your hip size. ^{[3]
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- Walking or jogging on the treadmill recruits the highest amount of your hip and butt muscles - almost 50%.
- Walk or jog on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes. Again, doing a combination of multiple cardio exercises can help work your butt and hips in different ways giving a better overall workout.
- To really target those hips, increase the incline on your treadmill. This places more stress on your glutes and hips and also give your bottom half more definition.
- Another option is to walk sideways on a treadmill. Set the treadmill on an incline and start at a slow pace. Cross your legs over one another to walk sideways. This will give your hips the tension they need to induce muscle growth.
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Laila Ajani
Fitness Trainer
Laila Ajani is a Fitness Trainer and founder of Push Personal Fitness, a personal training organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 13 years as a trainer and exercise specialist, Laila has expertise in competitive athletics (gymnastics, powerlifting, and tennis), personal training, distance running, and Olympic lifting. Laila is certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), and USA Powerlifting (USAPL), and she is a Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES).

Laila Ajani
Fitness Trainer

Make your treadmill workouts more engaging. Make a playlist of your favorite workout songs, watch a fitness class, or try a dance routine from YouTube. Break your cardio routine into 10-minute intervals on the treadmill, bike, rowing machine, and elliptical instead of doing a full 40 minutes only on the treadmill.
4
Take a spin class. If you want to burn a lot of calories while toning your hips, consider taking a spin class. It's a great exercise to help strengthen and tone your hips, butt and thighs. ^{[4]
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- Spin classes recruit many of the muscles around your hip and butt. The up and down positioning and varying resistances help make this a great exercise to increase your hip size.
- To help really target those hips, sit farther back on the bike seat and really focus on pushing down hard on those pedals. You may even want to increase the resistance.
- If you're in a standing position on your bike, really stick your butt out far behind you. This position is another one that will require you to stabilize your body with your butt and hip muscles.
Your exercise plan should include at least one day of rest per week, to prevent plateaus and give your body time to recover. Mix up your workouts and their intensity to keep yourself motivated.

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Incorporating Targeted Strength Training Exercises

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1
Do bridges. There are a variety of strength training exercises that can help build mass and define both your butt and hips. The bridge exercise or butt lift is a great exercise to include that will recruit both your butt and hip muscles. ^{[5]
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- Lay down on your back to start this exercise. Keep arms flat on the floor beside you and bend your knees into a 90 degree angle. Your feet should be flat on the floor.
- With your knees bent, press your pelvis up in the air pushing upwards with your glutes. Stop when your back is in a straight line.
- Hold this position for as long as you can. Slowly lower your butt back down to the ground and repeat this exercise a few more times.
2
Incorporate squats. Squats are a classic exercise that can help tone your entire lower body. However, squats specifically recruit your glutes and hip muscles. Plus, with a few variations, you can really hone in on your hips. ^{[6]
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- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and toes facing out at a 45 degree angle from your body.
- Squat deeply with your knees, keeping your back straight. Dip down until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Your butt should be pushed back out behind you.
- Hold your squat here for a few seconds and then push yourself back up to the standing position. Try to push using your glute muscles.
- To make squats more challenging, hold two dumbbells (one in each hand) or hold a barbell over your shoulders.
- To target your hips even more, add a side leg raise. When you come back up to your standing position, extend one leg straight out to the side. Alternate sides with each squat.
3
Try doing lunges. Like squats, lunges are a classic move that target your butt and hips. The need to help you balance and be stable really requires strength from your hips. ^{[7]
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- Stand up straight with your feet about hip width apart. While holding weights, step forward with your right leg about 3-4 feet.
- Dip down so that your right knee bends forward and your left leg knee drops to the floor. Lower down until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Push back up to the starting position. Make sure to push back up with your right leg - not your left leg. Repeat on the other side and do about 8 lunges per side.
- A variation of lunges that can help target the hips in a different way are side lunges. Instead of stepping forward, step outwards to the side. Alternate between both legs.
4
Try side leg raises. One particular exercise that really targets your hip muscles are side leg raises. Incorporate this exercise in addition to lunges, squats and bridges. ^{[8]
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- Lay down on the floor your right side. Place your right arm so that your hand cradles your head and your upper arm is flat on the ground. Your left hand can rest on your hip or the ground in front of you.
- While tightening your abdominal muscles, slowly lift your left leg up into the air. Keep your leg perfectly straight and your toes flexed.
- Lift your leg as high as you can comfortably. Hold your leg in this position for a few seconds and then slowly lower back down.
- Repeat this move 8-10 times on the right leg. Then, roll over and repeat the same exercise on the right side.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Eating to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

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1
Increase your calorie intake daily. In order to gain an inch on your hips, you will need to eat a little more. You need extra calories to help give your body the fuel it needs to increase the size of your hips.
- Just like with weight loss, you cannot spot treat with weight gain. You will need to gain weight safely and slowly over your whole body to see your hips increase in size. ^{[9]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
- You can do this by adding about 250-500 calories to your typical daily intake.
- For example, if you currently eat 1,800 calories per day, try increasing your daily caloric intake to 2,050 - 2,300.
- Try using a food journal or journaling app on your smart phone to calculate your current calorie intake. That way, you'll know what level to aim to gain weight.
2
Eat 3 meals daily plus a snack or two. In order to increase your total calorie intake, you'll need to increase how much you're eating. You can increase your portion size or eat more frequently throughout the day.
- One of the easiest and more simple ways to gain weight, is by eating more frequently throughout the day. ^{[10]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
- Try adding in a 4th small meal or adding 1-2 snacks a day in addition to your typical 3 meals per day. ^{[11]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS
  Board Certified Family Medicine Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 8 May 2020.}
- Eating more frequently can help prevent you from getting overly full from larger meals and keep you feeling energetic throughout the day.
3
Choose nutritious, calorie-dense foods. Another factor you'll need to focus on is the types of foods you eat. You need to add in foods that are higher in calorie so that those extra meals or snacks add up to be the needed 250-500 calories per day. ^{[12]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Calorie-dense foods will help you meet a higher calorie target a little more easily. For example, adding in a small salad as a fourth meal will only add about 100 calories or less.
- Instead, focus on foods like that are higher in calories. Foods that are higher in protein and healthy fats are a good place to start. Try: nuts, avocados, dairy products, eggs and fatty fish.
- For example, you can add healthy calories with snacks like: peanut butter and an apple, 2 hard boiled eggs, trail mix, or full fat greek yogurt with nuts.
- Avoid adding calories with unhealthy foods like sweets, fried foods, fast food and junk food.
4
Focus on protein. While increasing your calories, you should also focus on making sure your diet is protein-rich. This is essential as protein is an important nutrient for muscle synthesis and energy. ^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- To ensure you're getting in an adequate amount of protein everyday, include 1-2 servings of protein per meal.
- Each serving should be measured for accuracy. Measure out about a 1/2 cup or a 3-4 oz portion per serving. ^{[14]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
  U.S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research
  Go to source}
- Try foods like: poultry, beef, pork, dairy products, eggs, nuts, beans, tofu and seafood.
- Protein shakes are another healthy option. ^{[15]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS
  Board Certified Family Medicine Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 8 May 2020.}
- While eating a protein-rich diet is important, still eat a wide variety of other foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Workout Routines and Foods to Eat and Avoid

Aerobic Routine to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

Strength Training Routine to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

Foods to Eat and Avoid to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

Expert Q&A

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Question

What foods will help me gain weight safely?

Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS
Board Certified Family Medicine Specialist
Dr. Pouya Shafipour is a Family Medicine Specialist, Primary Care Physician, and a Weight Loss Specialist based in Santa Monica, California. Dr. Shafipour specializes in dietary, nutritional, behavioral, and exercise counseling to manage obesity and medical conditions related to excessive weight gain or loss. Dr. Shafipour received a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, an MS in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University, and an MD from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in general surgery at UC Irvine and a residency in family medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and became board certified in family medicine in 2008.

Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS

Board Certified Family Medicine Specialist

Expert Answer

Weight gain is generally more challenging than weight loss and requires a healthy diet high in complex carbohydrates, fruits, and healthy protein.

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Question

Will these exercises gives me bigger hips in two to three weeks?

Patricia Somers, RD, PhD
Registered Dietitian
Patricia Somers is a Registered Dietitian and an Associate Professor of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her RD from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 1979 and her PhD in Educational Administration (Higher Education Specialization) from the University of New Orleans. She received an Emerging Scholar Award from the American Association of University Women and the Faculty Excellence Award in Research from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock.

Patricia Somers, RD, PhD

Registered Dietitian

Expert Answer

No, it takes 6-8 weeks to see a substantial change. Be consistent in your workouts, and be patient with yourself.

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Tips

Keep a training log to track your progress. You can record workouts, mark your hip measurements and make notes of any special challenges or victories you encounter while adding an inch to your hips.

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Try tracking your percentage of body fat, which some scales can measure in addition to weight. This can be motivating and gives you a realistic look at the changes in your body.

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Break up your goal into smaller subgoals. Instead of trying to gain an inch on your hips, concentrate on the fact that all you need to do is gain half-an-inch per hip (since you have two of them hips). Gaining half-an-inch is twice as easy. And that's modern math for you.

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How to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

Things You Should Know

Steps

Doing Aerobic Exercises to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

Incorporating Targeted Strength Training Exercises

Eating to Gain an Inch on Your Hips

Workout Routines and Foods to Eat and Avoid

Expert Q&A

Tips

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