18/06/2026
6 months of hard work makes glute growth like this pretty god damn rewarding!!
One of the biggest myths I hear is:
“I want to grow my glutes, but I don’t want to gain body fat.”
Here’s the science.
Building lean muscle requires a sufficient energy supply. If your body doesn’t have enough calories available, it prioritises survival over growth. Muscle protein synthesis is an energy demanding process, meaning if you’re constantly under-fuelling, your body simply doesn’t have the resources to maximise muscle growth.
For Tahia, we gradually increased her intake to 2,725 calories, with 330g of carbohydrates daily. Why? Because carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source for high-quality training. They replenish muscle glycogen, improve performance, increase training volume and intensity and ultimately create the stimulus needed to grow.
Those numbers aren’t magic for ANY female; they’re specific to her.
Every body has a different maintenance intake, training load, metabolism, recovery capacity and energy expenditure. That’s why copying someone else’s macros from Instagram rarely delivers the same results.
We’ve recently transitioned to a flexible dieting approach, which has been a game changer. It allows her to consistently hit the energy targets her body needs while still enjoying the foods she loves, reducing food noise, improving adherence and making the entire process sustainable.
Did she gain a little body fat along the way? Yes.
And that’s completely normal.
You cannot expect your body to build significant amounts of muscle while refusing to give it the energy required to do so. The goal isn’t avoiding all body fat; it’s creating the best environment for lean muscle growth, then making adjustments when the time is right.
Six months later, I’d say her trust in the process paid off. 🍑
If you’re tired of spinning your wheels, under-eating, and wondering why your glutes aren’t growing, stop guessing.
DM me GLUTES or apply for 1:1 coaching, and let’s build a plan based on your body, not someone else’s.
