'Nice Bum, Bro': In Cultural Shift, Straight Guys are Appreciating Buff Backsides

Are we witnessing the advent of what will be, in time, the butt of jokes to come? Or is it the start of an invigorating cultural rumpus? Either way, straight men are catching on to what was once an asset for the gay male gaze: A appreciation for the toned male backside – and gym bros are structuring their workouts accordingly.

"After decades of gym culture prioritizing biceps and six-packs, glutes are finally having their time in the spotlight," GQ reports.

The trend of prioritizing plump, firm posteriors isn't limited to the bodybuilding arena, though. A prime peach has also become a focus for those seeking cosmetic surgeries.

"In 2023, more than 400 men in the U.S. got Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), and plastic surgeons say interest in male glute enhancements is growing," GQ's writeup noted.

Where body awareness goes, fashion follows.

"Brands are rolling out butt-enhancing leggings, underwear, and even chinos," the article added. "Popular fitness influencers are now speaking directly to men about how to build a shelf butt, and guys are showing up to workout classes like Pilates that prioritize glute strength."

"It was once laughed at," marveled trainer John Rusin, of Pain-Free Performance, to the men's magazine. "And now people are standing in line at commercial centers to use the hip thrust machine."

"As the appetite among men to be caked up rises," the writeup reflected, "it's bumping up against decades of gym culture that treated the lower body as an afterthought."

But that's changing now, as the once-barely acknowledged "leg day" morphs into a whole new genre of booty-conscious body building and the "shelf butt" struts into vogue.

"Kevin, 33, says that his butt is the body part he gets complimented on the most – by men and women," GQ details.

"I have a huge ass that has been used as a pillow," the young man told the publication, which wrote that Kevin isn't "trying to sculpt a shelf butt on purpose, but he's aware of how it plays in dating. People notice, he says, and he's definitely into it when other guys have one, too."

GQ took a look at the kinds of athletes for whom a well-developed set of gluteals are key to top performance – "sprinters, soccer players, and football stars" – and noted that, "Their power, agility, and resilience all come from below the waist."

Added the report: "Strong glutes also help you move better: Protecting the knees; supporting the hips; reducing lower back pain; and making lifting, carrying, running, and jumping more efficient."

The long list of health benefits is one thing, but pure beauty is another.

"Maybe it's a little biology, but they look healthier," a woman named Rae told GQ. "Healthy men take care of themselves, and somewhere in my brain, it's connected to the idea that I won't have to nag them to take care of themselves.

"And they're just hotter – point blank."

Agreed another young woman, Taylor, said, "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."

What residual resistance there remains to focusing on a toned tail comes partly from the fact that working out the body's lower regions is harder than training standard macho terrain like shoulders, chest, biceps, and abdominals. "Honestly, it's fucking painful," GQ quoted one dude as saying; "It takes a hell of a lot more mental energy to go to failure on legs than upper body."

But there's also a lingering aura of homophobia around neglecting the hindquarters during workouts.

"Men just love the ego drive of throwing a bar on their back and acting like squats save everyone from cancer," Rusin told GQ. "I think [direct glute work] has been polarized with Instagram culture where nobody wants to be mistaken for a booty chick."

May that attitude continue to evolve toward an aesthetic of booty chic!