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How big are 36 inch hips? (for women and men)

How big are 36 inch hips? (for women and men)

If you have 36 inch hips, then you have a rather average hip size for women who are in shape (in the general population, they’re slightly smaller than usual). What I mean by this is that, while 36″ hips aren’t huge, they are a strong indication that you have a fit and healthy body.

So don’t think that you need to make your hips wider if they’re 36 inches. Indeed, many—but not all—people who have hips that are much larger than 36 inches are carrying excess body fat, which is obviously not ideal for enjoying optimal health.

If you want to learn more, then you can check out our average buttocks size guide or read the articles linked below.

Are 36 inch hips big for a woman?

A woman showing her 36 inch hips

Are 36 inch hips big for a woman or not? No, according to US anthropometric data, 36 inch hips are not big for a woman because, statistically, they’re 4 inches smaller than average. So while 36 in hips aren’t exactly slim, they’re not huge either.

Now, just because your 36″ hips are smaller than average doesn’t mean that they’re too small. You definitely shouldn’t feel pressured to increase your 36 inch hip size because 36 inches really is a good measurement for many women.

Indeed, if you genuinely have 36 inch hips, then it’s very likely that you have a healthy body weight and a healthy amount of body fat (not too much and not too little).

Of course, the size of your waist definitely affects your hips. Specifically, the smaller your waist is in relation to your hips, the broader your hips will look. So, with a narrow waist, your hips can actually look much bigger than 36 inches.

Research also shows that those with a high waist-to-hip ratio are more likely to need health care than those with a low ratio. [1] So if you have 36″ hips, then there’s a pretty strong chance that you have a narrow waist and, therefore—at least based on this marker—a healthy body.

Are 36 inch hips small for a man?

A person with a 36 inch butt

Are 36 inch hips small for a man? Yes, according to the data, 36 inch hips are around 3 inches smaller than average for an adult male. So if you have 36″ hips, then you’re definitely on the slim side.

But again, having 36 in hips as a man is completely fine. It’s much better to be lean and muscular with 36 inch hips than it is to have hips that are way bigger but which also have a lot of excess body fat.

I would also guess that many of the men who were measured for the research (there were over 7,000 of them) weren’t in great shape. So if you’re quite lean, then you might actually have more gluteal muscle mass than people who have a larger hip measurement than you, if that makes sense.

The size of your hips takes into account your body fat, your bone structure, and your glute size. So, in a way, your body composition is much more important than the number on the tape when it comes to evaluating how your hips actually look.

What do 36 inch hips look like?

A woman's 36 inch booty

What do 36 inch hips look like? In general, 36 inch hips look fairly slim if your waist is quite large. But, depending on the size of your waist, you can have an hourglass figure (if you’re a woman) with a 36 inch hip size.

Indeed, the slimmer that your waist is, the broader your 36 in hips will look. In other words, you’ll have a low waist-to-hip ratio, which is actually a strong indicator of your physical health status.

Additionally, 36 inch hips will look much wider on a woman than on a man seeing as women typically have significantly smaller waistlines than men do. This is why I say that your 36 inch hips can actually look quite big if you have a narrow waist.

So, in summary, how your 36″ hips will actually look is highly dependent on your waist and, to a slightly lesser extent, your bust as well.

What size are 36 inch hips?

A chart showing what size 36 inch hips are in women's clothing

What size are 36 inch hips in women’s clothing? It depends on the brand, but in many cases, 36 inch hips are equal to a women’s size small, which works out at a US size 4-6.

How can you grow your 36 inch butt?

A woman doing glute bridges

If you want to grow your 36 inch butt, then the best thing that you can do is train your glutes. As noted earlier, your hip size is derived from your gluteal muscle mass as well as your bone structure and body fat.

And, since the glutes are a very strong and powerful muscle, they often have a ton of growth potential if you perform the right exercises on a consistent basis.

Research shows that there are many excellent glute-building exercises that you can do to grow your 36 inch booty. Some of the most effective movements are hip thrusts, squats, split squats, and step-ups. [2]

Any exercise that really stretches your glutes (such as split squats) is bound to result in a potent hypertrophic stimulus, which is why squats have long been a favorite drill of those seeking to build their glutes.

Yet, for pure glute isolation, hips thrusts are number one. If you’re serious about growing your 36 inch butt, then I recommend doing some kind of hip thrust twice per week.

In conclusion: Is having 36″ hips a good thing?

A woman showing her 36 inch hip

Let me put it to you like this: A given hip measurement is only ever a bad thing if it’s indicative of some kind of problem. So, since virtually nobody with 36 inch hips is likely to be underweight or overweight, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having 36 in hips.

Now, you can, of course, be perfectly healthy and happy with your body while having hips that are larger than 36 inches.

The point is simply that 36″ hips are a great, shapely, and healthy size for women and men. Many people who work out have a 36 inch hip size, as do a number of other individuals who are less active.

References

  1. Andreacchi, A. T., Griffith, L. E., Guindon, G. E., Mayhew, A., Bassim, C., Pigeyre, M., Stranges, S., & Anderson, L. N. (2021). Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body fat in relation to health care use in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. International Journal of Obesity, 45(3), 666–676. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-020-00731-z
  2. Neto, W.K., Soares, E.G., Vieira, T.L., Aguiar, R., Chola, T.A., Sampaio, V.D., & Gama, E.F. (2020). Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. Journal of sports science & medicine, 19 1, 195-203 .