|
G for Glutes
The gluteus maximus muscle group, know as the the glutes, is part of the buttocks and is regarded as one of the strongest muscles in the human body. It is connected to the coccyx or tailbone and is responsible for hip extension.
For example,
standing up from a sitting position, climbing stairs, and staying in an erect position are all dependent on the glutes.
Weak glutes are usually caused by
sitting for too long, sleeping in the fetal position, and lack of exercise. Additionally, the hip flexors become short and tight, putting
pressure and strain on other parts of your body. This can cause pain in your back, hips, and knees, especially when you exercise. Eventually this may lead to hamstring and knee injuries.
Below
is a simple test you can perform to test whether your glutes are working properly.
Stand in front of a chair
with your feet shoulder width apart and knees just barely touching the chair. Squat down, keeping your torso erect and your arms out in front of you. If your knees push the chair forwards your glutes are probably weak or dormant and you are recruiting your quads to compensate.
Obviously, learning to perform squats correctly can help this problem. I'll be covering how to perform squats and other lower body compound exercises in more detail in my upcoming "L for Legs" newsletter.
More commonly, the glutes need to be strengthened independently before progressing to squats. The following exercise is a simple method for activating and strengthening the glutes.
Lying prone alternating hip extension
Lie face down on the floor with your arms out in front with the palms down and your forehead resting on the ground. Lift your right leg off the floor, keeping your leg straight. Focus on lifting and squeezing your right glute. Hold the squeeze for a second or two before slowly returning the leg to the floor. Repeat with the other side. Alternate sides for a total of 20 reps. Rest 30-40 seconds before repeating. Once this gets easier you can try performing 12-15 repetitions with the right leg before repeating with the left. Perform 2-3 sets every other day.
|
