Why is everyone talking about glutes?
You have probably heard a lot of talk in the fitness and physical therapy world about glute activation. So…what are these muscles? Why are they so important? And how do you activate the glutes?
The Glute Muscles
There are 3 glute muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus). Located in the buttocks, these gluteal muscles stabilize the pelvis, spine and hip. See the specifics on each one below:
Glute Max – the primary hip extensor, externally rotates the hip, abducts the hip
Glute Med – abducts the hip, internally (anterior fibers) and externally rotates the hip (posterior fibers), extends the hip
Glute Min – abducts the hip, internally (anterior fibers) and externally rotates the hip (posterior fibers)
What Causes Weak Glutes?
The saying goes, “Sitting is the new smoking!” We sit for long hours at work, and then we come home and sit on the couch. Lack of blood supply and lack of activity can impact how well the glutes function. Spending a lot of time sitting tightens your hip flexors and lower back. It also weakens the opposing muscles, your abs and glutes. This muscle imbalance is called lower cross syndrome, also known as dead butt syndrome*.
Consistent muscle activity and a good exercise routine is crucial for strengthening your glutes and injury prevention. However, if you perform glute activation exercises with poor form, then you might not be targeting the muscles optimally. Hence, focusing on proper form is the key while incorporating these exercises into your workout routine.
Lastly, these muscles can be tight or overly contracted from overexertion, which also leads to the glute muscles being weak. Proper stretching and myofascial release are important to perform in order to maintain proper function of these muscle groups.
Why are the glutes so important?
Working together, the glutes hold paramount importance to stabilize the hip joint and the low back. When the glute muscle group functions well, they optimize the function of the pelvic floor, assist in posture, and improve sports performance. If these muscles are weak and underwork, other muscles and ligaments may overwork, which can lead to compensatory movements, IT band pain, low back pain, SI joint pain, hip pain, pelvic floor pain, just to name a few.
How to activate your glutes?
Exercises done properly can help to activate and strengthen the glutes. The video below features some of our favorite glute activation and glute strength beginner exercises. As your activation improves, then progressing to exercises like deadlifts, single leg deadlifts, reverse lunges, hip thrusts, donkey kicks, and squats might be appropriate. Seek out assistance from a trained professional physical therapist to help you with progression of exercises. Remember that form is key and maintaining a neutral spine and pelvic position will ensure the glutes activate optimally. See the video below to learn how to activate your glutes with these exercises demonstrated by Dr. Andrea Barberio.
Glute Activation Exercises with Resistance Band
In this video, the instructor demonstrates exercises designed to activate the glute muscles, focusing on both the gluteus medius and maximus. The first exercise involves performing glute bridges while using a resistance band placed above the knees, ensuring proper core engagement and glute contraction. The second exercise, done on hands and knees, also uses the band to strengthen the outer hips. A tall kneeling bridge, which mimics a deadlift movement, follows, emphasizing proper hip hinge and glute engagement. The final exercise utilizes a stability ball, focusing on lifting the legs while maintaining a neutral spine. These exercises are intended to help establish proper muscle activation before progressing to more advanced movements like squats and deadlifts. You can work on doing reps of 5, 8, or 10 between two to three sets for each.
Glute Bridges
- Place the band around your knees
- Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, making sure that your back and feet are flat on the floor.
- Keep your feet hip width apart.
- Do a good strong core contraction, push through your heels and push into the strap before you even go up try to engage your glutes by squeezing your butt cheeks towards each other. Then go up and hold for about three seconds.
- Then slowly lower your back down.
As you do this glute activation exercise, you should feel the engagement in the outer glutes so your glute medius and maximus, the big muscle in the back of the hips. You don’t want to feel this in your back at all so don’t lift up so high, this isn’t a yoga bridge. This is just a bridge to work the back of the hips.
On Hands & Knees
- Come to hands and knees with hands underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips
- Keep your back nice and straight
- Engage your core by drawing your belly button back towards your spine
- Push apart into the strap hold for about three to five seconds and then relax
Tall Kneel Bridge
- Come to a kneeling position
- Knees hip distance apart with the band strapped around right above your knees
- Hinge at your hips, moving your butt back and the chest down towards the floor.
- Make sure you only move your hips so your back doesn’t change shape at all maintaining a straight line
- As you come back up, push into the strap squeeze your butt cheeks and push your pelvis forward
- Once you get to the top really squeeze your glutes
If you have ever done deadlifts before, it is very similar to that type of movement. You shouldn’t feel your back muscles gripping as this is all in your glutes.
Ball Squats
- Lay on the ball with hands underneath shoulders and legs straight back behind you
- Make sure to push your pubic bone down into the ball in order to maintain a nice, flat spine in neutral position. Do not arch your back and stick your butt up in the air.
- Lift your foot off the floor, your heel driving up towards the sky and toes pointing down to the floor
- Squeeze your glute and hold for 3 seconds and come back down
- Alternate between your right and left foot, repeating the same movement
How to know if your glutes are activated and firing correctly?
There are different ways to test if your glutes are firing. Here are some basic tests to know if your glutes are activated:
- Supine Glute Squeeze: lay flat on a table of hard floor, squeeze your glutes together. If your body is lifting up when you squeeze, it means you are able to control and activate your glutes. You should also be able to squeeze each separately.
- Standing Glute Squeeze: do the same test in a standing position. You can reach out back and touch your glutes while squeezing to feel the activation and engagement.
- Sitting Glute Squeeze: perform the same squeezes while sitting
Prone Hip Extension Test is a more detailed screening that is used by physical therapists and other professionals for better observation of muscle contractions and proper firing. If you want to do it at home, you can try a simple version: Lay on a flat surface face down with your legs straight. Lift your right leg up straight and relax it back down. Repeat with the left leg. If you feel your hamstrings more and your knee bends involuntarily while lifting your leg up, this would be a sign of insufficient glute activation. For an accurate examination, it is recommended to see a professional.
Shout out to the external rotators (aka “rotator cuff of the hip”)
There are a group of smaller muscles called the external rotators in the back of the hip that are stabilizers of the hip and pelvis. While they are not considered glute muscles, they are a very crucial part of the stabilization system for your pelvis and spine. They may be weak and tight, which causes these external rotators to be dysfunctional and compromise postural stability. Performing stretching, strengthening, and myofascial release to these areas are also vital to the health of the pelvis, hip, and spine. Future blog post on these small, but mighty muscles coming soon!
Caution!
If you have pelvic pain and/or pelvic floor dysfunction, please seek out assistance from your pelvic floor physical therapist before engaging in these exercises. In pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunctions, glutes and pelvic floor muscles might be constantly clenching/spasming, and so doing the above exercises might lead to further pain and problems.
Written by Dr. Andrea Barberio, PT, DPT
