Coach Nic talks about the importance of glute training

May 1st, 2017 by

These pics were taken the days following Easter weekend and there is about a 2 pound difference between each one. I personally use the definition in my glutes as a gauge to determine how much water/fat I am holding. The glutes are comprised of three main muscles; gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Besides adding roundness to your behind and filling out your favorite jeans they play an important functional role in your body’s alignment.

Function
The glute muscles stabilize your pelvis during running and walking. You need strong glutes to help with hip extension and forward propulsion. Proper alignment of the pelvis, torso and legs also depend on strong glutes. Strong glutes ensure you keep proper form during weight training, especially lower body exercises, so your knees are protected.

Injury
If your glutes are not strong, your entire lower body alignment may fall out of balance — causing problems such as Achilles tendinitis, shin splints, runner’s knee and iliotibial band syndrome. When the glutes are not strong enough to do their job of extending the hip and pushing the body forward, other muscles not as well designed for the job take over. The hamstrings, low back, quadriceps and calves may become disproportionately strong — increasing your risk of injury.

Power
The gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the body, can produce an enormous amount of power. Strengthen this muscle to sprint faster, become more agile, jump higher, cycle more powerfully and lift heavier weights during squats and deadlifts.

Back Health
Strong glutes support the back. When your glutes aren’t activating as they should, your psoas muscle, a hip flexor that runs from the spine to the legs, takes over. An overstressed psoas may cause back pain and compression in the lower lumbar vertebrae of the spine.

So make sure you are not just sitting on yours all day. Add some direct glute training to your gym routine for a strong well balanced physique.