It’s easier said than done for a lot of people, even though the gluteus maximus is the biggest muscle in our bodies.
That alone tells us we are meant to rely heavily on it, most obviously for lifting, lowering, standing and sitting. Yet most people I see fail to use their bum muscles correctly for their primary purposes.
The glutes should be the prime movers when we sit, stand and squat, supporting our vulnerable frames; in particular our pelvis, hips, legs and lower back. But with a life where so much time is spent seated, we have ceased using the glutes as intended. Instead we have an over-reliance on quadriceps and hip flexors when we stand, and lower back when we lift. This increases the potential for alignment issues and the likelihood of injuries in the hip, pelvis, knees, spine, and ankles.
It is not hard to spot it in people when you know what you are looking for.
A lack of engagement of the glutes is characterised by those who lean forward onto the front portion of their feet when they squat, with the knees extending beyond the toes. This takes the weight off the glutes but places strain on the knees to act as your brakes and shock absorbers, with worn meniscus cartilage a likely outcome. Another sure sign is a client who, when squatting, drops down the last bit and bounces, indicating a lack of glute control and placing all the pressure on the knee joint and lower back.
For most, rectifying this is a confidence thing. You gotta trust your glutes again.
If you are using your glutes you are controlling the low phase of the squats, so the glutes are controlling the weight, not you back and knees.
It isn’t purely physical. You also have to get your nervous system to re-figure out the movement pattern you ceased using so long ago. You have to get you brain and your muscles talking, via your nerves. It takes time, commitment and practice and there will probably be some frustration on the way. But success is greatly rewarding for client and trainer alike. It is like discovering an inner strength you didn’t realise you had – which it is.
“Squeeze your bum muscles as you sit slowly”
An easy way to start is by simply sitting and standing. Here is the catch – you need to focus just a little to get the right muscles working. As you sit on a stool or bench behind you, try and slow the lowering phase of the sit for as long as possible, ensuring your glutes are activated as you do (squeeze/flex your bum muscles as you are sitting, slowly). If there is a weakness in glute activity, gravity will take over and you will fall the last part onto the seat. This is better than throwing that weight forward and putting the pressure onto your knees.
As you stand up there will be a temptation to lean forward to get some momentum and pull up using your quadriceps and hip flexors. Don’t – use you bum instead. Try to keep the forward lurch to a minimum when you stand, which will require you to use your glutes to stabilise you and drive you up to standing position. As you develop the habit of activating your glutes (and core) regularly it will be come a semi-automatic response, which will lead to better movement patterns, better posture, stronger muscles, joints and bones and less likelihood of chronic conditions.
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