Building a STRONG SPINE from the bottom - the Importance of GLUTEUS MAXIMUS

Because strong gluteals can not only look amazing, but can also help us prevent low back, hip, knee, achilles, ankle and foot pain as well as help us run faster, cycle further and lift more.

The gluteals are made up of three layers of muscles:

The GLUTEUS MAXIMUS  (heavy loads and explosive movements are key to work it)

 the largest and outermost of the three gluteal muscles and makes up a significant part of the shape and appearance of each side of the hips. The thick fleshy mass, in a quadrilateral shape, forms the prominence of the buttocks;

the main extensor muscle and also a strong external rotator of the hip

made up of about 70% Type I (slow-twitch muscle fibers) and 30% Type II (fast-twitch muscle fibers)

 it posteriorly tilts the pelvis (which is why cueing a posterior pelvic tilt (PPT) during certain glute moves can be key for higher glute engagement)

A study in 2010 found that "the posterior pelvic tilt effectively increased oblique and gluteus maximus recruitment, and reduced lumbar extensor recruitment.

The gluteus maximus and obliques are often termed phasic (have a propensity toward inhibition, lengthening, and/or weakness), and the lumbar extensors are often termed tonic (have a propensity toward over-activity, shortening, and trigger point development)"

Cueing the PPT to engage your glutes can help people with postural dysfunction.

A posterior pelvic tilt (PPT) is easily taught during a quadruped movement (using all four limbs for walking or running)  or even a bridge.

It may be a way to improve recruitment patterns in those individuals with low back pain, and/or an anterior pelvic tilt (APT)

If you have postural dysfunction aka struggle to engage your glutes and let your lower back take over during movements, try cueing this action.

The glute max is also so essential to train properly because of the role it plays in stabilizing the hip, knee, sacroiliac joint (SI joint) and even lumbar spine. 

A weak glute max means instability and therefore INJURY You need to train your glute max as it helps to prevent unwanted hip adduction,internal rotation and flexion when you land or decelerate (knee valgus collapse and medial knee displacement; characterized by hip adduction and hip internal rotation, usually when in a hips-flexed position (the knee actually abducts and externally rotates). It can also be thought of as knee caving as you sink down into a squat or landing)

But when you train your glute max, while many moves work both the upper and lower fibers of the muscle, you do want to note that these areas can be recruited to different degrees with different movements with the upper fibers being more involved in hip abduction and hip external rotation.

Not only can this help you further prevent injury by targeting weak areas, but if you’ve ever thought you wanted to work your upper or lower glute max more for aesthetic reasons, you can.

Because of all of these different functions and actions, it is important you do activation moves to improve your mind-body connection and build stability while also using heavier loads to challenge this very strong muscle.

Here's how to activate your Glutes

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SOURCES:
https://glutecamp.redefiningstrength.com/the-science-behind-glute-training