By Abhishek Behl
In the realm of fitness and strength training, achieving optimal muscle activation, strength and release are crucial for maximising performance and preventing injuries. One frequently neglected muscle group, the glutes, plays a pivotal role not only in aesthetics but also in overall lower body function, stability, and injury prevention.
As the glute muscles are one of the most utilised muscle groups in the human body, it is important to be able to implement these exercises and emphasise training the glutes to help and evolve movement patterns, whether it’s running or walking for example.
Importance of Glute Activation, Strengthening and Release Work
The glutes—comprising the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus—are the body’s largest muscles. Strong glutes contribute significantly to:
- Enhanced Athletic Performance: Improving speed, agility, and power in activities like sprinting and jumping.
- Stability and Injury Prevention: Stabilising the pelvis and hips, thereby reducing the risk of knee and lower back injuries.
- Alleviating Lower Back Pain: Strengthening weak glutes can alleviate compensatory movements that often lead to lower back discomfort.
Effective Glute Strength Exercises
Research highlights several exercises that effectively target and activate the glutes:
- Hip Thrusts: Demonstrated to elicit high glute activation compared to other exercises (Contreras et al., 2015; Andersen et al., 2020).
- Bridges: Both standard and single-leg variations effectively activate the glute muscles (Lee et al., 2017).
- Lunges and Split Squats: Enhance not only glute activation but also lower body strength and stability.
- Clamshells and Side-Lying Leg Raises: Target the gluteus medius, crucial for hip joint stabilisation.
Lacrosse Ball Glute Release Techniques
Incorporating myofascial release using a lacrosse ball can enhance the effectiveness of glute activation exercises. Here’s how to perform targeted glute release:
- Upper Glute (Gluteus Medius and Minimus): Sit on the floor with the lacrosse ball under one buttock, focusing on the upper and outer glute region. Cross the same side leg over the opposite knee to increase pressure and roll gently to release tension (Wilke et al., 2016).
- Middle Glute (Gluteus Maximus): Lie on your back with the ball positioned under the middle of one buttock, adjusting as needed to release tension (Contreras et al., 2015).
- Lower Glute (Piriformis): Lie on your back with the ball under the buttock, closer to the lower back, and cross the same side leg over the opposite knee for leverage (Wilke et al., 2016).
References
Contreras, B., Vigotsky, A. D., Schoenfeld, B. J., Beardsley, C., & Cronin, J. (2015). A comparison of gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis electromyographic activity in the back squat and barbell hip thrust exercises. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 31(6), 452-458.
Andersen, V., Fimland, M. S., & Kolnes, M. K. (2020). Effects of hip thrust training on strength and power performance in elite athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34(8), 2195-2202.
Lee, D., Lee, S., & Park, J. (2017). Comparison of the effects of hip thrust exercise and leg muscle activation exercise on the gluteus maximus and hamstring muscle activities. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 29(9), 1600-1603.
Wilke, J., Vogt, L., Niederer, D., & Banzer, W. (2016). Immediate effects of self-myofascial release on latent trigger point sensitivity: A randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Biomed Research International, 2016, 1-9.
Paoli, A., Gentil, P., Moro, T., Marcolin, G., Bianco, A. (2009). Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength. Frontiers in Physiology