Are your glutes firing?

One of the biggest surprises of athletic training, as well as general fitness, is the serious neglect shown to the body's big hunk of hip-extension meat, the Glutes.

Without proper motor patterns and activation potential, the gluteus complex is vastly under-utilized. This lack of training, or reinforcement of bad patterns, can lead to incredibly significant imbalances around the hip girdle and low back. Quite often, the population of people that are required to sit for innumerable hours at work on a day-to-day basis exasperate these imbalances as they emerge as completely unique conditions, such as back pain.

To combat the gluteus complex's loneliness and reinforce proper motor patterns, one of the most useful, yet simple, exercises is the "heel drag"(in classic Jane Fonda fashion).

To execute the heel drag:

1) Lay on one side, parallel to a wall, with about six inches in-between the wall and any point of your backside.

2) To start the movement with the top foot by applying pressure into the wall with your heel.

3) With slow and controlled movement, elevate your heel along the wall to the highest point possible, with a focus on contracting the glutes, then lower back down to the starting position.

4) Repeat with both legs for multiple sets of high reps(10-15).

With this simple movement, an athlete or weekend warrior can progressively strengthen and stabilize some of the most essential muscles of the body. Recommended for all, heel drags and glute activation exercises need special attention as an integral part of every training program to ensure that the lower body has a solid foundation for development.

Cheers