Has anyone successfully been able to get sleepy GLUTE(S) to activate & do their job??

[Debbie S.]

First, I want to thank Rosepetal and everyone else for your suggestions.

I am dealing with some muscle atrophy in my right glute. It the result from a fall that I had 4 1/2 years ago. I fell and landed on our concrete step and ended up in ER. I had a HUGE hematoma on my right glute and the attending doctor said that the risk of infection to drain it was not worth the risk and to let my body absorb the blood. It took months for the hematoma to reside, and today I have scar tissue, an indentation where I made impact with the step, and atrophy and pain from the point of impact. The pain starts where the indentation is, wraps around my right hip and goes down towards my knee.

It's been tough getting that area to respond. So far, I have found that kettlebell swings seem to be the best, but I walk a fine line here. Too much leaves my right hip and leg very sore.

Liz, I watched some of the clip last night, and I have been doing the clam wrong. I'm going to try it this morning.

[Vintage VFer]

Here is an article that was linked to from VF a while ago. It has some of the same photos and the same model demonstrating the exercises:

http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/fr..._glutes_really

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[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by Liz N

However, I do like this great Aussie Youtube presentation on how to do clams.

Thanks for the link.

I would think that the pretzel and some of the Callanetics moves would also be useful.

The is a killer pretzel section in Tracy Effinger's Squeeze Stronger. Also, I like some of the moves in Brazil Butt Lift High & Tight.

[Sophie]

lazy left glute is one of the things I've been working on for a while, but it's still not as active/strong as my right. It's certainly a factor in my ongoing knee issues. I notice it in all kinds of things, even cardio like Zumba - hip swivels are harder on that side - and in yoga; my range of motion is limited there also.

For me, a "diagnostic" is one of Jill Miller's cue in lunge: when in lunge, isometrically pull back on the glute of the front leg to deepen the stretch in hip flexor of the back leg. I can feel my right glute fire right away, whereas my left glute takes a while to activate, and not as strongly.

For my own body, large movements like KB swings are less useful to me because it's too easy for other muscles to take over (although I do KB work regularly for all sorts of other reasons). But to specifically target the activation issue, I have to focus on small, isolated movements, like clams and bridge work, and detailed cueing like the kind in Jill's Miller's work. Glute focused barre work is also very helpful for me, as is Tonique type matwork.

Actually, I just tried my Jill Miller test and it seems I've regressed a bit...sigh. I know I've been lazy lately with bridge work so I guess I need to re-focus on it.

eta: I think when we're talking about glutes, some of us are also talking about the hip rotators. That's certainly true in my case, which is also why work like the hip list (this appears in Katie Bowman and Jill Miller's stuff) is also important for me. I feel that one for days afterwards, particularly the versions when you're on your knees.

here's a version: Asymmetrical stretch for the hips (though this is as much a strengthener as a stretch)

[Fidget Queen]

rosepetals,

So inspiring, and so uplifting that you are working on reversing these issues. You've done great and thanks for the information.



For those of us with SI Joint issues, my chiropractor adamantly believes that this inability to activate the glutes in all of our activities is a large cause of unstable SI Joints. I'm not the best with my PT exercises, so I can't speak (yet) for how well they work, but she claims some of the best exercises for glute activation and muscle building for stabilization are:

1. Firewalkers with the band. You do them ala Cathe from side-to-side, but also in a lunging fashion forward and backward, staying as low as possible the whole time. (These are what I do late at night when I have restless legs ).

2. Wall sits with the stability ball.

3. Single leg chair squats. I am horrible at this, but it's a big move in kettlebells, I think?? What's it called?

4. Hamstring pull-ins with the stability ball.

5. One-on-one pilates with an instructor (have not done yet)

6. Any kind of "floor work" done properly. I think Barre fits in perfectly here, as does Margaret Richards.

[bubbles76]

Originally Posted by Alta-tude

Here is an article that was linked to from VF a while ago. It has some of the same photos and the same model demonstrating the exercises:

http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/fr..._glutes_really

.

I tried this test last night. Well, the first one. Could not get either leg off the ground, and my glutes look fine to me. Hubby walks by, and is like "What are you doing?". So I show him. Not only does he get both legs off the ground, but they are HIGH off the ground. He looks at me, puzzled, as if to say "but this is easy".

I mean, I always knew he had a great LOOKING butt, however it's nice to know it's strong too

[toaster]

This is a really interesting thread. Although I have noticed a difference between how my left/right glutes look (with the right, my dominant side, appearing less toned), I haven't had any of the pain issues that others are describing. However, I have had another issue on that side which maybe is related, although it's kind of hard to describe.

If I sit in a chair, pull my leg into my chest, and then reach down to clasp my foot, I can do this with either leg. I can also then straighten either leg (or at least mostly straight--if I'm warmed up!), but I have a much easier time doing this on the left. On the left, as I straighten the leg, the leg, the leg remains between my two arms. On the right, however, as I start straightening the leg, the leg (I guess maybe the hip) wants to wing out to the right side. Does this make sense? You might have to try it for yourself to understand.

I always thought that this imbalance was just b/c my right side is dominant and therefore tighter, but maybe it is because my right glutes aren't firing? Sophie, thanks for linking to Jill's hip exercise; I've done that before, but I'm going to try to remember to use it as a warm-up on my right side!

[Fitmama]

Originally Posted by toaster

On the right, however, as I start straightening the leg, the leg (I guess maybe the hip) wants to wing out to the right side. Does this make sense?

Maybe a tight ITB?

[Fitmama]

Originally Posted by Fidget Queen

rosepetals,

For those of us with SI Joint issues, my chiropractor adamantly believes that this inability to activate the glutes in all of our activities is a large cause of unstable SI Joints.

Likewise an SI joint that is out of place can cause an inability to activate the glutes/hamstrings. Kind of a chicken or the egg thing.

[toaster]

Maybe, Tracy, I'm not sure; I don't know what the other effects of this would be. I would think that I target my IT band with a fair amount of stretching, however, as I generally do yoga 3-5x/week and Classical Stretch 2x/week (amongst other things).