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The Bridge
This is a static exercise where the gluteus maximus must work to support the back. Proper technique is essential if the correct stability mechanisms are to be improved.
Level 1 Lie on your back with knees bent. Draw in the lower abdominals and curl the bum off the floor, lifting the hips until the knees, hips and chest are in line.
Hold this position, purposefully squeezing the glutes to support the bridge position. Start with 10 x 10 seconds, building up to 2 x 60 seconds.
Keep the pelvis level and the lower abdominals drawn in. If you feel a strong contraction in the hamstrings or the lower back is straining, then you are not using your glutes strongly enough. Focus on them to ensure they do the work.
Level 2 Same as above, but once the bridge is achieved lift one knee up in the air and support the bridge on one leg only. Hold for a count of two and then swap sides. Maintain for 60 seconds. Build up to 3 minutes.
Again, ensure the pelvis remains level and the lower abdominals drawn in. If you feel a strong contraction in the hamstrings then you are not using your glutes enough.
The Wood Chop
This is a dynamic exercise where the gluteals must work to extend the trunk from a flexed position.
Level 1 Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Stand up tall and hold a weight in two hands above your head (5kg men, 3kg women).
As if you are wielding an axe to chop wood, bend from the waist and bring the weight down between your legs in a controlled manner. Do not bend your knees any further as you bend forward. At the bottom, draw in your abdominals and squeeze your glutes for support before returning to the start position. When you return upright, ensure it is with the correct sequence, extending your lower back first, then bringing your shoulders up and finally lifting the weight above your head.
Begin with 2-3 sets of 10 reps building up to 20 reps.
Level 2 Same as above, but on one leg.
Improving pelvis stability
The second common gluteal muscle dysfunction is insufficient gluteus medius and minimus activity during walking and running to maintain the correct gluteal position. Norris (1995) discusses how inhibited gluteus medius and minimus leads to poor pelvic stability where insufficient tension during single-leg weight-bearing causes the free-leg hip to drop down.
Two exercises to improve the ability of medius and minimus to maintain pelvis stability are the “Hip Hitcher” and “One-Leg Squats”.
The Hip Hitcher
This exercise involves recruiting the gluteals to maintain a level pelvic tilt.
Stand on one leg, bending the free-leg knee slightly so it does not drag on the floor. Stand up with good posture, head looking forward into a mirror.
Tilt the pelvis so the free side drops down. Your stance-leg knee should not have moved nor should your head or back. Then, focusing on the top and outside of your gluteals, pull the pelvis back until the free side is level or even slightly higher. Slowly continue this hitching motion up and down.
Complete 3 sets of 10 building up to 20 reps each side.
Use the mirror to ensure your posture remains aligned and you are using only your gluteal muscles to perform the movement.
One-Leg Squats
This exercise is normally for the legs, but if performed with perfect technique it also works the medius and minimus very hard to maintain pelvic stability.
Stand on one leg in front of the mirror. Ensure your head is up and your shoulders are back, with the lower abdominals drawn in for support. Arch your foot slightly to ensure your knee is not pointing inwards.
Squat down with your bum going back and your knee staying over your laces. Keep the free-leg knee next to the stance knee to ensure you stay aligned. Keep your pelvis level and square as you squat down. Stand back up, ensuring everything remains aligned.
Build up to completing 3 sets of 10 each leg.
Gluteal muscle imbalance and stretching exercises
The gluteals can also be negatively affected by muscle imbalance problems with adjacent muscle groups. Muscle imbalance refers to muscles being shortened and lengthened with respect to each other. Mobiliser muscles have a tendency to shorten (become less flexible) and so are recruited more easily. This is because pre-tension in the muscle increases its excitability. As a consequence, adjacent or antagonistic muscles can become inhibited, impairing their function.
For example, inflexible hip flexors can cause an excessive anterior pelvic tilt which inhibits the gluteus maximus and tight adductors and overactive tensor fascia lata can inhibit gluteus medius and minimus.
Therefore, to ensure correct recruitment of the gluteals the surrounding mobiliser muscles of the hip must be fully flexible. A set of stretching exercises for hip flexors, hamstrings, adductors and tensor fascia lata would be useful to avoid any imbalance problems described above. Here they are.
Hip flexor stretch
Kneel with one foot forward, front knee at right angles and the other leg just behind your hips. Keep your upper body upright. Tilt your pelvis back, tucking in your stomach and squeezing your gluteals. You should feel the stretch strongly in your hip flexor.
Hamstrings stretch
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Pull one leg up towards you and using your quads straighten the knee as much as you can, stretching the hamstring.
Adductor stretch
Method 1 - Sit up with the soles of your feet together. Using your hands push your knees gently apart to the floor stretching the groin area.
Method 2 - Sit up with legs straight out and as wide as you can get them stretching the groin. Support your body with hands behind you.
Tensor fascia lata stretch
Lie on your back with knees bent and arms out wide. Cross your legs and use the top leg to push the bottom leg over to the side. Take your legs over until your opposite shoulder starts to come off the floor; you should feel the stretch on the outer thigh/hip area.