Glutes: The muscles that need constant exercise
Your gluteus maximus is the engine of human movement. They are also the muscles you sit on every day.
The largest muscle in the body, evolution, built it to extend the hip, propel you forward, and keep you upright.
So how are your glutes doing?
Big muscles burn more glucose at rest. Strong glutes stabilize the pelvis and spine. They remove excess load from the lumbar discs. They align the knees, saving the cartilage.
They drive sprint speed, jump height, even a simple climb up stairs. A firm posterior also pushes venous blood back to the heart, boosting circulation.
How can you train them?
Start with activation. Lie supine. Drive the heels, lift the hips. Hold a bridge for ten breaths. Feel the muscle tighten.
Mini bands around the knees cue external rotation, another forgotten function. Step-ups mimic hill climbing, a task humans evolved for. Better still, climb hills when you can.
Squats drop the hip below the knee, forcing full extension on the rise. Hip thrusts isolate the fibers and allow heavy resistance without spinal compression.
Lunges teach single-leg control. Deadlifts recruit the entire posterior chain. Keep the core braced. Squeeze the glutes hard at the top. Progress the weight slowly. Quality over quantity. Two to three sessions a week is enough.
Power. Posture. Protection. You stand taller because the pelvis is level. You walk without compensations that irritate joints. Metabolism shifts upward. Research shows that strong legs regulate insulin sensitivity. Even resting heart rate may drop as the body runs leaner.
Modern chairs are the enemy of your glutes.
When you sit, the hip stays flexed. The glute fibers lengthen yet stay passive. Calorie burn falls. Blood pools in the legs.
You ideally want your blood pumping back to your heart in a steady rhythym. So get up, move, walk, climb.
That is the life you were meant to live.
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