Glutes – The forgotten powerhouse.

• 

When we talk about glutes, we are actually referring to 3 muscles

*The Gluteus Minimus
*The Gluteus Medius
*The Gluteus Maximus

There are only 2 anatomical positions that we adopt in which these muscles are not used. Sitting (as they serve as a cushion) and laying down. All movements from dynamic and isometric use these muscles for performance as they are the muscles that connect your upper and lower body. That is why these muscle’s are considered the powerhouse of your body.

Got a desk job? Sit on your butt all day?

Sitting on your butt all day can make your glutes weak and not fire up! If your glutes are weak it can really throw off your balance, power and cause pain in other areas such as your lower back. Weak glutes cause decreased hip mobility which is essential in mountain biking. Being able to drive down from your hips to get equal power to the pedals is especially reliant on this.

A good way to test out your glutes is to do a single leg squat or “pistol”. Squat as low as you can go and if you manage 90 degree’s that’s a good sign your glute strength is okay.

Knee and hip pain after a session

After a mountain bike ride if you find that your knee’s or hips are aching it may be a sign that you are weak in the glutes. Commonly diagnosed as bursitis, hip pain can be very debilitating and stop you from really getting the most out of your rides. Slowly working the glutes can significantly reduce this pain and tightness and may be just what you need to get you enjoying your rides again. A good way to test this is by laying on your side on the ground with a straight leg. Using your top leg extend it backwards away from the body in a straight motion. Do this 8-10 times. If you have pain or cant complete 10 reps, you may need to strengthen the glutes.

Slouching / posture

Seems a bit off topic but actually slouching and bad posture is caused by a weak core and weak glute’s. Being able to move your pelvis to a favorable position on the bike gives power and strength through to the pedals. Working on your posture daily is the first step to improving glute strength. Keep note of your lower back, shoulders, activating your core and head position.

So how do we strengthen our glutes?

Stretching these muscles is a good place to start. Knowing which muscles are activating while doing the stretches will help you better activate them during a workout. Pigion stretch, hip flexor stretch, sitting glute pops, standing glute pops, glute bridges, and single leg glute bridges are all beneficial to begin with.

Once you have mastered these stretches you can move on to more dynamic movements. Kettle bell swings with varying weights is a great movement that activates all three glute muscles and core. Beginners can start off with low weights and for those more experienced a higher weight can be used. Deep squats work really well in strengthening the glutes. You can do these with body weight and eventually add in some weight with a barbell.

Deadlifts are great glute burners! Picking up a barbell with weight fully activates these muscles and also gives your core a workout too. It’s important to do these exercises correctly as they can cause serious damage if done incorrectly. It is advised to get professional advice from a qualified trainer to make sure that you are doing good not harm. Most gyms have a personal trainer that can give you a few good tips so that might be a good place to start.

Hill sprints on the bike are extremely beneficial. Getting out of the saddle and pushing power to the pedals, doing hill sprints will give you a great workout. Bringing all of your center of gravity up over the top of your pelvis will activate the glutes and give you the intended workout.

Be aware of your glutes during a ride

Prior to a ride it is beneficial to do some exercises to help activate and warm the glute muscles. Banded glute bridge, banded squats and banded clams can be used prior to even getting on the bike. Once you’re on the bike, use your training time to really focus in on your glute muscles and make sure you are activating them. Just by being conscious of these muscles it will slowly start to build up the strength, increase your power output, reduce your chance of injury and give you a little power kick.

• 

• 

• 

It is important to remember that they body is a machine, and all of our muscle groups work together. Being weak in one area will affect other areas of your body and for us to really get the most out of it we need to train and service the whole machine. PCS Athletes have access to an online library through our website full of stretches, workouts, and guided movements to gradually strengthen and single out different muscle groups.

PCS athletes have a personalised training program that takes into consideration their strengths, weaknesses, injuries and life circumstances to be able to build and be supported in a program that helps them improve. If this is something you think you are ready for please get in touch. I have a free online training video that will help you know if you are ready to take the next step : Click here : Free Mountain Bike Training – PCS Coaching