Did you know that your glutes are the largest muscle group in your body? They comprise the gluteus minimus, medius, and maximus muscles, which attach to your pelvis, femur (thigh bone), and sacrum (tailbone) (9). Given their size and placement in the body, it’s no wonder that strong glutes are essential for so many movements, including walking, running, jumping, and climbing. Unfortunately, due to our sedentary lifestyles and the amount of time we spend sitting (at a desk, in a car, or on the couch), our glutes can become “inactive” or “lazy.” This can lead to imbalances in the muscles and even pain in the lower back, hips, and knees. Hitting a lower-body-focused workout with weak or inactive glutes can further aggravate these issues. That’s why it’s important to do a few glute activation exercises before diving into your lower-body workout routine. These exercises “wake up” the muscles and get them firing properly so that you can train with proper form and technique, and avoid injury. Read on to find out more about glute activation and the best exercises to do before your lower-body workout!
Glute activation is the process of “waking up” the glute muscles so that they can fire properly during exercise. When the glutes are inactive or dysfunctional, other muscles have to pick up the slack (often leading to injury) (1).
Think about it this way: if your biceps are weak, they’re not going to be able to do their share of the work when you’re doing a chin-up. As a result, your back and shoulders will have to work overtime. The same is true for the glutes.
If they’re not firing properly, the muscles in your lower back and hamstrings will have to pick up the slack. This can lead to imbalances, pain, and injury (1).
Do glute activation workouts work? Yes, they do. These exercises place emphasis on the glutes, forcing them to fire and “turn on.” This sets you up for a successful, safe, and balanced lower-body workout (4).
That’s not all; glute activation exercises offer a few other benefits such as:
A mind-muscle connection is key for targeted muscle growth (7) (8). To effectively build a muscle, you need to be able to recruit and activate it. This is where the mind-muscle connection comes in.
When you can picture the muscle working as you perform an exercise (i.e., you have a mental image of the muscle contracting), you’re more likely to activate and recruit it. This, in turn, will lead to better muscle growth.
So, if you want strong and shapely glutes, focusing on the mind-muscle connection is essential.
Read More: The Best Squats Workout Plan For Juicy Quads, Hamstrings, And Glutes
If you spend a lot of time sitting (at a desk, in a car, on the couch), then you’re probably familiar with “text neck” and lower back pain. These are both signs of poor posture (2) (11).
The good news is that activating your glutes can help improve your posture (5). When the glutes are weak or inactive, they can cause the pelvis to tilt forward. This places extra strain on the lower back, leading to pain and poor posture (1).
But when the glutes are strong and firing properly, they help keep the pelvis in a neutral position. This takes the pressure off the lower back and can help improve your posture.
Form is key when it comes to any type of exercise (12). But it’s especially important when doing lower-body exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts.
If the glutes are not firing properly, your form will suffer. For example, if you’re doing a squat and your glutes are not firing, you may lean too far forward. This puts extra strain on the knees and lower back, which can lead to pain or injury.
Furthermore, improper form results in not getting the full benefit of the exercise.
But when the glutes are firing properly, they help you maintain proper form. This allows you to get the most out of your workout and avoid pain or injury.
As we mentioned, weak or inactive glutes can lead to imbalances in the muscles and joints. When the glutes are not firing properly, other muscles (usually in the lower back and hamstrings) have to pick up the slack. This can lead to imbalances and eventually pain or injury (3).
But when the glutes are strong and firing properly, they help increase mobility and stability in the hips and knees (6). This, in turn, reduces the risk of injury.
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Now that we’ve covered the benefits of glute activation, let’s take a look at some of the best exercises to do before your lower-body workout.
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Read More: Glute Activation Workout To Fire Up Your Muscles
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Ideally, you should spend about 10 minutes performing glute activation exercises before your lower body workout. This will help ensure that your muscles are properly warmed up and ready to work. If you’re short on time, aim for 2-3 sets of each exercise, with 10-15 repetitions per set.
Keeping your glute activation workout short yet effective will help you save your energy for the main event – your lower body workout.
Think quality over quantity when it comes to glute activation exercises. Choose a few exercises that target your glutes from different angles and perform them with perfect form.
There’s no need to perform glute activation exercises every day. Doing so could actually lead to overuse injuries (10).
Instead, focus on performing them 1-2 times per week, either before your lower body workouts or on days when you’re not training your legs. This will help ensure that your muscles are properly rested and ready to work when it’s time to train.
Yes, you can perform a glute activation workout on its own. This could be a great option if you’re short on time or if you just want to focus on improving mobility and range of motion.
Simply choose 3-4 exercises from the list above and perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Glute activation exercises are a crucial part of any lower-body workout routine. By performing these exercises before your workout, you can help prevent injuries and ensure that your muscles are properly warmed up and ready to work.
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