Ok I’d never heard this term before a Facebook Live “Ask Me Anything” when I got asked about the best moves for a “pancake butt.”
I found the expression incredibly amusing, but it also got me to thinking about the science behind developing shapely, strong glutes.
How could you best develop them and create the perky shape you wanted?
A. You would need to create a program implementing all 3 drivers of muscle growth.
B. You would need to combine movements in a variety of planes of motion to not only target all three glute muscles, but even different aspects of those muscles.
And C. You would need to focus on not only adding loads or weight but different types of resistances and a variety of reps and set schemes.
First let’s go over the different drivers of muscle growth and the different ways to target different aspects of the glutes.
Then I’ll share 5 Must-Do Moves To Avoid The Dreaded Pancake Butt!
The 3 Drivers Of Muscle Growth:
Too often we think the only way to “grow” a muscle or promote muscle hypertrophy is through using heavier loads and creating a ton of muscle tissue damage aka lifting heavy and making ourselves really sore with moves like the squat and deadlift.
BUT muscle tissue damage is only ONE driver of muscle growth.
And SORENESS? Well soreness isn’t an indicator of progress or results.
Soreness can simply even mean you did something new (or even that your hydration or sleep aka your recovery is off). So stop using soreness as your indicator that you worked hard enough!
And especially as you utilize metabolic stress, and potentially even more moves that create mechanical tension, to get results, you may even find there are workouts you feel a huge pump DURING the actual workout and NOTHING after. No soreness. NOTHING.
That’s not a bad thing!
We don’t always need to use heavy loads and compound moves with huge ranges of motion to get results. They are just one piece of the puzzle.
So what are the 3 drivers of muscle growth?
Muscle Tissue Damage
Mechanical Tension
Metabolic Stress
Let’s start by reviewing what moves create the most muscle tissue damage as these are the moves we tend to think are most important for results.
Muscle Tissue Damage:
If you’ve ever heard “Squat for a better butt,” you may have fallen victim to the belief that if you just squat, you’ll get rid of your pancake butt.
However, squats alone may NOT get you the results you were hoping for.
Neither may deadlifts or lunges even.
While these compound moves are ESSENTIAL to include in your routine, there is no “one best move” out there that alone will get you results.
And thinking there is, will only hold you back from using every tool in your toolbox to get the best results as fast as possible.
These compound moves, done with challenging loads, create more muscle tissue damage, which can drive muscle growth.
If you break down muscle tissue and recover proper, your muscles should grow stronger and bigger in response.
HOWEVER, the more muscle tissue damage you create, the longer you have to rest before working the muscle again so that it actually recovers and rebuilds.
If you don’t let the muscle rebuild and recover, you’re constantly just tearing it down which will fight against all of your hard work.
If you’re constantly only doing heavy lifts and the volume is adding up with those, you probably are only able to train that muscle effectively once a week. And this isn’t ideal.
Studies have shown that the optimal training frequency for muscle hypertrophy may actually be 2 to even 3 times a week. So if you want to shape up that pancake butt, adding in a second glute day each week may be the answer!
You can’t increase your training frequently though if you’re constantly creating extreme amounts of muscle damage.
While controlling overall volume can definitely help, so can using moves that drive growth in other ways.
But first, what moves create more muscle tissue damage?
Moves that will create more muscle tissue damage:
Have moderate glute activity
Big ranges of motion
Peak tension when the glutes are lengthened
Emphasize the eccentric
These are most often those big compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and lunges that we tend to load down.
Many of these moves focus primarily on the glute max, working that lower glute max just slightly more.
These moves can be included in your workouts as some of your primary lifts, using moves that may create less damage and be done with lighter loads for slightly higher reps after.
Or you may even include them on your leg day with a separate “glute day” each week that focuses on those glutes with moves that create less muscle damage.
With these compound moves, you may work on maximal strength in the 1-5 rep range or even work in the more traditional hypertrophy range of about 6-12 reps.
You want to make sure to use a weight that challenges you though for whatever reps you select!
And you can even create more muscle damage by not only increasing the loads, but by changing the tempo of your reps.
Especially if you slow down the ECCENTRIC portion of the move, you can create more damage. (This would mean slowing down the lower down in the squat or the lunge for example.)
More time under tension, and especially more of a focus on the eccentric, means more work for those muscles.
This can be another great way to advance movements if you don’t necessarily have heavier loads or want to do more reps!
Mechanical Tension:
If you do a chest exercise and expect your glutes to grow, you’re going to be waiting a long time.
Why? Because you placed no tension on the muscle you wanted to work!
Seems sort of silly and obviously, right?
But that is what mechanical tension is…placing more tension on the muscle you want to work!
So if you want to work your glutes, the more tension you place on that muscle, the more you can drive growth.
Now all too often we simply try to “add weight” to create more tension.
But with our glutes, this can backfire.
Using our “mind-body connection” to better recruit the muscle, while using moves that place the most tension on the muscle when shortened, may actually allow us to create more tension with LIGHTER loads!
Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still CHALLENGE yourself.
But it does means that instead of depending on the LOAD to challenge the muscle, you need to focus on the muscle you FEEL working and try to activate it as much as possible with your MIND.
You want to THINK about it contracting hard.
The reason for this is that, with the glutes specifically, simply going heavier with some moves may actually lead to synergists doing more work to lift instead of the glutes coming under more tension.
So if you do that barbell hip thruster and start to feel your quads and hamstrings working more as you increase loads, you may actually be going “too heavy” to create the optimal amount of muscle tension in your glutes!
Basically, adding a heavier load only works to an extent and there is a point for each of us when going heavier fights against us optimally engaging and recruiting the muscle we want.
What glute moves create the most mechanical tension?
Moves that:
Have high glute activity
Moderate ranges of motion
Peak tension when the glutes are shortened
Can emphasize the eccentric
These moves can be more isolated or still compound lifts.
They are moves like the barbell hip thruster, the back extension, high step ups, ankle weight abductions and cable kickbacks.
The variety of moves that create mechanical tension allow you to work not only your entire glute max, but also really target your glute medius. And many of the abduction movements even allow you to hit that upper glute max a bit more, which can help get rid of that “pancakedness.”
These moves generally don’t take as long to recover from (usually about 2-3 days), which can make them great to include to really perkify that butt while increasing your training frequency.
Most often these moves will be done for about 5-15 reps. Some moves like the barbell hip thrusters may be done with heavier weights so you may work down in reps; however, just make sure this isn’t necessarily at the expense of FEELING the correct muscle driving the movement. (Make note of your personal set point where synergists may start to dominate.)
Because lighter loads may allow for you to focus more on your glutes working, you may find you often work between 10-15 reps with these moves.
NOTE: Range of motion is still important and so are even the TOOLS used with these moves. Start to shrink the range of motion on some of these moves and you get into creating more metabolic stress territory!
Metabolic Stress:
You know that feeling when you’ve done a band move and you stand up and grab your butt and think “Holy butt cheeks batman!?”
That feeling right there, that “burning sensation,” is called metabolic stress.
These moves make great activation exercises prior to your heavy lifts and runs to help you make sure your glutes are working.
Because you can do a few to create that “pump” and establish that mind-body connection, without wearing yourself out, they can help you make sure your recruitment patterns are correct when you go into more compound movements.
That makes many of these moves great rehab/prehab movements to avoid injury!
However, ONLY using these moves as activation exercises doesn’t allow you to take full advantage of their metabolic stress benefit!
Following a compound movement with a more isolated exercise to create a pump can help you further burnout a muscle.
They also make great burnouts to target those glutes even at the end of a leg day with compound moves!
You may even find that doing full circuits or workouts with these moves can allow you to dramatically increase your training frequency without the need for extended recovery.
Most of these moves you will feel a lot at the time yet the next day feel like you could train again. Their recovery cycle is much shorter, making them a key piece to include to maximize your results.
And they can be a great way to really utilize that mind-body connection to build and tone your glutes.
Especially for runners or cyclists who don’t want to risk the “soreness” or “fatigue” of heavy lifting affecting their training, these are a great way to build and strengthen their glutes!
Moves that will create metabolic stress:
Have LOW glute activity
Small ranges of motion
Peak tension when the glutes are shortened
Varied tension on the muscle
Wait…LOW glute activity?!
You may now be thinking, “Then why are they great as activation moves to establish that mind-body connection if they have LOW glute activity!? And why the heck do I feel them burn so much!?”
The reason these moves are AMAZING activation exercises all comes down to the fact that they DO create that PUMP and that BURN.
Even think about it in terms of your biceps after curls. When you feel that muscle with a PUMP, your brain is much more aware of that muscle with every other move, right!?
By using these moves to create that pump and burn, you help your brain to really FEEL the muscle, which is what establishes that mind-body connection.
And while it may seem strange they have lower glute activity, the pump you feel isn’t so much due to the activation of the muscle, but the fact that you restrict blood flow out of the muscle.
By keeping the glutes under constant tension with quick back to back reps you prevent blood from leaving the muscle aka your cells swell, you get pumped and create metabolic stress.
And that “burn?” Well that is due to the build up of certain metabolites that happens due to the constant tension for that higher volume!
So what moves create metabolic stress?
Think about all of those amazing band moves!
Band monster walks, band side shuffles, band glute bridges, frog bridges, clams, fire hydrants…all are great moves to create that pump!
With most of these moves, you will want to focus less on increasing the resistance and more on the VOLUME. Reps for these will usually be in that 15-30 rep range.
Yup…30 reps even.
Beginners may find it even takes more reps at first to establish that mind-body connection while more advanced exercisers can engage from that first rep and really build up that burn!
These moves are also a great way to target your glute medius especially while working your entire glute max. And by using some of the abduction moves, you can even target that upper glute max more if needed.
And if you want to focus a bit more on that lower glute max?
Why not try creating metabolic stress with some of those moves that usually create more muscle tissue damage….
Wait…How can you do that?!
Change The Resistance, Change The ROM, Change The Driver?!
If we want results, we need to progress our workouts. We need to progress our movements.
To do this, we usually add more weight or do more reps.
But sometimes using slightly different VARIATIONS of movements is actually the key to progressing our workouts so that we can keep moving forward.
By using the “same but different,” or variations of moves we usually love even with “LESS” weight, we can also change how they drive muscle growth.
For instance, a barbell hip thruster will create more mechanical tension.
But what if you used a band instead of a bar AND added a mini band or booty band around your legs?
If you changed the equipment in this way, you could take a move that usually would create more muscle tension and use it to create more metabolic stress!
It’s the same move, but by changing the resistance, you change how the move drives growth.
By replacing the barbell with bands, you place less of a focus on the eccentric portion as the band reduces tension as you come back toward the anchor point.
And by using the mini band, you put the glute medius under constant tension, which then helps build more of a pump!
But it’s not just a change in tools that can take a move from creating a ton of muscle tissue damage to more metabolic stress.
You can also change the range of motion!
Take that basic squat.
You can load it down and create a ton of muscle damage.
OR you can place a band around your legs and shrink the range of motion, pulsing only at the bottom or even coming just short of lockout.
By changing the squat so the range of motion is smaller and you’re CONSTANTLY under tension, you will create that pump instead!
Using different variations of the squat may not be a clear “progression” but this same but different movement may just be what you need to keep progressing and challenging your body!
Sometimes it can even simply be a slightly different body position during the movement that will keep you moving forward.
Take for instance the mini band seated abduction. You can do these seated on the ground or off a bench. While seated on the bench, you can lean forward or backward or sit up nice and tall.
All of these involve slightly different angles of hip flexion which can affect not only where you feel it but how much you target the anterior or posterior fibers of your glute medius!
This seemingly slight difference can be a way to progress movements so you are really working those glutes from every angle for the best results possible!
5 Must-Do Moves To Avoid The Dreaded Pancake Butt:
Now the fun stuff hehe
These 5 moves cover all 3 drivers of muscle growth and work your glutes from every angle.
They will target not only your entire glute max, but also your glute medius.
And if you need to focus more on your upper glute max or lower glute max to build that round, perky butt, these will also help you out!
Band Squat Pulses:
If you want to use metabolic stress to build those glutes, this is a great version of the squat to include. You will want to use it for between 15-30 reps aka a higher rep range without focusing on upping the resistance.
The Band Squat Pulse will target your glute medius as well as your entire glute max.
To do Band Squat Pulses, place the booty band or mini band around your legs above your knees (or if using a mini band, below your knees even) and stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
Sit back and down, pressing your knees out against the band so your ankles, knees and hips stay in line. You do not want your knees to cave in.
Sink to about parallel to the ground and then pulse a few inches up and down from here. You do not want to start below parallel and you don’t want to stand fully up as you pulse. You want the range of motion to be about 6 inches around that parallel position.
Once all pulses are complete, stand up.
Make sure your knees don’t cave in as you pulse and that your heels stay down and feet are flat on the ground. Do not round over. Make sure to keep your back flat and chest up.
Beginners may pulse over a bench or even hold on to help them balance. You can also stay up higher in the pulse squat instead of sinking as low.
You can also even vary this movement by performing a GOBLET band pulse squat, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell up at your chest. Or by changing the exact range of motion performed!
Barbell Hip Thrusters:
This move will create muscle tension to work those glutes and target the entire glute max.
As you progress, you will want to add loads, just be careful that you don’t start allowing your hamstrings and quads to take over just so you can go heavier.
Advanced exercisers able to go heavier may work down toward 5 reps while beginners or anyone really wanting to focus on that mind-body connection may find they need to stay in that 10-15 or even 20 rep range!
To do the Barbell Hip Thruster, set up a bench and make sure it won’t move as you bridge up with your back on it. Take a barbell and put some padding around it so that it won’t dig into your hips as you perform the move.
Place your upper back against the bench and sit with your butt on the ground and your legs out straight. Roll the barbell up over your hips and then bend your knees and plant your feet firmly on the ground and close to your butt. Your mobility may dictate the exact placement of your feet.
Holding the bar firmly, drive up through your heels and your upper back on the bench, to lift your butt up off the ground and drive your hips, and the barbell, up toward the ceiling.
Squeeze your glutes and press your hips up as high as possible, driving the barbell up and off the ground. Hold a second or two at the top and then lower back down and repeat.
Do not hyperextend your back at the top. Really squeeze your glutes at the top and even posteriorly tilt your pelvis. Make sure you are driving straight up through your heels. Do not push yourself backward over the bench.
You may find that as you bridge up you want to “push” the barbell down toward your thighs to help you drive up and squeeze your glutes.
You can also slightly keep your chin tucked so you’re looking up but out past your legs instead of relaxing your head back to look straight up at the ceiling. This little flexion of your neck can help with your glute engagement.
Lower your butt back down toward the ground and repeat.
You do not fully need to touch the weight down, but you do want to complete a full range of motion. Make sure to sit back forward as you lower down instead of trying to keep your upper back up on the bench so that you don’t hyperextend your back by simply lowering your butt.
Then repeat, driving your hips back up.
Do not rush the movement. While you can add weight to make the movement harder, you may also want to adjust the tempo!
Slowing down the lower down can create more tension on that muscle too! It’s not always about adding loads!
Band Lying Lateral Raises:
This is a great move to create metabolic stress, strengthen your glute medius and even target your upper glute max more!
Especially if you’re a runner, this is a must-do move for hip stability and a great way to “perkify” your butt while not creating fatigue for your running!
To do Band Lying Lateral Raise, place the band around your legs. The placement depends on the band and how well you can engage your glutes. Put it above your knees if you’re using a booty band or heavier mini band or below your knees to progress the movement using a mini band. You can even move the band down around your ankles if you don’t feel other muscles compensating.
Then lie on your side on the ground. You can support your head in your hand while lying on your side or relax fully onto your side. Place your top hand on the ground in front of you to help you stabilize.
Stack your feet on top of each other and then lift your top leg up so there is just a very little bit of tension on the band. If you have a booty band, you may not really have to lift it, but just make sure there is tension and you keep this tension throughout!
Then lift your leg straight up toward the ceiling as high as you can without rotating your toe up. Do not rock or swing to lift up higher. If you can only lift a few inches up higher that is fine. It’s better to do the range of motion you can control.
If you struggle to feel your glutes and instead feel your hips, kick slightly back as you lift up or turn your toe down toward the ground to internally rotate your hip.
Quickly perform reps, keeping tension in the band the entire time.
Deficit Reverse Lunge:
One way to progress a movement is by adding load. Another is by changing up the tempo.
A third is to INCREASE the range of motion.
Not only will this help you create more muscle tissue damage but it will also help you strengthen through a bigger range of motion to improve your mobility.
However, this only works if you ACTUALLY work through the increased range of motion. If you can’t lunge all the way to the ground with a standard reverse lunge, you aren’t ready for the deficit version.
While this move will work your entire glute maximus, it will hit that lower glute max harder!
To do Deficit Reverse Lunges, set a small box or stack of stable plate weights on the ground. Even just starting with a single 45lbs bumper plate is enough to make a difference.
If you’re ready, add weights but start with making sure you can complete the full range of motion.
Stand tall and then step back off the box or weight, bending your front knee to about 90 degrees as you drop your back knee down to lightly touch the ground or hover right over it.
Really sit back in that front heel as you sink down.
Keep your chest up and do not hunch or round over. While you may hinge slightly at your hips to sit back and load the glute, you should maintain a nice neutral spine.
Then drive back up to standing on the box by pushing through that front heel.
Don’t lean or rock forward but think about driving straight up to standing. Then lunge back again.
If you can’t get your knee down past the platform and close to the ground, you aren’t yet ready for the increased range of motion.
Band Seated Abductions:
This is a great move to work your glute max and medius with a slight bit more “love” for that upper glute max.
This move is a great way to create that glute pump.
And there are so many little tweaks you can make to this move to implement that “same but different” rule to help you progress!
You can change your body positioning from standing to seated. You can even change how much you lean backward or forward while seated to work those glutes in different ways!
To do the standard Band Seated Abductions off a bench, place the mini band right below (more advanced) or right above (a bit easier) your knees. If you’re using a booty band, place it above your knees. Whichever place you choose or whatever weight mini band you use, just make sure you feel your glutes and outside your hips actually working.
Sit up nice and tall with your hands on the edge of the bench and your feet about hip-width apart. Then press your knees open against the band as you sit up tall. Really use your glutes to press the band open.
Do not slouch or rock back. Press your hips forward as you press your knees open. You may rock open on your feet, but don’t simply rock and bend your ankles. Really press the band open with your knees.
You MAY lean back or forward just make sure this is a CONSCIOUS change in placement instead of swinging as you do the move!
Using these tips and 5 moves, you can build a round, perky booty and reverse that pancake butt!
Want more amazing workouts to help you build your leanest, strongest body ever?
You don’t need fancy equipment or to spend hours at the gym working out to get results.
When you’re short on time, all you need is your own bodyweight and 10 minutes.
In that time you can get in a killer workout to strengthen your ENTIRE core – everything down your frontside AND your backside.
And while this workout is called the Backside Burner it targets more than just your back, hamstrings and butt. It will also work your abs, serratus anterior, obliques, quads and shoulders!
Complete 3 rounds of each circuit, moving right from one exercise to the next. After you finish the first circuit, perform 40 seconds of active rest before moving on to the second circuit. Beginners can fully rest between circuits instead of performing the active rest. Click on each exercise below to see a video demonstration and more information!
When you have access to limited space and equipment, sliders are a great way to make basic bodyweight moves even more fun and challenging while being easy to take with you anywhere!
So whether you need a quick go-to option at home or a workout when you’re short on time and traveling, try this Slider Upper Body And Core Burner that’s just about 10 minutes long!
Set a timer for 30 second intervals of work and move right from one exercise to the next. The final exercise in each circuit can also be modified to be a full rest interval if needed. Complete 2 rounds through each circuit, resting up to 1 minute between circuits.
To do Knee Tuck Push Ups, place your feet on sliders and set up in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders.
Then perform a push up, keeping your body in a nice straight line as you drop your chest to the ground. Press back up with your body moving as one unit. Your arms should made an arrow shape with your body. Do not shrug or let your arms form a T.
In the high plank position, tuck your knees in. Do not let your butt go way up in the air as you tuck or use the tuck as a chance to rest. Pull your knees in using your abs and then straighten your legs right back out and repeat the push up.
As you return to the plank position, do not sag your hips or let your butt go up in the air. Also, make sure your hands stay outside your chest and don’t creep forward past your shoulders.
Beginners can do this off an incline and do a single knee tuck at a time without the sliders or they can do a push up from their knees then move to the high plank position to perform the tuck.
Alternating Slider Tabletop Curls:
To do Alternating Slider Tabletop Curls, place a slider under each foot and sit on the ground with your heels on the sliders and hands behind you on the ground. Turn your hands out or back as you place your hands on the ground behind your butt.
Bend your knees and bring your heels back close to you so you can bridge up into a tabletop bridge. Squeeze your glutes as you lift your butt up and press your chest out.
You can perform a posterior pelvic tilt to help engage your abs as you hold this tabletop position and even slightly tuck your chin to look out beyond your knees.
The slowly extend one leg out before using your hamstring to pull your heel on the slider back in. Then extend the other leg out, pulling the heel back in again with your hamstring.
As you pull the slider back in, really even think about driving the slider down into the ground to help work your hamstring more.
Do not let your hips drop toward the ground as you extend. You want to keep your abs and butt engaged the entire time as you slowly alternate sides.
Slider Ab Extensions:
To do Slider Ab Extensions, place a slider under each hand and set up as if you’re doing a push up from your knees.
You want to have your hands under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line from your head to your knees. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes.
Slide both hands out as far as you can, lowering your body toward the ground. Extend out, if you can, until you’re hovering just above the ground.
Then pull the sliders back under your shoulders without bending your arms as your body moves back into the plank position. By sliding your hands back under, pulling with your back to bring your hands back in, your body will move back into the plank position.
Do not sit your butt back or let your lower back engage as you extend out or pull your hands back in. You want to brace your abs and keep your body in a nice straight line the entire time.
Once back in that knee plank position, repeat the slide back out. Do not let your hips sag, lower back arch or butt go up in the air. Also, make sure you don’t sit your butt back to help pull your arms back in. You only “rise up” because your hands come back under your shoulders.
Beginners may not slide out as far or they may extend one hand, then the other, then pull one in at a time.
Banana Hold:
To do the Banana hold, start by lying on your back with your legs out straight and your arms reaching overhead on the ground. Your legs should be together and your arms should be right by your head.
Press your low back into the ground and draw your belly button in toward your spine as you lift your legs and arms up off the ground. Your neck and head should be in a neutral position between your arms and your legs should be together and out straight a few inches off the ground.
Hold here, squeezing your legs together as you try to get your shoulder blades up off the ground while keeping your low back against the ground and abs engaged.
Beginners may find they need to lift their legs up higher toward the ceiling or bend their knees to keep their low back against the ground and their abs engaged. Beginners can also try an easier variation of the Pelvic Tilt if they feel their low back taking over.
Fly Push Ups:
To do the Fly to Push Up, set up in a push up position with a towel or slider under each hand. You can do the Fly to Push Up from your knees (beginner) or toes (advanced).
Beginners may also want to start with one hand on a slider and the other hand on the ground (black frame). They will then slide the hand on the slider out to the side and perform a push up. As they push up, they will slide the hand back in toward their hand on the ground. They will complete all reps on one side before switching.
If the single slider Fly to Push Up is too much, this move can be done by just stepping the hand out to the side on the ground or even on an incline. To advance the Fly to Push Up, you will use two sliders. Start at the top of a push up and then slide one hand out to the side and perform a push up. After the push up, slide the hand back into the starting position. Even though this is a wider push up, don’t let your elbows flare way out by your ears. Then slide the other hand out on the slider and perform a push up. Keep alternating sides until all reps are complete.
If you want to do the Full Fly to Push Up, you will have a slider on each hand. You will then slide both hands out to the side as you lower into the push up and then pull them back in as you come back up out of the push up. You will perform the fly as you perform the push up instead of sliding out, doing a push up and sliding back in.
Slider Plank to Bulldog:
To do the Slider Plank to Bulldog, place a slider under each foot and set up in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line down to your feet. Your feet should be no wider than hip-width apart.
Holding this plank position, use your abs to tuck one knee in and then the other to come into a bulldog position.
Your knees should be about under your hips or in slightly closer in, but do not tuck them so far in you can sit back on your heels. Really focus on using your abs to slide them in, bracing your core to keep your body in a nice straight line the entire time.
Then extend your legs back out, one at a time. Make sure your butt stays down and you don’t slide back too far, but instead keep your hands under your shoulders. Then repeat, drawing one knee in then the other.
Body Saw:
To do the Body Saw, set up in a plank position on your forearms with your feet on the sliders. Elbows should be under your shoulders and your feet should be together or no wider than hip-width apart.
With your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels, slide your feet back and lengthen through your arms. As you slide back you should extend your body down to your elbows, shifting your shoulders back behind your elbows. Do not let your hips sag as you slide back. You are extending your triceps as you slide back.
Then, using your lats and core, pull your feet back in to the plank position. When you come back into the plank position, do not let your butt go up in the air. Make sure your hips don’t sag either.
Then slide back out, lengthening your body out as much as you can. Again do not let your low back take over. Make sure that you also aren’t simply sliding forward and then back to the start but are actually sliding back and lengthening through your arms.
Superman Wave:
To do Superman Waves, lie face down on the ground with you arms reaching overhead and your legs out straight behind you.
Then lift your arms and legs off the ground, engaging your glutes and back to lift. Try to lift your chest up as high as you can and get your quads off the ground as much as possible.
Holding here, sweep one arm out and down toward your side, keeping your arms straight. Keep the other arm reaching straight out overhead as you wave the other arm down.
As you lower one arm down by your side, keep it as high off the ground as possible to work the back of your shoulder.
Wave the arm back overhead then sweep the other arm out and down to your side. Keep alternating sides as you engage your back and butt to stay up in the superman position. Move at a controlled pace.
Whether you want to prevent lower back, hip, knee or even foot and ankle pain or you want to run faster, cycle further or lift more, you’ve got to get those glutes activated and working efficiently.
And the Booty Band is the perfect tool to help you do just that!
By using a band for these moves, you help yourself engage the glute medius to stabilize your hips and this can, in turn, help the glute maximus also fire better and become stronger.
The band is great too because it applies constant pressure, even increasing pressure at the point in the movement where you are the strongest.
Because of the nature of the bands, the range of motion on many of these moves and the PUMP the band creates, it really helps you establish that mind-body connection and use metabolic stress to drive muscle growth.
10 Booty Band Moves To Activate Your Glutes
Squat to Squat Pulse:
If you’re planning to include squats in your workout, this is a great way to warm up your muscles, improve your hip mobility and activate your glutes.
To do the Squat to Squat Pulse, place the Booty Band right above your knees and stand with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart.
Then squat down, sitting your butt down and back. Press out on the band as you squat to about parallel or below. Do not let your knees cave in as you lower down.
Drive back up to standing and make sure you press out against the band as you stand back up. Do not let your knees cave as you stand up. Also, make sure you aren’t rocking in on your feet. After standing back up, squat down again.
This time at the bottom, come up only a few inches to pulse up and then sink back down before standing all the way back up.
Throughout, really focus on pressing out on that band!
Repeat, performing the squat then the pulse at the bottom before another full squat.
Wall Sit:
If you’ve ever had knee pain, or if you’re an avid skier, runner or cyclist, the Booty Band Wall Sit is a must-do move!
To do the Booty Band Wall Sit, place a booty band right above your knees.
Then sit back against a wall with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart and your knees over your ankles. Make sure your hips, knees and feet are all in line. Don’t let the band cause your knees to cave in. Press out against the band as you stay in that wall sit with your knees and hips about at 90 degrees.
Do not drop down below that parallel squat. Beginners may be up a bit higher if needed, but try to get your quads to about parallel to the ground. Hold here and think about what you feel working. And press your back into the wall, driving through your heels.
Donkey Kicks:
Correct imbalances as you activate your glutes with this unilateral move. It is also a great way to work on engaging your and activating your abs!
To do Booty Band Donkey Kick, start on your hands and knees and place a band right above your knees. You’ll be in a quadruped position with the band around your legs.
Your knees should be right under your hips and your feet should be flexed. Make sure your hands are right under your shoulders.
Then keeping one knee bent and foot flexed, drive that foot up and back toward the ceiling. Keep your core braced and squeeze your glute as you kick your heel up and back. Do not let your right knee flare out as you lift; however, you can kick slightly up and out to create more lateral tension on the band.
Make sure to really drive your heel up toward the ceiling. Extend your hip as you kick back. Don’t simply swing the leg back and up or hyperextend your low back to kick up higher. You want to squeeze your glute and feel your hip extending. Do not worry so much about height but about contracting your glute to almost “stop” yourself from kicking higher.
Hold for a second then lower back down and repeat.
You can also make it even more of a burner by pulsing at that end range of motion or create a bit more muscle tension by working through a fuller range of motion. You can also go down to your forearms if you find you want to arch your back or have wrist pain.
3-Way Seated Abductions:
Strengthen your glute medius from 3 different positions to activate both anterior and posterior fibers! Sometimes it isn’t about using a heavier resistance to create change, but about simply tweaks to your body position.
To do 3-Way Seated Booty Band Abductions, place the band right above your knees and sit on a bench. Start by sitting toward the front of the bench so you can lean back and put your hands on the bench behind you. Place your feet about hip-width apart.
Then press your knees open against the band as you lean back. Your feet may rock open but focus on using your glutes to press the band open with your knees. Do not let your knees cave in as you come back to the starting position. Complete all reps then move to sit up nice and tall.
Sitting nice and tall repeat, pressing out with your knees so you feel your glutes working. After completing all reps, lean forward and repeat the movement. You can hold on the bench outside your legs to lean forward or just lean over even lightly resting your arms on your legs.
Complete all reps in each of the 3 positions. Make sure you’re really focused on pressing your knees out to feel your glutes while controlling the band back in. To reduce tension, you can put your feet slightly closer together, but make sure there is tension on the band even in that starting position or the band may slip down.
Bridge with Abduction:
This is a great move to work on hip extension while activating your glute medius and maximus.
If you even include a “squeeze” as you bridge up and lower, you can help activate and strengthen your adductors as well, which can be beneficial for anyone with hip or knee pain.
To do the Bridge with Abduction, place the Booty Band right above your knees and lie on your back with your knees bent and feet together and flat on the ground just beyond your finger tips when your arms are stretched down by your sides.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and drive your upper arms down into the ground. Squeeze your legs together and even posterior tilt your pelvis, pressing your lower back into the ground.
Then bridge up, driving through your heels. At the top, push your knees out against the band as far apart as you can. Bring your knees back together and squeeze your legs together as you lower down.
Repeat bridging back up. Do not arch your lower back just to bridge up higher. Really feel your glutes working to bridge up then the sides of your butt working to press your knees open. You may even feel your inner thighs working as you lift and lower.
The band may lose tension as you squeeze your legs together but should become tight as you fully press to abduct at the top.
Alternating Side Taps:
This is a great abduction or lateral move to activate your glute medius and it requires less space than the traditional band side shuffle.
To do Booty Band Alternating Side Steps, place a band right above your knees.
Stand with your feet a few inches apart so there is just a little bit of tension on the band. Push your butt back slightly and soften your knees so you are in a slightly hinged position. Then step one foot out to the side. Step the other foot toward it without fully stepping together and losing tension on the band.
Then step that foot back out and bring the other back to the starting position. Keep alternating steps back and forth, staying in that slightly hinged position as you go. Do not step so wide your knees cave in. Make sure you can really press out against the band.
Plank Lateral Taps:
This is a great move to work your entire core with a little extra focus on those glutes! Beginners can always start by doing this move even off an incline with their hands up on a bench.
To do Plank Lateral Taps, set up in a high plank position with the booty band right above your knees. Your hands should be under your shoulders and your feet should be close together, just apart enough that there is a very little bit of tension on the band to hold it in place.
Holding this plank position with your body in a nice straight line and your abs braced, step one foot out to the side. Make sure you fully press out against the band and don’t just reach with your toe. You even want to think about leading with your heel slightly as you step laterally.
Don’t worry about stepping further out if it means swinging or sagging your hips. Also, don’t let your butt go up in the air.
Touch one foot laterally and step back together before stepping out to the other side. Alternate taps to each side, moving at a controlled pace.
Quadruped Straight Leg Lifts:
This move is another great unilateral move to work on activating your glutes and abs.
To do the Quadruped Straight Leg Lifts, place a booty band right above your knees. Set up on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Your feet should be flexed.
Straighten one leg out behind you. Keeping your foot flexed, lift your straight leg up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glute and lift your leg until it is about parallel to the ground. Only lift higher if you feel your glute working and not your low back. Lower the leg back down to the ground and repeat. Lift the leg straight up and squeeze the glute at the top.
Hold for a second or two and repeat. Focus on keeping both hips square to the ground and make sure you don’t lean too much toward that supporting side or bend your elbows. You can kick slightly out to the side and back too to engage your glute medius more if you’re struggling to feel your glute maximus working (and instead feel your hamstring, right under your butt, or lower back taking over).
Complete all reps on one side before switching. You can even pulse at the end range of motion if you struggle to maintain engagement with a full range of motion to start.
Side Plank Leg Lifts:
This is a great move to strengthen your obliques as well as your glutes. It is, however, a very advanced move. Beginners may do this from their knees or even off a bench and may potentially not use the band to start.
To do Booty Band Side Plank Leg Raises, place the band right above your knees. Set up in a side plank from your forearm with your elbow under your shoulder and your feet stacked. You can drop your bottom knee to the ground if you need to modify. Lift up into the side plank and flex your feet (this is a key point to flex your feet and create tension down your leg).
Then, keeping your bottom hip up, hold in that side plank position as you lift and lower the top leg. Control the lift and lower so that the band isn’t controlling you and making you lower quickly. Don’t dip your hip or swing or rotate just to kick up higher. Hold as you feel your glutes working to lift and lower that top leg.
Also, watch your foot to see if you rotate the toe open toward the ceiling. While external rotation isn’t bad, it does change how the move works your glutes.
Tabletop Bridge:
The Tabletop Bridge is a must-do activation move if you sit at a desk all day as it opens up your chest as well as your hips while activating your glutes. And when you add a band, you get that glute medius firing too!
To do the Booty Band Tabletop Bridge, place a band right above your knees and start seated on the ground with your feet flat on the ground in front of you and your hands on the ground behind you.
Press out on the band with your feet about hip-width apart. Do not let your knees cave in as you bridge and lower.
Then squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up as high as you can. Press your chest out as you bridge up. You can lean your head back if it helps your neck or slightly tuck to look in front of you to help activate your glutes. Really feel a nice stretch across your chest and shoulders as you squeeze your glutes and press out against the band.
Keep your core tight as you bridge up, even using a slight posterior pelvic tilt to protect your lower back.
Hold for a few second at the top then lower back down and repeat.
Need a Booty Band?
Maybe you even want a whole kit to help you strengthen your glutes and core?
Or maybe you just need a quick burner to end your workout to torch some extra calories or completely burnout the muscle groups you were working.
Either way, having a few BURNERS on hand, like this Dumbbell Hybrid Burner from my Arm Burner cards, is key!
Quick burners like this one are even a great way to create a little extra training volume during the week to increase your training frequency and improve your results without you having to do a full workout.
So try this Dumbbell Hybrid Burner as a quick standalone routine when you are short on time or as a finisher after your upper body or lower body lifting session!
The Dumbbell Hybrid Burner
Complete 2-4 rounds of the circuit below without resting. Modify moves as needed so that you don’t have to rest during the 30 seconds of work. Better to regress than to rest if it is more than a very brief pause.
CIRCUIT: 30 seconds Squat Burpee with Front Raise 30 seconds Lunge Curl Press 30 seconds Mountain Climber Row Push Up 30 seconds Sit Thru Bridge and Press 30 seconds Leg Raise Wipers
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Squat Burpee with Front Raise:
To do the Squat Burpee with Front Raise, start in the plank position with a light dumbbell in each hand. You can also use a single dumbbell if you don’t have a weight pair light enough although you’ll then want to set it between your hands. Then jump your feet up and outside your hands or as close as you can get. Jump your feet out wider as you so that you can come into a squat position. As you do, lift your arms up straight in front of you to about shoulder height, holding the dumbbells. If you use a single dumbbell, you will pick it up in both hands as you lift your chest and come into the squat. Use jumping into the squat to help you raise the weights up to shoulder height with your arms straight. Lower your hands back down as you stay in the squat then jump your feet back and repeat! Make sure the weights are challenging but light enough you can fully control the movement. Beginners can also step back instead of jumping.
Lunge Curl Press:
To do the Lunge, Curl and Press, start standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand down by your side. You can choose to have your palms facing forward or even in toward each other to perform both the curl and the press. Lunge forward with your arms down by your sides. Holding the lunge, perform a bicep curl, curling the weights up to your shoulders. Keep your chest up as you curl to maintain good form. Once you curl up to your shoulders, press the weights overhead, staying nice and low in the lunge with your abs engaged. Press all the way up, then bring them back down to your shoulders and reverse the curl. Once the weights are back by your sides, push back up to standing in one movement. Beginners may not lunge out as far or as deep. They may also choose to lunge then perform the curl and press while standing. You can stay on the same side or perform lunges alternating sides.
Mountain Climber Row Push Up:
To do the Mountain Climber Row Push Up, set up in a high plank position with a dumbbell in each hand. Your feet will be wider apart to help stabilize and your hands should be under your shoulders. Then from this high plank position, draw one knee in and across toward your opposite shoulder. Perform a cross body mountain climber, moving slowly. Straighten the leg back out and then row the weight in the hand on the same side as the leg you tucked in up to your side. Perform the row without rotating or letting your butt go up in the air. After rowing the weight up to your side, feeling your back work to row it up, lower it back down so you’re back in the high plank. Then perform a push-up (you can do this from your knees too). Come back to a plank then perform a mountain climber cross body on the other side and a row before another push up. Keep alternating sides.
Sit Thru Bridge and Press:
To do the Sit Thru Bridge and Press, start on your hands and knees with a dumbbell under each hand. Then flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and feet with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. From this position, step your right foot under your body as you raise your right hand and dumbbell up toward the ceiling. As you step through and put your foot flat on the ground, rotate your hips open to the ceiling as you press the weight up overhead. Really squeeze your glutes as you bridge up and press. Then rotate your right leg back under your body as you bring the weight back down to the ground. Come back into that bulldog front position then step your left leg under to lift your right hand up and press the weight overhead as you bridge up. Really bridge up and squeeze your glutes at the top. Keep your abs engaged and do not hyperextend your low back. Keep alternating sides.
Leg Raise Wipers:
To do Leg Raise Wipers, hold a dumbbell in each hand as you lie on your back with your legs out straight in front of you. Press the weights up toward the ceiling at about chest height. Full straighten your arms and don’t let the weights fall out to the sides. Brace your abs and lift your legs straight up toward the ceiling together. Then, keeping your abs engaged, lower your legs straight down to hover an inch off the ground. You want to lower as close to the ground as you can without your lower back taking over. Beginners may not lower as low. Raise your legs back up toward the ceiling then lower them both down to the right. Try not to let your legs drift away from you as you lower to the side. Keep the weights pressed up toward the ceiling as you twist and lower. You want to lower about 6 inches from the ground. Do not touch down or release the engagement by going to low. Then use your abs to pull your legs straight up toward the ceiling. Perform another straight leg lower down the center. Once your legs are back up toward the ceiling, lower to the other side. Feel your abs working to lower to the side but make sure you don’t go too low and either disengage or need to use your lower back to pull your legs back up toward the ceiling. Keep the weights pressed up toward the ceiling the entire time. Beginners can bend their knees to 90 degrees to start and tap their toes down center for the leg raise.
Want a killer Upper Body and Core program with some great cardio finishers like this one?
This one muscle causes more issues than we often realize. But because the pain and issues it often causes are “elsewhere,” we often don’t realize this nasty little culprit…
Ok…while no muscle is really “nasty” or “evil,” it is important we recognize the different roles specific muscles play in creating imbalances, compensations and injuries up and down our bodies.
And one muscle we need to pay more attention to is the TFL!
Too often we ignore the issues that can arise from a shortened or tight and overactive TFL or Tensor Fasciae Latae.
This muscle loves to try to take over for other muscles, especially our glute medius. And while often our IT Band, or sometimes even our hip flexors, get blamed, the TFL is ACTUALLY responsible for a variety of low back, hip and knee aches and pains!
The TFL – A Culprit Of IT Band, Low Back, Hip And Knee Pain!?
If you’ve ever had IT Band “issues” or IT Band Syndrome, you may want to take a closer look at your TFL.
A tight, overactive TFL can lead to increased tension on the IT Band, making it feel “tight,” and also cause irritation of the tissue between the IT Band and lateral aspect of the knee joint.
This can lead to knee aches and pains such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (this can also be called runner’s knee or jumper’s knee).
Tightness of the TFL can also restrict hip mobility and contribute to excessive anterior pelvic tilt. Both of these things can lead to hip and low back aches and pains.
And even though there is no direct connection between our TFL and ankle, guess what!?
Everything is connected!
A tight, overactive TFL has even been implicated in causing changes to ankle mobility because of how it also affects the knee joint.
Basically, if your TFL becomes tight and overactive, and you don’t address the imbalances it creates, potentially even because you are wasting time addressing “symptoms” of the problem (aka just focusing only on the point of pain), you can end up with compensations, immobility and imbalances that lead to aches, pains and INJURIES up and down your body!
What Does The TFL Or Tensor Fasciae Latae Do?
While you may be thinking, “Ok I get it. The TFL is a nasty little sucker and I need to relax and lengthen it, especially if I have any of those issues. Now just tell me how to do that!”
And I will provide you with moves below to help you do just that.
HOWEVER, it is important we understand the basic functions of this muscle so we can then be aware of when it may try to compensate during exercises and where we should be feeling the moves instead!
So what does the TFL do?
The TFL contributes to hip abduction (lifting your leg out to the side), hip flexion (bringing your knee up toward your chest) and hip internal rotation (rotating your hip to turn your toe and knee in toward your other leg).
At the knee it also contributes to tibial external rotation, which is when you turn your foot out.
And at your pelvis it assists in anteriorly tilting you pelvis, which, if the muscle is tight, can lead to excessive arching of your lower back.
Why is it important you understand these functions?
Because when you see the movements that the TFL performs, you can also start to see the muscles that may become weak and inhibited (or underactive) because your TFL is tight!
The most common muscle we need to activate, if our TFL is tight, is our GLUTES, especially our glute medius!
The glute medius is supposed to be our primary hip abductor. HOWEVER, if the TFL becomes shortened and overactive, it may restrict our glute medius from firing effectively and efficiently and even try to carry more of the load than it should.
Have you ever done Mini Band Monster Walks or Lateral Raises and really felt your hips burning?
That may be because the TFL is trying to take over for your glute medius instead of allowing it to work as it should!
So how do you avoid letting the TFL take over?
3 Moves To Help Relax The TFL And Activate Your Glute Medius:
The first step is relaxing that overactive muscle. But once you’ve relaxed that muscle, you must then make sure that you improve your mind-body connection to properly RECRUIT your glute medius to do the work it should.
That is why you need to FOAM ROLL + STRETCH + ACTIVATE!
Below is a foam rolling and stretching move for your TFL as well as an activation abduction move to strengthen your glute medius.
TFL Foam Rolling:
Relax this overactive muscle using this foam rolling move. Relaxing trigger points here may help you find relief too for a tight IT Band. Any time we hear “foam roll your IT Band” we should either focus on our lateral quad or our TFL.
To roll out your TFL, you can use a roller although a ball works best. The smaller and harder the ball, the more it will dig in. If there is too much pressure and you can’t relax while holding on the tight spot, use something softer or a roller without spikes.
Place a ball on the ground then position your body so the ball is just below and outside, or back, from your hip bone. Roll the ball around slowly to find a tight spot and then hold on any tight spots.
If you find a tight spot, hold on that spot and lift and lower your leg up and down. By lifting and lower the leg, you are flexing and relaxing the muscle, which will help loosen everything up as you hold.
As you seek out tight spots in your hip, bring the ball around front and right to the side under your hip bone. Again hold on any tight spots and even flex and relax your leg to help dig in.
You can work your way back out to the side of your hip, and even into your glutes as well, if you find any sore or tight spots. Remember you are holding and breathing to release not rolling fast back and forth over the spot.
TFL/IT Band Stretch:
I first learned this stretch when it was called the IT Band stretch, but the focus should actually be on your TFL. You may feel it all the way down the outside of that one leg even.
To do the Standing TFL or IT Band Stretch, start standing with your feet together. Then cross your left leg over your right leg. Bring the left foot over and back across until the big toe is even with the big toe of the right foot. You want your feet even so that your front leg (the left leg) is pressing the back leg (right leg) straight during the stretch.
If you struggle to balance or it is too much pressure on your knees to have your legs so tightly crossed, place the front foot a bit out in front, but make sure that you don’t bend that back knee as you hinge over to stretch.
Then reach your arms up overhead for a nice big stretch. After reaching up, hang over, reaching your arms down toward the instep of the back foot (right foot). Push your hips out to the right as you reach toward your right foot so you feel a stretch down the outside of that right hip and side. You may even feel it down your right hamstring and calf.
Hold for a breath or two. Then reach back up overhead and cross your legs the other way so your left foot is back. Again reach up overhead then reach down toward your left instep, pushing your hips out to the left. Keep alternating sides with a reach up overhead in between every time.
Try to touch the ground as you reach down while making sure to keep your legs straight.
If you really struggle to balance, you may need to stand with your feet together and not crossed over as you reach toward the outside of each foot while pushing your hips away.
The key is really pushing that hip out to the side. You can even change things up reaching overhead and even slightly back with the arm on the same side as the hip you are pushing out to the side.
3-Way Seated Abduction:
To target both the anterior and posterior fibers of the glute medius and make sure it is strong and activated from a variety of different angles, the 3-Way Seated Abductions is a great move to use before your workout. In our workouts, and even daily life, we need our glute medius to fire effectively with our body in a variety of positions, it is important we also do work to activate it with different degrees of hip flexion!
Also, if you feel your TFL only taking over during one position, you can make note of that positioning and even roll right prior to that version. You can even use the other two first to make sure your glute medius is fully firing before you get to that variation.
And while your TFL assists with hip flexion, sitting with your hips flexed where your TFL isn’t necessarily trying to flex more (aka relaxed because the bench is supporting you), say unlike standing where you may try to bend at the hips, may even help you prevent your TFL from taking over!
To do 3-Way Seated Mini Band Abductions, place the mini band right below your knees and sit on a bench. Start by sitting toward the front of the bench so you can lean back and put your hands on the bench behind you. Place your feet about hip-width apart.
Then press your knees open against the band as you lean back. Your feet may rock open but focus on using your glutes to press the band open with your knees. Do not let your knees cave in as you come back to the starting position. Complete all reps then move to sit up nice and tall.
Sitting nice and tall repeat, pressing out with your knees so you feel your glutes working. After completing all reps, lean forward and repeat the movement. You can hold on the bench outside your legs to lean forward or just lean over even lightly resting your arms on your legs.
Complete all reps in each of the 3 positions. Make sure you’re really focused on pressing your knees out to feel your glutes while controlling the band back in. To reduce tension, you can start with a lighter band or put your feet slightly closer together, but make sure there is tension on the band even in that starting position.
Don’t Just Go Through The Motions – Form Tweaks That Help Activate Your Glutes:
Now that you know this nasty little sucker is out there causing issues, and even have some good ideas of how to start dealing with those aches and pains, I do want to remind you that doing the “RIGHT” moves isn’t enough if you don’t feel the CORRECT MUSCLES WORKING!
That is part of the problem!
We do these abduction moves and our TFL tries to take over. Heck…it doesn’t try…we LET IT!
So doing more abduction moves for your glute medius can backfire if you aren’t feeling the right areas working. And simply having the move “look right” and performing a proper movement pattern, doesn’t mean you have a proper recruitment pattern.
As you do these moves, or any moves for that matter, make sure you FEEL THE RIGHT MUSCLES WORKING!
You want to use activation moves where your focus isn’t on lifting more to establish that mind-body connection so when you go lift heavy or run, those proper recruitment patterns are AUTOMATIC!
Assess where you feel working and tweak or change moves until you know that your glute medius is actually firing and your TFL isn’t just taking over.
Add in an extra round of foam rolling during your workout if you start to feel your TFL working. Reduce the loads or resistance you are using if you’re fatigued and compensating.
Or make small tweaks to even those activation moves to help prevent your TFL from taking over!
So what are some tweaks you can make? And how can you help yourself know that your glute medius is firing?
First, to help yourself focus on using your glute medius during abduction moves….
You need to know where you should be feeling it, right?
Place your pointer finger on your hip bone and your thumb back along the top side of your butt.
Where your thumb is?
Well that is where you want to feel those moves! Focus on feeling under your thumb working to start!
Now in terms of tweaking moves?
While your TFL assists with hip internal rotation, it also assists in external tibial rotation.
Often when people say they feel their hips during Monster Walks or lateral raises, you’ll notice their toes/feet start to rotate out.
By instead INTERNALLY rotating their foot, or turning their foot down and in, while the TFL does engage to internally rotate the hip, it sort of “keeps the TFL busy” during the lateral raises or abduction moves so the glute medius can act as the prime mover for those movements.
(In the picture above, the left shows external rotation vs. internal rotation on the right. You would want to set up like on the right and maintain that position through the lateral raise. It doesn’t have to be extreme internal rotation, just think slightly lead with your heel).
You can also often help engage that glute medius better by kicking slightly BACKWARD as you lift to the side. This prevents the TFL from flexing the hip and instead puts the hip in extension.
(Notice in the left picture I lift straight out to the side versus the right where I kick slightly backward as I raise out to the side. And SIDE NOTE: Especially if you are doing these for reps or adding a mini band, place your hands on a wall or something in front of you to balance. It also helps prevent you from rocking and engaging your lower back!)
Form, while important, isn’t this one solid thing we make it out to be! Try different body positions and tweaks to moves so YOU can establish that mind-body connection. Then start using variations from there as you gain more and more control!
Ready to prevent and alleviate lower back, hip and knee aches and pains?
Heard all too often you need to strengthen your core, especially your glutes?
Want to run faster, lift more, cycle further….and maybe even just build a strong, sexy lower body and butt?
