Ok…So your butt is not technically “dead” but Dead Butt Syndrome is a very common name for an all too common problem – underactive glutes!
So what does “dead butt” and “underactive glutes” mean?
Dead Butt Syndrome is when your glutes aren’t firing as efficiently or effectively as they should be and therefore other muscles may be compensating to handle the load, leading to aches, pains, overuse and injury.
Because your glutes aren’t working as they should, people have starting saying they are “dead.”
Another term you may hear is that your glutes aren’t “waking up” or activating properly during movements.
This has led to our glutes often also being called the “Sleeping Giant!”
So…why are there all these terms for underactive glutes? And why is it so important we address this problem?
Because, all too many of us end up INJURED because we aren’t performing proper recruitment patterns.
We may even perform movements that “look” correct aka have ideal form and a proper movement pattern, but we may be OVERLOADING muscles not meant to carry the load to perform that movement.
We are COMPENSATING! And the more athletic we are, the more we can often hide these imbalances by overusing other muscles.
Now the question I often get asked is “Well if you’re glutes aren’t working, how can you walk or stand from a chair!?”
Let’s clarify one thing first…Your glutes ARE working. The point though is they aren’t always working as effectively as they should.
Think about a hose with a small kink in it. Water may still come out but it may not be as strong a flow as it should be. Fix the kink and the water pressure improves.
Water is still flowing both ways BUT one way allows the hose to work much better.
The same thing can be said about your glutes!
Improve your hip mobility and your mind-body connection and your glutes work more effectively, allowing you to be stronger and avoid overuse!
So why don’t our glutes fire as effectively or efficiently?
The main reason? Our modern lifestyle!
We’ve heard sitting is killing us, and while that is a bit dramatic, it IS leading to tight hip flexors, which leads to changes in our recruitment patterns during basic daily tasks and movements.
Tight hip flexors can INHIBIT our glutes from firing as effectively. They are that kink in the hose.
And if we don’t address tightness there, we can end up with lower back pain, hip pain and knee pain.
If you aren’t mobile in one area, you may seek out mobility from other.
So if you can’t properly fully extend your hip, guess where you’ll try and get that extension from often?
Your lower back!
Ever feel like you’re constantly arching your lower back to try to replicate the movement you see…say to keep your chest up?
It may be because your hips are tight!
And if your hips are tight and not allowing proper extension, your glutes can’t fire properly.
If you’re glutes aren’t able to fire, you’ll need to use other muscles to lift the load. This is when you may feel your quads taking over. Or your hamstrings. Or even your lower back working.
And when these muscles are asked to do more than their fair share, they can become injured.
And it all relates back to a lack of proper mobility and a lack of glute activation.
AKA DEAD BUTT SYNDROME!
So if you take time to relax overactive hip flexors and activate your glutes, you can help prevent injury and even help yourself run faster and lift more!
Now you may be thinking, “Well I stretch my hips all the time and nothing helps long term.”
This may be because stretching, while it may help to improve your flexibility momentarily, does NOT change how your mind wants to use muscles.
It doesn’t get those underactive muscles ACTIVATED to change your recruitment patterns!
So instead of then using your glutes, you keep overusing those other muscles, which just perpetuates the same muscles becoming tight!
This is why you need a 3 step process to relax overactive muscles and wake up those dead glutes.
You need to foam roll, stretch, activate and then follow that processed with focused strength work or even your runs or rides (want workouts to help you do that? Check out my Glute Camp!).
Below are 3 moves you can do daily to relax tight hip flexors and activate your glutes BEFORE you run or lift.
3 Moves To Relax Tight Hip Flexors And Activate Your Glutes
TFL Foam Rolling:
The TFL or tensor fasciae latae works with the hip flexor muscles to flex the hip and the glute medius to abduct the hip. However, it often inhibits the glute medius from firing correctly when it tries to “take over” which can lead to IT Band, hip and knee pain.
Rolling this muscle can help you properly strengthen your glute medius while improving your glute maximus functioning.
To roll out your TFL, and even your hips, 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 your glutes as well, if you found any sore or tight spots.
Half Kneeling Hip to Hamstring Stretch:
Especially if you spend a lot of time seated, working at a computer or driving in a car, you want to stretch your your hip flexors.
And if you’re stretching before you workout, it is better to do stretches that move you through a range of motion instead of HOLDING, like a static stretch.
A great stretch to start mobilizing your hip and relaxing your hip flexors, plus stretching your hamstring, is the Half-Kneeling Hip to Hamstring Stretch.
To do the Half Kneeling Hip to Hamstring Stretch, start half kneeling with your back knee about under your hip. Squeeze your glute on that side to drive your hip forward as you reach overhead. This will help you make sure you are getting extension from your HIP and not your lower back. Pause for a second as you squeeze.
Then sit back, lowering your arm as you extend your front leg. Hinge at the hips as you sit back and lean over that leg to feel your hamstring stretch. Then move back to half kneeling and repeat.
Do not arch your lower back as you stretch your hip. Really brace your abs.
And when you sit back in the hamstring stretch, don’t just sit back, actually push your butt back to hinge at the hips and stretch that hamstring.
Mini Band Glute Bridge:
After stretching and rolling, you want to activate those glutes and a great exercise to do that is the Glute Bridge.
Because many of us though also struggle with a weak glute medius, and glute medius weakness can hinder our glute maximus from functioning optimally, a great glute bridge variation to use is the Mini Band Glute Bridge.
By using the mini band, you can help activate your glute medius to improve your hip and knee stability while also working on hip extension and glute maximus activation.
To do the Basic Mini Band Glute Bridge, you will perform a two-leg bridge with the band around your knees. To set up, place the band right above, below or at your knees. Below will be a bit more challenging than above. Make sure though that wherever you place the band, you feel your glutes working. Above the knee can help if you struggle to feel your glutes activating and instead feel your quads taking over.
With the band around your knees, lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Make sure your feet are just beyond your fingertips when your arms are down by your sides. You can move your feet slightly further away if your hips are tight. Make sure that your feet are at least about hip-width apart so that you are forced to press your knees out and open against the band to keep them in line with your ankles and hips.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and press your knees out against the band. Then, driving through your heels and upper back and arms, bridge up. Keep pressing out against the band as you bridge up. Do not let your knees cave in. Fully extend your hips and squeeze your glutes at the top. Do not hyperextend your low back at the top. Keep your abs engaged, even maintaining a posterior pelvic tilt.
Hold for a second or two at the top then lower back down and repeat. Do not let your knees cave in as you lower back down. Keep pressing out against the band the entire time!
Looking for even more moves and workouts to prevent injury and activate and strengthen your glutes?
Love learning the WHY behind what a proper training routine looks like?
It isn’t always about making an exercise harder to get results. Sometimes it is about doing the same, but different.
What that means is that you are doing the same basic movement but with different positioning, for instance doing something seated vs. standing.
This change in positioning is a great way to challenge our body especially with moves that aren’t necessarily meant to be done with heavy loads.
It is also great to improve our mind-body connection to muscles that we may struggle to activate, and muscles with fibers that are actually worked by slightly different movements or when our body is in slightly different positions.
All of this especially applies to exercises for our GLUTE MEDIUS!
Strengthening this muscle can not only prevent and alleviate low back, hip, knee and even ankle pain by improving our stability, but it can also help our glute maximus function better.
This means we can only only build sexy glutes when we work this muscle but also prevent injury and run faster and lift more!
So if you want to strengthen your glute medius, and even the upper fibers of your glute maximus, try these 6 Abduction Exercises to work your glutes from every angle!
6 Abduction Exercises
These 6 moves will work your glutes when you’re lying down, seated, standing, planking and even quadruped!
Include a variety of these as part of your warm up before your runs or lifts, as part of your lifting workout on your glute or leg days or even as a burnout after to really target those glutes for faster results!
Lying Jacks:
If you want to work on your hip extension and abduction aka really work your glute medius and your glute maximus at the same time, you want to use the Lying Jacks!
To do Lying Jacks, place a mini band right below your knees and lie face down on a bench with your hips right on the edge of the bench. To make the move easier, place the mini band above your knees. To make it harder, move it down toward your ankles.
Then engage your glutes to lift your legs up to about parallel to the ground with your legs together. Press your hips down into the bench and make sure that you don’t hyperextend your lower back. Better to have your hips slightly flexed and legs below parallel then to arch your back just to keep your legs up higher.
Holding this position, press your legs open against the band and feel the outside of your glutes working. Then in a controlled fashion, bring your legs back together. You can change the range of motion, bringing them all the way back together or pulsing at the end range of motion for even more of a pump.
If you feel your hips trying to engage you can rotate your toes slightly in or even try squeezing your butt to raise your legs up a bit as you press open.
3-Way Seated Mini Band Abductions:
Work your glutes from three different angles to really create a pump and burn so you can strengthen the entire muscle and really establish that mind-body connection with the 3-Way Seated Mini Band Abductions!
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.
Fire Hydrants:
This may be a very basic abduction move that we see all over the place, but that is because it is a MUST-DO move! The fire hydrant strengthens your glutes but also your abs!
To do Bent-Knee Fire Hydrants, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet. Keeping your arms straight and your feet flexed, raise your right leg out to the side with the knee bent to 90 degrees.
As you raise your leg out to the side, you want to keep your ankle in line with your knee and not let your foot get above your knee or your knee go up above your foot. You want to try to raise your lower leg parallel to the ground when you lift your leg out to the side.
You should feel the outside of your hip and glute working to lift the leg to the side. Don’t simply lean away to get your leg up higher. Keep your core tight and lift from the hip using your glute. Hold at the top then lower back down.
Make sure to hold for 1-2 seconds. Do not rush through the lift or simply swing the leg up. Make sure you do not bend your arms to get your leg up higher. Squeeze your butt and make sure you feel it activate.
Range of motion isn’t important as long as you feel your glute working. You may even feel this in the leg you are kneeling on because your glute is working to stabilize. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
You could also do a straight-leg variation to increase the challenge!
Mini Band Alternating Side Steps:
Get your blood pumping a bit and work your glute medius with this Alternating Side Step move! This is a great move to do especially if you plan to do any balancing or hinging movements during your workout!
To do Mini Band Alternating Side Steps, place a mini band right below your knees. To advance the exercise, place the mini band toward your ankles or to modify place the mini band 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.
Mini Band Side Plank Leg Raises:
Work your obliques and your glutes with this move that is perfect if you want to improve your core stability! Beginners can even get great results by doing this without a band to start!
To do Mini Band Side Plank Leg Raises, place the mini band right below your knees, or to modify, 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.
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 just to kick up higher or really rotate your top toe open. Hold as you feel your glutes working to lift and lower that top leg.
Beginners can also modify by placing their elbow up on an incline or even by removing the mini band altogether!
Side Balance With Forward/Backward Taps:
This move helps build hip stability and core strength. It can also be good to help you slowly improve your hip mobility. And not only will you feel the glute on top working to lift the leg, but you’ll also feel your glute working on your balancing leg to help stabilize!
To do the Side Balance Forward/Backward Taps, set up in the Side Balance position with one knee down and your hand out to the side next to it. You are setting up almost as if you are doing a side plank with the knee in closer. Straighten your other leg out to the side so you aren’t rotated toward the ground.
Keeping your top hand up, lift your straight leg up to parallel to the ground and then kick it slightly back behind you before lowering it down. Touch the ground behind you.
Then lift your leg back up and kick it back forward, tapping your toe down in front of you. You want to almost create a triangle or arch, lifting up center to tap down behind and in front of yourself. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
Really pause at the top and feel the outside of your hip and glute working to lift. Complete a full range of motion, moving slowly. Try to keep your body from really wiggling around as you lift forward and backward.
Ready to work your glutes from every angle to prevent injury and build strong, sexy glutes that help you run faster and lift more?
Nothing makes me happier than when someone has that AH-HA moment and realizes that they feel the right muscles working.
It legit makes me so excited I often have to share the news with whoever is near me. Usually that’s Ryan.
And I sometimes wonder what must be going on inside Ryan’s head when I randomly look up at him over my computer and am like…
“How awesome is this…She said she did the activation and for the first time felt her glutes when she was squatting! She didn’t realize before that she DIDN’T feel them working!!”
He always nods at me and says, “That’s awesome!”
I’m pretty sure he isn’t as stoked as I am but I don’t care…he gets to hear about it anyway!
Anyway, the reason I get so excited is because it isn’t easy for many of us to change those recruitment patterns.
It isn’t easy to…
A. Realize the right muscles aren’t working
And B. Then put in the work and the focus to get the right muscles working!
It isn’t just about doing the “right moves.”
It is about changing the way our body recruits muscles to perform the moves.
And that is why ACTIVATION EXERCISES are so important.
There isn’t just one move that can be used for activation.
But generally more isolated, simpler movements work best. Movements that don’t take a ton of skill so you can more easily focus and think about what muscles you should be feeling working.
Movements that, in general, allow for less compensation because fewer muscles are working at the same time. Movements that may even help you INHIBIT overactive muscles.
But it isn’t just the MOVEMENTS that lead to ACTIVATION and changes in our mind-body connection.
And if your goal isn’t just to use them as prehab or extra mobility work but as your ACTIVATION for your workouts, then you need to do them right before. Or even DURING your workout if you are struggling to feel muscles engaging.
Those activation exercises establish the mind-body connection in an “easy way.” Because they are more isolated movements, they can make it easier for you THINK about the muscles that are working and start to even create a pump in those muscles.
But muscles don’t operate in isolation in everyday life.
We need to use that connection we’ve created with the activation moves to then help us improve our recruitment patterns during compound movements with heavier loads or faster speeds (aka we want to make sure the right muscles are carrying the loads they should be).
We want to establish that mind-body connection PRIOR TO movements where it is often harder for us to think about, or focus on, the muscles that are working.
By using the activation prior and creating that initial pump and connection, we can make it easier to KNOW the muscles are working during those other moves.
Because if we want to be moving efficiently, we can’t have to consciously think about the muscles that are working every time. We need to know they’ll be recruited correctly because we’ve taken the time to activate and create efficient and effective recruitment patterns!
So when it comes to Activation, moves are a tool. Timing is a tool.
But it comes down to you focusing and thinking about the muscles that are working as you do those initial moves so you can then get the right muscles working during your compound lifts.
Most of us do things in every day life that cause compensations and injuries…that often lead to more compensations and injuries because we don’t keep up with our prehab.
For example…These imbalances and compensations can cause us to have back pain when we run. We sit all day and our hip flexors get tight. We do nothing to reverse our flexed, hunched posture.
Then we go do a repetitive movement and our glutes aren’t firing as they should be and we’re quad dominant so we end up with back pain from our running.
This is why ACTIVATION is so important. It is key to correct those dysfunctional patterns and restore proper movement and engagement!
If you love geeking out about the WHY behind workout design, check out my Training Black Book.
It’s 10 hours of information about designing workouts that work and over 50 done for you workout templates breaking down how and WHY to use all of the different techniques!
–> Learn more about my Training Black Book
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When we think “Glute Activation,” we think about all of those amazing moves done on the ground – glute bridges, donkey kicks, fire hydrants…
But what if you can’t get down on the ground?
What if you have knee pain that makes kneeling uncomfortable?
Or what if you have shoulder issues that don’t allow you to really support yourself with your upper body?
You can STILL get those glutes activated and working to strengthen that oh so important muscle group WITHOUT getting down on the ground!
Work your glutes from every angle without getting down on the ground with these 7 Glute Activation Moves!
Standing Mini Band Lateral Raises And Kickbacks:
A must-do glute activation series if you don’t want to get down on the ground is the Standing Mini Band Lateral Raises and Kickbacks.
Pairing these two moves together, allows you to work all three gluteal muscles and you can do so while standing in one place even! No space? No problem!
To do the Standing Lateral Raises, place the band around both legs. Placing it around your ankles will make the movement harder. Face a wall, chair or anything you can use to slightly balance with. Standing tall, lift one leg out to the side.
Keep the leg straight (but don’t lock out the knee) and lift to the side. Try not to let the toe rotate open so that you don’t turn this into external rotation instead of abduction, unless you WANT to. Keep the foot you are lifting parallel to the foot on the ground. Squeeze your butt as you lift.
Do not lean to the side just to lift the leg higher. Keep the core tight and stand up nice and tall. Then lower the leg back down and repeat. You can even pulse more at the end range of motion, never fully bringing the foot back down.
Kick BACKWARD slightly instead of straight out to the side to help yourself focus on the glute medius if you are only feeling your TFL or the front, outside of your hip working instead of your glute.
Complete all reps on that side before switching.
You may also feel this in the standing glute as well because that leg is working to resist the band and keep you stable.
To do the Standing Kickback, place the band around your ankles. Higher up on your leg will make the movement a bit easier. Face a wall, chair or anything you can use to slightly balance with and help make sure you engage your core.
Stand tall and then kick one leg back behind you. Keep the leg fairly straight and flex your foot so you are driving the heel back into the wall behind you. Squeeze your glute as you lift. Do not rock forward to try to get the leg up higher. Height doesn’t matter. Just focus on squeezing your glute and keeping your core tight.
You may have a very slight lean forward as you stabilize on the standing leg, but you don’t want to rock forward and open up your hip just to kick back higher. You also want to engage your abs so you don’t hyperextend your lower back. Rocking forward may also put the move in your low back instead of forcing your glute to work to lift the leg.
It may not be a huge range of motion. The important part is to really feel your glute extending your hip to kick back. You can even pulse at the end range of motion to create a pump.
Two tips to get even more out of these moves:
Place the mini band up below your knees to start to help you focus on the right muscles working.
For the Lateral Raises, place your pointer finger on your hip bone and your thumb back along the top of your glute. As you do the raises, feel the muscle under your thumb work. This can help you make sure the right muscles are working AND even help establish that mind-body connection!
Mini Band Side Step Squats:
If you have no knee pain that would limit your knee flexion and want a great way to get your glutes firing during squats, plus a glute activation move that will get your blood pumping a little bit more, Mini Band Side Step Squats are a great option!
To do Mini Band Side Step Squats, start standing tall with the mini band right below your knees and your feet a few inches apart. To make the move easier, use a lighter resistance or place the band above your knees.
Then step out to one side so your feet are about shoulder-width apart and squat down. Make sure to sit back and keep your chest up. Make sure you also press out against the band. You don’t want your knees to cave in.
Squat down then stand up and step your feet back together. Then step out to the other side and squat down. Alternate stepping out to each side and squatting down. Do not step out too wide and make sure to press your knees out against the band.
Band Pull Throughs:
This hip hinge exercise is a great way to prime, aka ACTIVATE, your glutes before more compound hinging exercises like the deadlift. It is also the perfect way to really target that glute max.
And while it may look a bit awkward, the pump you’ll feel from this move is worth the awkward looks you may get! (Plus if you are trying to teach anyone a proper hinge hinge, this is a great way to do it!)
To do Resistance Band Pull Throughs, anchor the band around a pole, furniture or in a doorway. Step over the band and reach down between your legs to grab the handles. Walk away from the anchor point with your back to it, holding the handles between your legs.
Then hinge over, keeping your knees soft. Push your butt back toward the anchor point as you lean forward and reach your hands with the bands back between your legs.
Then squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to come back up to standing. Keep your arms relaxed and straight down, holding the handles between your legs. Stand up nice and tall, fully extending your hips and squeezing your glutes.
Don’t hyperextend your low back as you extend your hips and squeeze your glutes or lean back too much at the top. Almost tuck your hips up forward as you squeeze and contract your glutes.
Then hinge back over, pushing your butt back toward the anchor point. Keep your core tight so that you don’t feel this move in your low back. Also, do not pull the bands with your arms. Your glutes should do all the work. And make sure to keep your back flat. Do not round over as you hinge over.
To make the move harder, use a heavier band or walk further from the anchor point.
Band Hip Rotations:
For strong glutes and stable hips, you want to work your body in every plane of motion. And that means, including some rotational exercises like the Band Hip Rotations as well. Plus, this glute activation exercise will get your abs working as well!
To do Band Hip Rotations, anchor the band and hold one end in both hands. Stand with your side to the anchor point and your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Your front toe should be turned slightly open while your back toe should point straight ahead.
Then squat down very slightly, pushing your butt back as you reach your arms back toward the anchor point. Make sure there is tension in the band even as you reach back. Brace your abs and keep your chest up nice and tall. Do not shrug your shoulders.
Keeping your arms fairly straight (aka do not actively bend them, but they may have a slight bend to start), bring the band across your body and up outside your far shoulder. Feel the glute of the leg closest to the anchor point engage and power the rotation. Do not turn it into an arm movement or simply rotate at the waist.
Your back glute should power the rotation. Feel it squeeze as you rotate. Concentrate on using it to power the move. Do not get to focused on bringing the band to a certain point. If you rotate and you don’t bring it up to the shoulder that is ok as long as the glute powers the rotation across.
Bring the band back across your body to the starting position in a controlled fashion. Do not pivot your feet as you perform the move. You want to rotate at the hip because the glute is powering the movement. You do not want your feet to move.
Complete all reps on one side before switching. Focus on squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs. Do not shrug your shoulders or round over.
Seated Mini Band Clams:
Seated glute activation exercises are another great option if you can’t get down on the ground. They can also be an option if you have an ankle issue that doesn’t allow you to balance on one side.
One essential seated move to use is the Seated Mini Band Clams. They are a great way to work your glute medius and minimus to improve your hip stability!
To do the Seated Mini Band Clams, place the mini band right below (more advanced) or right above (a bit easier) 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 open the band.
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 can change the way you focus on your glutes by changing your body positioning. You can lean back, not rock back as you do the move, but actually lean back through the entire move, sit up straight or even lean forward. Playing around with all three positions can even help make sure your glutes are firing no matter the degree of hip flexion.
Bench Hip Thrusters:
Improve your hip extension and get your core working with this bridging variation that you don’t have to get down on the ground for – the Bench Hip Thruster!
You can do Hip Thrusters as purely a bodyweight movement, as a feet-raised movement or even perform a single leg variation to help work on correcting imbalances.
Or you can try the Mini Band Bench Hip Thruster Variation below.
To do Mini Band Hip Thrusters, place the mini band right below your knees to make it harder and right above to make it easier. Lie with your back on a bench and feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Press out on the band. Don’t let your knees cave in.
Then bridge up, driving through your heels and upper back on the bench. Make sure to press out on the band as you bridge up. Keep your abs engaged with a pelvic tilt so you don’t hyperextend your back at the top. Pause and engage those glutes then lower back down and repeat. Even slightly tuck your chin to look down at your knees to help engage your abs more.
Feel your glutes working and do not let your knees cave in at any point. Keep constant tension on the band.
Bench Reverse Hypers:
Work on your hip hyperextension with this lying glute activation move you can do off a bench! No need to get down on the ground while you can still reap the benefits of a prone glute activation exercise.
You must be careful though with this movement to not allow your lower back to simply take over. If you feel your lower back trying to compensate for your glutes, modify the movement or pause and reset, even rolling out your hips and lower back to relax the overactive and tight muscles.
To do a Straight Leg Reverse Hyper (top photos), lie face down on a bench with your hips right at the edge of the bench. Make sure you aren’t too far off or you will engage your low back. You will keep your legs straight. You can let your feet stay apart or bring your legs together.
You may need to play around with the positioning to start to see which allows you to get the best glute contraction, especially if you are struggling to engage your glutes. You can also put your heels together and choose to turn your toes out. The external rotation can sometimes make it easier to get your glutes to fire.
Then, keeping your legs straight, raise your heels up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you lift. Lift till your legs are about parallel to the ground and lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back take over. You want to focus on and make sure your glutes are working to lift NOT your low back.
If you do feel your low back, make sure you are pressing your pelvic down into the bench as you squeeze your glutes to lift. Hold at the top and lower back down. Really contract your glutes at the top and don’t worry about swinging your legs up higher. Only lift as high as you need to feel those glutes engage and contract.
To mix things up with the Reverse Hypers, you can even do a bent-knee (bottom photos) or mini band variation!
Ready to get those glutes activated and working?
Check out my Booty Burner Program! 15 minute workouts to get those glutes firing!
Preventing injuries is a 3 part process – foam rolling, stretching and activation. (It’s what I call the RStoration Method….cause it sounds sexy 😉 hehe)
All too often we are doing one, or maybe too, and it’s “helping” but the results don’t seem to fully last.
If we want to not only relax tight muscles, but get the right muscles working, we need to do all 3 pieces!
This “workout” below is the perfect way to use all three parts in your warm up to improve your hip mobility and activate your glutes.
It’s under 15 minutes and can help you prevent low back, hip and knee pain!
The Hip Mobility RStoration Workout
Spend about 30 seconds on each of the foam rolling areas below. Do one round through that circuit. Then do one round through the stretches, completing the reps listed. After one round through the stretches, do 1-2 rounds of the activation. Rest up to 1 minute between rounds of the activation if needed.
FOAM ROLLING:
30 seconds per side Hamstring Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side Quad Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side Hip/Glute Foam Rolling
(For the foam rolling moves, click HERE)
Movements that, in general, allow for less compensation because fewer muscles are working at the same time. Movements that may even help you INHIBIT overactive muscles.
For example…These imbalances and compensations can cause us to have back pain when we run. We sit all day and our hip flexors get tight. We do nothing to reverse our flexed, hunched posture.
