Glute Training For Health

When it comes to glute training specifically and creating goals we think more about aesthetics and building shape rather than training for health. However, there are numerous positive health benefits to training the glutes and I’m going to touch on a few in this post.

It’s funny because the reason I found my passion for glute training specifically was not because of aesthetics but rather the latter, for health. A couple of years ago when I was getting out of my car my lower back just gave in. For months I found it difficult to walk, sit do any kind of activity without the nagging pain in my back. The pain would shift all the way across to my hips and down into my legs. At the time I was training a couple of times a week but I NEVER EVER specifically trained my glutes. I would always prioritize quad dominant exercises such as squats and lunges and without realizing I ended up creating a complete imbalance in the lower part of my body. My glutes were extremely weak which resulted in my injury.

It was only until I went to a physiotherapist and began educating myself on the matter that I understood why at such a young age (at the time I was 24) I could have injured my lower back to such a degree. It was the injury that initially started my journey with glute training and from educating myself on glute training for strength and health I can say I have been nearly 100% pain and injury free ever since.

In this post I will touch on a couple of points on how glute training can be extremely beneficial for health. The glutes are the largest muscle in the body which means they burn more calories than other body parts when trained in a progressive manner. If your goal is to drop fat and better your overall

health then glute training is a great way to do so, so long as you fine tune your diet to coincide with your training sessions.

Training glutes helps to develop & strengthen bones and muscles in the lower portion of the body. As we age we tend to lose bone density and muscle which can result in injury and pain. To build strong muscles and b

ones its important to undertake some form of resistance training and train through the full range of motion in each exercise.

When we build strong glutes we are less prone to injury and pain in other areas such as the knees, hips and back. If a muscle such as the glutes are underdeveloped then the synergist (assisting) muscles such as the quads, hamstrings and hips will have to overcompensate for the weakness leading to a much higher risk of injury.

Loading the knees instead of allowing the hips and glutes to works efficiently overtime may lead to injury in the knees (quads overcompensate). When the glutes rely too heavily on the hamstrings in hip extension this can lead to anterior hip pain due to the ball of the hip joint projecting forward. However, if the glutes are strong enough then the hip joint should remain centered.

As I have mentioned from my own personal experience weakened glutes can lead to lower back pain. If your glutes are weak and you are lifting weight then your lower back and erectors will have to take a bulk of the load to perform the task. Overtime this puts extra stress on the back which can result in strains injuries and even herniated disks.

Training glutes can also be a positive factor in improving overall body posture. It may help with reducing anterior pelvic tilt (hyperextending the lower back) and decreasing thoracic kyphosis (rounding of the upper back). If you suffer with poor posture, experience lower back, knee or hip pain then prioritizing the glutes in your training may be of help.