06/19/2014
The Butt! We’ve all got one but we don’t all use it. A “butt” as many people are concerned is something more important to visual aesthetics than functional movement and health. I am commonly approached with questions and inquiries from all kinds of people, women and men, for information regarding methods of developing a prolific backside. I find it amazing however, that many of these people seem to be more concerned about having a shapely behind, than developing greater overall levels of flexibility, strength, speed, and agility. So what is it about the gluteal muscles that humans are so attracted to? We clearly like the shape, but why?
Examining the bodies of professional athletes may be a key factor in determining why people seem to be so infatuated with the several muscles comprising the gluteal region. It’s no coincidence that male and female athletes seem to have big butts and great power, speed, and dynamic stability. The attributes go hand in hand. While I am not an expert in human psychology, I could imagine there being an instinctual sexual attraction towards a larger gluteal region as a result of knowing that this most likely represents greater power and strength. If we go back in time to the development of modern humans, the ability to move quickly with strength was a seemingly invaluable trait. It meant that one would most likely be more capable of hunting or fighting and providing food and protection for his/her family or tribe. It’s just a theory, but it makes sense to me.
Regardless of reason, or reasons for that matter, why we like the look of a nice t***y, it’s important to understand how to develop one, but more importantly, why to develop one. When an individual lacks the ability to fire their glutes properly, a variety of issues are sure to arise. I can’t begin to count how many people have complained to me about lower back pain. This is typically where we actually take our focus off the back and begin to focus on the anterior chain. Most people with lower back pain have a tendency to spend a lot of time sitting.
As prolonged periods of hip flexion can result in shortened and overactive hip flexors, the pelvis will consequently tilt anteriorly to compensate. This will result a more pronounced lordotic curve through the lumbar spine, resulting in added pressure placed on the lower back to support the upper half. Additionally, the Psoas (one of the major hip flexors) specifically originates at the bottom of the Thoracic spine and all vertebrae of the Lumbar spine, further increasing the forward pull on the lower back. As our understanding of human anatomy and physiology progresses, and we examine the relationship between the opposite muscle groups of the hip flexors and the glutes, we learn that the glutes can’t fire correctly if inhibited by over-active hip flexors. So we now come to the understanding that dynamic mobility of the front side of the body is crucial to developing power and strength on the backside.
All of this is so important because without a strong and properly functioning butt, we lack stability in the hips. Without stability in the hips it becomes quite difficult to develop mulit-planar movements (up and down, side to side, forward and backward, and rotation). The glutes function to extend the hips and provide dynamic stability to the entire body as it moves through each of these planes of motion.
We can all imagine Chubs, in the movie Happy Gilmore, with the famous line, “It’s all in the hips…It’s all in the hips”. This couldn’t be truer for every athlete out there. Anyone who has ever experienced athletics at a high level knows the importance of strong hips. Turning on a 95mph fastball, sidestepping a defender, jumping, even throwing a punch, all involve firing the glutes and extending the hips to generate power and speed.
So we come full circle as we realize the importance of glutes to the overall function of the body. The individuals who have the greatest ability to move in all directions typically have the butts we all want when we walk into the gym. I say it time and time again, but the greatest way to develop power is to increase range of motion. It becomes simple physics as we consider greater range of motion throughout our muscles will increase torque produced by the anatomical levers (bones) naturally in place. This will directly lead to more power through muscle actions.
Therefore, it becomes clear that the best way to develop our glutes is to tap into our inner-athlete. We must learn to move in all directions to effectively build the muscles that will facilitate these actions. Dynamically extending the hips and generating power in all directions will most definitely create a stronger backside. I hope these words and information serve to be helpful in generating a more effective and creative approach to b***y sculpting. When we begin to focus less on the specific muscles and more on the muscle actions, it is only then that we will see the results we are looking for.
For more information on dynamic flexibility, exercise routines geared towards developing your backside, and discovering your inner-athlete, contact me via facebook or email [email protected]
