Author: Jonathan Wong,
Singapore Personal Trainer And Fitness Expert - Originally written for
www.redsports.sg
Glute Integration
By Jonathan Wong
In Part 1 of this
article, we talked all about how to get your glutes activated and
functioning correctly. In isolation.
But that is not the way the body works. It works in integrated movements like
squatting, running, lunging, and jumping. Using the right techniques that put
the correct emphasis on the glutes will enable you to do these sports movements
correctly.
This article will show you some common exercises that are part of
well-designed training programmes, and how to train your body to use the glutes
correctly while doing them.
SQUATS The emphasis we want is to get DEEP into the bottom of the squat, where
there is maximum activation of your glutes. This is why they will be sore after
a training session involving squats.
You can use any piece of free-weight equipment to squat, but avoid avoid the
smith machine (the one with the rails) because it forces your body into an
unnatural straight line movement.
When you squat, remember to keep your chest up and your weight on your
mid-foot and heel. Once you feel your chest rounding over, or your weight moving
towards your toes, that is poor technique.
Remember to squat “between” your legs. As you go down, think “buttocks move
backward”, and as you come up, think “chest up and hips forward”.
Below are some videos of different kinds of squat.
LUNGES
With lunges we also want to get deep into them to get the glutes working. A
small step puts the focus on your thighs and not your glutes so we want to avoid
that. Take a step that is large enough to get your front foot far forward, and
your rear knee close to the ground.
Once you are at the bottom position drive off the heel of your front foot to
put the emphasis on your glutes.
Start with static lunges (no moving of legs, just up and down in place), and
as your balance improves, move on to reverse lunges, then forward lunges ones,
then on to walking ones (same as forward lunges except you walk forward instead
of staying in one place).
The weight you use is not the critical thing. Most importantly you need to
drive off that front heel and making sure that the glutes are doing the work.
Excessively heavy weight would mess up your technique and this will not build
the correct movement. Add weights using dumbbells in the hands or a barbell on
your shoulders. Keep your shoulders back and down, and keep your chest up.
Remember to bend your back leg.