No If’s, And’s, or Buts on the Importance of Butts

When it comes to running or walking there is a large misconception that the legs hold all the power, when in fact, the glutes or butt muscle are a substantial contributor to all types of movement.  There are three different muscles that make up the glutes, the gluteus maximus, minimus, and medius. Having strong glutes will propel you forward in running and walking without putting that extra strain on the knees, feet, lower back and legs; therefore allowing for more efficiently movements. On the other hand, weak glutes have been linked to significant knee, foot, and back pain. 

The gluteus maximus is the largest of the three muscles and is a powerful hip extensor muscle, lateral rotation agent, and adduction conductor.  The gluteus maximus furthermore controls movement when bending forward, turning the foot laterally, and also when rotating a raised leg medially.

The gluteus minimus and medius lie beneath the maximus and are abductors, which mean they move the legs away from the body; therefore allowing one to preform side lunges, leg raises, or any lateral movement. Additionally the minimus and medius aid in internal rotation of the hip.

At Williams Sports Training we believe that the glutes are the powerhouse to our athletes, and therefore the key to reaching success in athletic competition.  All of our lower body lifts, ranging from dead lifts to single leg movements, involve the glutes.  Some examples of these exercises are squats, split squats, single leg squats, side lunge, Romanian dead lifts, and sled work.  While glutes are the biggest muscles across your backside and they are more than just a cushioning for your chair!  Be sure to get into WST and work your powerhouse to its full potential and we promise you will be able to run faster, jump higher and become and over all more explosive athlete.                                                                                             

By: WST Trainer Vicky Ziolkowski