Summertime "Fanny" Drills for the Dedicated! 6 Exercises to "Light a Fire" Under

If you're in the business of walking around the pool this year with the perfect "rump" then read on. If you're in the business of making sure your hips are stable, read on. If you're in the business of taking stress off your knees, read on. Basically, if you want to have a healthy frame to walk on, read on. In this blog we are going to visit some research driven exercises to burn that hind end into shape.

The gluteal muscles that make up the back of your hip are critical muscles supporting your legs while standing. They propel your legs while you walk, jog, and sprint as well as help keep those pants up over your hips :) Two of the muscles most heavily scrutinized are gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus. Both are important, both have critical roles, and both can be trained with specific exercise techniques. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of exercise techniques that can work these muscles. We took some guess work out of the equation to save you some time and chose some of the best exercises available (if you consider a few hundred that have actually been tested under research scrutiny).

First and foremost when it comes to implementing a strengthening program...

It's BEST to speak with a qualified professional to check the current status of your hip. Let the trained eye help establish how well your hip moves to help determine where possible weakness is originating.

MOBILITY of a joint must ALWAYS PRECEDE strengthening!!

TPT can explain this phenomenon if you desire, but for now, just understand that we can always increase strength around a joint BUT....and a big BUT....

strength does NOT guarantee HEALTH to a joint if it lacks mobility.

We see and attempt to correct this day in and day out!!

So now that we've established the need for full range of motion let's talk about strength. As mentioned above gluteus maximus and medius can be targeted specifically. Let's assume that strength is your end goal. Here's our strength guide.

Strength Building for Gluteus Maximus

Of hundreds of tested exercises the following top two techniques elicit the greatest response of gluteus maximus.

#1. Standing Hip Lateral Leg Raise with Resistance Band

This one is performed to a resistance level appropriate to perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a perceived exertion of "very hard"

#2. Cross Over Step Up Drill

This one can be performed on or off of a step. In either case your outward or cross over step should gently touch the ground as if stepping onto ice with caution. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a perceived exertion of "very hard"

Strength Building for Gluteus Medius

Of hundreds of tested exercises the following top two techniques elicit the greatest response of gluteus medius.

#1. Standing Hip Lateral Leg Raise with Resistance Band

This one is performed to a resistance level appropriate to perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a perceived exertion of "very hard"

#2. Side Bridge with Lateral Leg Raise

The side performing the heaviest workload with this exercise is the leg closest to the floor. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a perceived exertion of "very hard"

We also need to consider the endurance of these gluteal muscles as they sustain a force over a longer period of time. Endurance athletes need to keep in mind that the muscle tissue needs both strength as well as endurance capacity or we set ourselves for failure. We need to change the delivery of the intensity and duration of exercise as instructed below.

Endurance Training for Gluteus Maximus

#1. Clamshell with Internal Hip Rotation

Start by spreading the feet apart the spread the thighs apart. Maintain the upward rotation of the foot during the exercise. Perform 3 sets of 20 repetitions at a perceived exertion of "hard"

Endurance Training for Gluteus Medius

#1. Lateral Resisted Step with Toe In

Turn the toes inward and step outward. Maintain constant tension on the band by not bringing the feet too close together. Perform 3 sets of 20 repetitions at a perceived exertion of "hard"

If you have any questions about your hip mobility and whether you are ready to focus on strength send us an email at info@tpttx.com . If you find this information valuable be sure to join our exercise blog in the right hand column (or below on mobile version).

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