Glutes

Glute development is all the rage these days. It is very much in vogue to increase the size and to alter the shape of this aspect of anatomy. Most of us can probably appreciate why, even if it really comes down to vanity. The unappreciated part of this type of training is that it affects the mechanics of the system. Traditionally there are three different glute muscles, and they all contribute to how we move. Training them to get really good at their job may limit the effectiveness of reciprocal musculature.

Let’s keep our eyes on gluteus maximus, the one we all think of when we consider glute training. It has multiple components, but for our purposes, it is just one big muscle. It attaches at your tailbone, your hip bone and your thigh. By most accounts it turns your thigh bone outward, which is true, but it also acts on your tailbone and pelvis. Imagine for a moment that activation of this musculature draws the tailbone closer to the thigh bone. If that were the case, musculature that turns your thigh inward has lost its mechanical advantage and center of gravity is now cemented in place. You may be stuck moving in one direction, and limiting your ability to change the shape of your pelvis.

So what? Bigger, stronger muscles will protect you from injuries. Maybe. Or further enhancement of trained muscles limits mobility and eventually cause a structure to buckle in ways that could do harm. Training is more than muscle development; it is informing your body of how to adapt to the environment. Those adaptations can become more and more solidified with practice, resulting in a single way to do things. Variability and adaptability sacrificed in the process.

Training muscles to be better at producing force has advantages, it is a useful change in many instances. There does come a point of diminishing returns, something we do not often consider with weightlifting. Every movement we ask of our bodies promotes a change in its structure. That change becomes more and more permanent with repeated requests and may eventually restrict our movement options.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist