Enough cannot be said about the importance of stretching, warming up and preparing your muscles for athletic activity. Stretching comes before warming up and always in that order. This ensures the entire body is ready to meet the challenge your sport of choice or workout regimen will require. Since the gluteus maximus is the powerhouse and center of your entire body, paying special attention to it during your preparation for a game or workout is a wise move. This is the best way we can hope to avoid injury during athletic pursuits.
Most of us begin our stretches with only our ham strings, back and torso and forget to isolate a good stretch for our gluteus maximus. After your ham string stretch, be sure to take a seat and cross the ankle over the opposing knee. Relax in this position for a minimum of 1 minute prior to switching sides. If you can go longer than 1 minute, you will achieve longer lasting benefits for this large, crucial muscle.
After completing 3 repetitions on each side, move this gluteus maximus specific stretch to the floor. Laying on your back bring your ankle over the opposing knee for a minimum of 1 minute; repeat 3 repetitions for each side of the body. If you prefer variety, lie on your left side instead, raise the right knee to a right angle and gently allow your torso only to rest back on the floor. This will provide a serious lengthening to the gluteus maximus muscle itself. Hold for a minimum of 1 minute for 3 repetitions on each side.
If you are already limber, you will not feel any burn. It should not be your goal in a stretch to feel a burn, instead you should aim to one day, if not already, feel no strain at all. Never bounce during a stretch; this will only tear muscle and defeat the purpose of providing a release to the fibers of the muscle tissue. If you do not stretch enough, you will feel a burn that cannot be avoided.
Eventually your efforts will reward you with a satisfying sense of limberness and no pain during your future warm ups. Expect that goal to take at least one month of faithful yoga classes 3 times per week or daily stretching routines at home lasting 15 minutes.
Following your 15 minute stretch, you can begin a gentle warm up. Warming up for physical activity, sports or even shoveling the snow or working around the yard is a wise move. Even if you are leaving for work which requires sitting at a desk all day, take the time to fit in a 15 minute stretch every morning to avoid back or leg damage over the course of your employment at a desk job. A gentle warm up for the gluteus maximus is as simple as a light jog or elliptical climb of no more than 5 minutes.
Running in place, a 5 minute swim or kicks at the side of the pool are all superb warm ups that will specifically heat up your gluteus maximus. Even a simple but brisk walk around the court, up through the bleachers or down the stairwell at the office is sufficient as long as you keep moving for a minimum of 5 minutes.
Purposeful, deliberate movement is the key to stretching and treating the muscles to a healthy lengthening.
The importance of the buttock muscle in running is very different from those athletic endeavors that require a wide range of movements. Running is a forward motion requiring some balance, but mostly momentum, smooth execution and stamina. Stamina, in this case, means the ability to operate without cramping or seizing up. Strength training of the glutes would be in order for a runner.
Creating a powerful set of buttock muscles with long and slow weight lifting will enable the gluteus maximus to propel and push the runner forward. Smaller weight sets and faster reps will enhance the buttock muscles ability to dash and sprint.
There are a variety of exercises that will train the gluteus maximus to perform in the best way possible for your preferred athletic activity. Drills targeting the gluteus maximus are: the push-up and kick back, the squat twist and lift, the butt press or kegel, the lunge and don’t forget the benefits of yoga or stretching. All of these exercises are intended for both sexes.
Even the kegel is an important routine to incorporate in the male work out program for prostate health and lower abdomen strength. A strong gluteus maximus will provide support for the lower abdomen decreasing the risk of hernias, promoting dependable bladder operation and possibly increasing sexual gratification.
The Push-Up and Kick-Back begins on the all fours with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. You may need knee-pads for this routine. Begin with your knees slightly bent and both feet off the mat, toes pointed. Adhere to proper form in your start position by forming a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Now in one fluid motion, bend your arms lowering your chest towards the floor into a half press-up and push back while extending the right leg straight back, squeezing the glutes. And repeat alternating legs each time.
This particular movement is rated difficult and will work the largest muscles front and back including a deep emphasis on the gluteus maximus.
The Squat Twist and Lift combines a gentle pressure on the obliques with a highlight on the gluteus maximus. This includes two hand weights that are a comfortable size for you. Start in a relaxed squat with your torso bending forward slightly. Hold the weights in each hand at shoulder height. In one fluid motion, stand while pressing weights overhead and turning torso about 45 degrees to the right, lifting the right knee until that thigh is parallel to the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat, always alternating sides to increase balance and control. This particular movement is rated easy.
Finally, the Butt Press which highlights the buttock muscles and is comparable to a glorified kegel maneuver. Grab one weight which your hold in both hands and lay on your back on your mat. Bending your knees, cross your right ankle over the left knee while holding the weight in both hands, elbows bent. In one fluid motion, squeeze your buttocks; lift the hips until your back is in line with your hips to the knees while pressing the weight to the ceiling. This is a superb exercise that is harder than it looks, although it is rated easy.
The kegel and lunges are also important basic glute highlighting routines that should be worked in to your weight training program. Lunges can be used in your warm up as long as one is moving slowly and not lunging too deep. The kegel is also a first-rate concentrated, but easy movement that also has a place in your warm up. Men should not associate this exercise as being for women only. The pelvic floor is also the source of prostate and sexual health in men.
Lying on your back, bending the knees with your feet on the floor, clench the buttocks then smoothly thrust your pelvis to the ceiling until you have created a straight line with your shoulders. Hold this position without straining any part of your body for 10 seconds and then slowly lower your hips back to the floor unclenching your buttock muscles once you are down. Perform this in sets of 5 for a total of 3 repetitions.
The kegel is known to increase erectile function and for both sexes improve bladder function sometimes eradicating incontinence.
