How and why you need to strengthen the gluteus medius muscles

What are the gluteus medius muscles

These are flat paired muscles that are attachedM.F. Ivanitsky. Human anatomy. Textbook for higher educational institutions of physical culture, 7th edition to the ilium of the pelvis and the tubercle of the femur, and from above are partially closed by the large gluteus.

By contracting, the gluteus medius muscles move the thigh to the side and also stabilizeStrengthening Exercise Program for Low Back Pain Relief / Spine-health the pelvis and lower back when standing on one leg, for example between two steps in running or walking.

Why Strengthen the gluteus medius muscles

There are two reasons.

So that your back does not hurt

If the gluteus medius muscles are weak, the pelvis and core become unstable and the body flexes too much laterally in the lower back during walking and other movements. As a result, the intervertebral discs canSean Sadler, corresponding author Samuel Cassidy, Benjamin Peterson. Gluteus medius muscle function in people with and without low back pain: a systematic review / BMC Musculoskelet Disorders squeeze, back problems arise.

Analysis of 24 scientific studies confirmedSean Sadler, corresponding author Samuel Cassidy, Benjamin Peterson. Gluteus medius muscle function in people with and without low back pain: a systematic review / BMC Musculoskelet Disordersthat patients with back paintend to have weaker gluteus medius muscles than people without these problems.

To protect knees and hips from pain and injury

Weakness of the gluteus muscles can affectMichael P Reiman, Lori A Bolgla, Janice K Loudon. A literature review of studies evaluating gluteus maximus and gluteus medius activation during rehabilitation exercises / Physiotherapy theory and practice on the position of the legs: make the knees curl inward, and the hips, on the contrary, outward. This puts more stress on the joints and, over time, can lead to inflammation and injury.

What exercises will help strengthen the gluteus medius muscles

These muscles are used in virtually all lower body exercises. Especially if you need to move the hip to the side or maintain balance on one leg.

However, a meta-analysis of scientific papers showedMichael P Reiman, Lori A Bolgla, Janice K Loudon. A literature review of studies evaluating gluteus maximus and gluteus medius activation during rehabilitation exercises / Physiotherapy theory and practicethat there are movements that better than others load the gluteus medius muscles. These exercises use more muscle fibers and do not require special equipment.

Side bar

Lie on your right side, straighten your legs, put your right forearm on the floor with your toes forward and, leaning on it, lift your pelvis off the floor. Straighten your left hand and press it against your left side or pull it up.

Check that the body is in a straight line from the crown to the feet, the pelvis is not sagging or protruding back, and the lower back is in a neutral position - no deflection.

Hold the position for 10 seconds, then lower yourself to the floor and repeat two more times. Do the same on the other side.

Increase the time as you get used to side bar up to 30 seconds. When it starts to work out without problems, try a more complex variation.

Raise and lower the leg on top. Perform the movement 10-15 times on each side.

Alternatively, you can simply lift your leg and hold the position for 30 seconds.

Squats on one leg

Stand with your back to a chair, slightly raise your straight leg, fold your arms in front of you.

Sit down on one leg until your buttocks touch the chair, straighten up and repeat. Perform both squats and lifts for 2 seconds: two down, two up.

Do three sets of 10 times for each leg.

If this works fine, try a more complex version. Stand on a stable platform. For a start, a rung of a ladder or step platform, the chair can be used later.

Position yourself so that one foot is parallel to the edge, and the other remains suspended. Stretch your arms in front of you.

Bend your supporting leg as much as you can. Keep the other leg straight. Get up and repeat. Do 3 sets of 10 reps for each leg.

Over time, increase your range of motion until you can crouch down so that your pelvis drops below the supporting knee.

Deadlift on one leg

Stand straight, lift one leg off the floor, and bend the other slightly at the knee and hip joint. Tilt the body forward until it is parallel with the floor. Maintain balance and make sure that your back remains level, the lower back does not round or sag too much, and the hips do not twist to one side. Try to keep the hip joint from rotating while tilting.

Do three sets of 10 times on each leg.

If you work out in the gym, use a barbell bar as a weight. At home, you can use dumbbells, bottles of water or sand for these purposes.

Select the weight so that you can perform 8-12 times with the correct technique.

Lowering the pelvis on the dais

Stand on a low, stable support, such as a step. Place one foot parallel to the edge, leave the other in weight, straighten your knees.

Smoothly lower one thigh down so that the pelvis tilts sideways as much as possible. Raise your hip to align the pelvis and repeat.

Do 3 sets of 10-12 reps for each leg.

Abduction of the hip, lying on the side

Lie on your side, put your hand under your head, and straighten your legs. Raise and lower the leg on top. Do 3 sets of 10-15 times on each side.

As you get used to it, you can increase the difficulty of the movement - put on an elastic band-expander on your ankles. The greater the resistance of the elastic band, the more difficult it is to perform the exercise.

How often to practice

Two times a week.

For your first workout, choose 2-3 movements. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets and exercises.

For the next workout, do the rest of the exercises from the list to evenly pump all parts of the gluteus medius muscles.

If you don’t have time to work on them separately, include 1-2 exercises in your morning exercises or warm-up before your regular workout. Alternate movements and increase the difficulty as you get used to it, as indicated above.