Immerse yourself in the world of the glutes: these powerful muscles essential to our well-being. Discover their roles, the challenges of strong muscles, and key exercises to sculpt them.
The glutes: what are they for? How to strengthen them?
The glutes are the muscles that make up the buttocks, that is to say the region located at the back of the body, protruding and rounded. The latter is made up of three main muscle areas, the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minus.
If the buttocks are a part of the body that we love for its roundness and shape, it is also a set of muscles necessary for the proper functioning of the body. So, what are the glutes for and above all, how to strengthen them?
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The glutes form the largest muscle in the entire body. The buttocks are located at the back of the hip, between the beginning of the lower limbs, the legs, the trunk. They are separated at the level of the inter-gluteal fold and the anus.
There are 3 areas that make up the buttocks muscles:
The gluteus maximus : this is the most powerful and largest muscle in the body.
The gluteus medius : it is located under the gluteus maximus and on the side of each buttock.
The gluteus minor is placed deep. It is less developed, hence its name.
These three muscles connect the pelvis to the femur . They guarantee balance as well as rotation of the pelvis. The glutes also allow you to move the thighs and therefore the legs.
The superficial muscles
The gluteus minor, maximus and medius are part of the superficial glutes . They are useful in most of our movements. They allow us to get up, sit down, walk, run and jump again. These are the most powerful muscles in this area.
The deep muscles
The latter are smaller but are twice as numerous as the superficial glutes. In particular, they help stabilize the pelvis and knee when leaning on the legs. They particularly play a role in sheathing and stabilizing the pelvis. They are particularly reinforced in women after pregnancy. Indeed, the muscles that connect the pelvis are put to the test in pregnant women.
What is the point of strengthening your glutes?
Strengthening your buttocks can be interesting from an aesthetic point of view. Indeed, many men and women want to have a nice rounded posterior. Having curvy buttocks allows you to have a dynamic and sporty physique. But that’s far from the only reason why you should strengthen your glutes.
Indeed, the stimulation and contraction of the glutes is very important in sports. Whether running, bending your legs, jumping or even when lifting weights, well-muscled and strong buttocks facilitate the proper functioning of the hips. This also helps prevent pain and relieve back or knee problems .
An asset for health
Finally, overall sedentary lifestyle impacts the health of our glutes, but also of our body. Indeed, the lack of activity and remaining in a seated position can lead to progressive amnesia of the glutes as well as muscle wasting. Thus, the glutes can no longer ensure their normal functioning. However, this muscle is essential for supporting and moving the body.
Muscle compensation
When a muscle can no longer perform its function, it forces the body to use other muscles to compensate for this insufficiency. The muscles that take over are thus in a state of tension which can cause chronic fatigue or, in the worst case, injuries. If this is the case, you can make a teleconsultation appointment with a health professional.
This can get worse as the gluteal muscles may experience more and more amnesia. Working on your glutes can therefore help you get back into shape.
What sports to strengthen your buttocks?
The advantage of the glutes is that there are many sports that allow you to work them. So, what to choose?
Swimming and aquagym
It is often said that swimming is a complete sport that works a lot of muscles. When we swim, we work the thighs, legs, arms, abs and buttocks etc.
To work the glutes, the ideal is the breaststroke. Indeed, this technique works the whole body and more precisely all of the glutes, but also the entire dorsal chain. Thus, the glutes are muscular, but this also allows you to acquire good posture.
You can also practice aquagym. This sport allows you to strengthen the glutes without imposing stress and weight on the joints. Thanks to the water, movements are carried out smoothly. There is less risk of aches and yet, muscular capacities are strengthened.
If you don’t like water sports, you can definitely practice cycling . It’s a sport that helps shape your glutes , especially if you pedal in a dancer’s position. Cycling helps you to have well-toned and, above all, well-muscled buttocks. This applies to outdoor cycling practiced in the great outdoors as well as indoor cycling, indoors.
Sliding sports like surfing, skiing or even rollerblading are perfect for shaping your glutes. In fact, these sports are based on the constant flexion and extension of the legs . These movements are particularly effective for firming the muscles of the buttocks and the lower body in general.
If you don’t like sports but you like dancing, good news. Indeed, dancing uses the glutes. Hip-hop is the best option for this, but any type of dance will be effective.
Between dance and physical exercise, we can name the step. This technique, which consists of making movements while climbing a step, strengthens the thighs and calves, but also the glutes.
