There is no doubt we are a divided nation. Since we are in an election year, let’s talk about one of the most divisive issues facing us on the planet; how do I get a nice butt?
One one side I have people who desperately want a smaller butt. On the other side I have clients who need a butt. Over the years I have found that each side has zero sympathy for the other.
Just like in politics, the two sides have more in common than they think and the solution is the same.
Glutes are getting more attention than ever but for the wrong reasons. This whole thing of having skinny arms and legs and a big bumblebee butt is beyond me. It serves no use. The latest trend of sticking your butt out at a weird angle and taking pictures is truly a bizarre turn of events.
As your personal coach, a functional butt is the primary target. If I can get your glutes equalized and strong, they will most likely fix a lot of back and knee pain issues.
If anyone tells you they can shape a butt they either have a poor grasp of the english language or they are lying to you. Muscles fibers slide across each other to contract. You can’t tell a particular part of the muscle to fire off and you certainly can’t confuse it. This is a reference to “Muscle Confusion” which is another term marketers throw around.
Me? I am here to make your life easier. There are two parts to a great looking butt.
- Build the muscle for a state of flabby and weak to strong and firm.
- Burn off fat.
Seriously, that is all you need to do.
May I present to you the human butt.
You have three glute muscles and a bunch of smaller muscles that basically attach the lower body to the upper body. In corrective exercise we can trace almost all joint issues to the feet and pelvis and here you can see why.
The gluteus maximus is a big, strong muscle that helps to stabilize the pelvis. Notice that it attaches to the vertebrae. My hope is that a lightbulb just came on and you have come to the realization that your back pain is exactly where the gluteus maximus attaches to the spine. If not, I will give you a second.
The second “AHA” moment I want you to have is that sometimes people get a pain in the lower back region but it is slightly to one side. What could be causing that?
Yes, one cheek is stronger than the other. Or one cheek has knots or adhesions that are causing it to be tighter than the other. The third possibility is that one glute may be neurologically under-active meaning it can’t fire.
We can make this as complicated as we want but I would rather simplify things.
- Watch the video on rolling and smashing the glutes.
If you are new to fitness or you never really went deep on the subject, the following statements may not make sense to you.it doesn’t matter, they are true. Trust me on this.
The end game is to get a butt that is strong and functions well. If you do this, you will be very happy the way it looks.
In the next post I will go over the best glute exercises you should be doing but you need to do this first.
If you are new to mobility work, here are some essential tools from Amazon to help you out. I use all of these and highly recommend them.
