Glute "activation": What does it mean? Is this a myth?

Are dead lifts on a posterior chain?

And how are you going to absorb the force of the plyo jumps if you can't maintain joint positions, due to being weak at your COM?

coach d wrote:

Coach wrote:

I'll take nasm's position over an anonymous poster.

Glute activation = more core crap

Core is the new static stretching. There is no evidence anywhere that core does anything at all for performance, with the exception of the performance of personal trainers' bank accounts. All it does is waste time and energy that would be better spent doing something that might do you some good, like plyometrics.

I generally agree that core work doesn't improve performance but can be very beneficial for injury prevention.

Rato wrote:

And how are you going to absorb the force of the plyo jumps if you can't maintain joint positions, due to being weak at your COM?

coach d wrote:

Glute activation = more core crap

Core is the new static stretching. There is no evidence anywhere that core does anything at all for performance, with the exception of the performance of personal trainers' bank accounts. All it does is waste time and energy that would be better spent doing something that might do you some good, like plyometrics.

Coach wrote:

I'll take nasm's position over an anonymous poster.

I know you would, which is why you believe stupid shit.

coach d wrote:

Coach wrote:

I'll take nasm's position over an anonymous poster.

Glute activation = more core crap

Core is the new static stretching. There is no evidence anywhere that core does anything at all for performance, with the exception of the performance of personal trainers' bank accounts. All it does is waste time and energy that would be better spent doing something that might do you some good, like plyometrics.

I agree.

ATHLETE.X wrote:

If someone truly had 'inactive' glutes they wouldn't be able to walk.

Yeah, some people barely use them and that is a problem, but people seem to think the largest muscles in your body can turn off and yet still be able to walk around, go up stairs, etc.

All things considered, everyone could benefit from hip thrusts! (or what I like to call, "marriage savers")

+1

How is this a controversial topic?

I'm currently in a 2-year injury cycle related to lack of "glute activation". Even though I haven't been able to fix the problem fully (I've had a few cycles of healthy for 3-6 months, injured for 2-3 months), it seems obvious to me that my quads and low back are overworking due to tight hip flexors and inactive glutes. When I deadlift (for example),I have to consciously engage my glutes or I'll fall into bad motor patterns.

I'm often amazed (and frustrated) by my body's ability to compensate. I can hurl myself around the track at a good clip by way overusing some muscle groups (and underusing others). Unfortunately, I often don't realize that something is off until everything falls apart.

It's not controversial. Some people need "remedial work" like glute activation exercises and specific core exercises while others don't. The warm ups 30 years ago were different. Continue to do Glute bridges, band walking, consciously squeeze the glutes even when sitting. Do all types of mobility work for your hips. This won't take more than 20 minutes a day, but you obviously need this every day.

It is controversial because the term "activation" makes it seem like something complicated is going on.

All it means is changing your form to use different muscles. Big deal.

It is like moving your seat backward or forward on your big. Do so over an extreme arc means different muscles are in play.

It doesn't mean your glutes don't work right, or have to be trained or anything. They will respond immediately.

Another thing I hate is when people tell me their muscles aren't "firing". Give me a break.

Coach wrote:

It's not controversial. Some people need "remedial work" like glute activation exercises and specific core .

If you mean simple strength training then yeah. If u think there is some voodoo "activation" then no.

Let's not make everything more complicated than it is.

Abolish LRC wrote:

"Glute activation" is a pseudo-concept. The moment you hear anyone use that phrase, smile and walk away; you're talking to a fool.

I won't speak to the phrase "glute activation," since it seems overused and sloppily applied among personal trainers and running form gurus. However, altered neuromuscular control of the gluteal muscles in injured runners (particularly PFPS and achilles tendinopathy) is a fairly uncontroversial topic in the scientific and clinical communities.

Exacerbater wrote:

...So should we be lying down more rather than sitting?

Lying down is more restful.

Coach wrote:

I'll take nasm's position over an anonymous poster.

Abolish LRC wrote:

I know you would, which is why you believe stupid shit.

I just now activated my finger digits to post this message.

yes its real, yes it helps!

-speaking from experience

My Glut become totally inactivated from a hamstring injury. Could not walk up stairs right. Walking, standing running, everything felt bad, and not right. Glut activation saved me. It works.

Some people's brain is not firing.

Kruppet- Only speaking from experience for I am in a similar situation as you. I bought 1 25 pound Kettlebell(Which is relatively light) and and do 4 to 5 sets of 30 Doublehanded Swings with a minute rest between. I have done this now for 4 weeks 3x's a week. I have definitely gotten the WTH(What the hell effect) from just this short period of doing this. Like many long term runners my glutes and hamstrings were weaker as I was quad dominant. Now everything feels easier from running and sprinting to walking lunges(which I couldn't do before) as well as my balance when riding a skateboard(I am 48). My high knee holds and butt kicks have become noticeable better and the flexibility in my hips feels great(before doing this I was having trouble tying my shoe on my left side). Many will tell you this is some crossfit style BS and my weight is to light etc. but trust me getting the hip to hinge(similar to deadlifting but more fun) feels like I am younger again. I thought I was retired from racing the way my hip had felt since 2012 and now I feel if I continue to do swings and add in Turkish Get ups and some goblet squats I will be running consistently in the near future.

Good luck! Bulldog

Touche wrote:

It is like moving your seat backward or forward on your big. Do so over an extreme arc means different muscles are in play.

It doesn't mean your glutes don't work right, or have to be trained or anything. They will respond immediately.

Another thing I hate is when people tell me their muscles aren't "firing". Give me a break.

You know how after surgery or broken bones people have to go to physical therapy? It's because their brain isn't telling their muscles to fire after they haven't been used.

Abolish LRC wrote:

Coach wrote:

Regarding "inactive glutes" this is from NASM' s corrective training textbook in the chapter on human movement impairments and altered muscle recruitment.

Altered reciprocal inhibition can lead to synerGnostic dominance. For example a tight psoas decreases the neural drive and therefore optimal recruitment of the gluteus maxi.us. This altered recruitment and force production of the gluteus maxi.us (prime mover for hip ectension) leads to compensation and substitution by the synergies (hamstrings) and stabilizers (erectile spinae).

100% pure pseudoscience.

No way.

Gnosticism is the teaching based on the idea of gnosis (a Koine Greek word meaning "secret knowledge"), or knowledge of transcendence arrived at by way of internal, intuitive means.

SynerGnostic dominance is not a pseudoscience; it is beyond the bounds of science