Amber Frank, RMT

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Glutes don’t lie.

I uttered this to a friend at a Memorial Day BBQ this weekend. They were sure I would be impressed with their running form….but their flat glutes and the baggy jeans in the back told a different story. Glutes, like all muscles, get bigger when they are consistently activated in a movement pattern. Whether that is an olympic lift or running or pilates or whatever. If glutes are on board and active….you should see some evidence that they participated.

Glutes. Don’t. Lie.

For my female athletes this issue is rampant. There are lots of reasons for it, but form is a biggie. If you have been squatting under load at CrossFit , or running any distance for years you should have monster glutes. If you can’t fill up your b***y shorts….you need some good coaching on your squat or running form.

Unfortunately, a lot of the coaching women receive is to tuck their bums under load or to “fix” their anterior tilt. There is an assumption that all women, particularly post partum women, are anteriorly tilted and hyperlordotic. This fails to take the position of the torso/ribcage into the thought process. What we have missed is that many women are actually in what I call bell rung up at the rib cage (sternums up/high chests). High chests is how they run, and how they finish a lift. That gives the appearance of anterior tilt, hyperlordosis below. But they are actually hinging at their T-L junction, and the bum tucks to counterbalance this. Check it….look at where the apex of your clients lumbar lordosis is, it should be at L4 near the top of the waistband of said b***y shorts. If it is higher up…even with the level of the elbow …they are likely hinging at T-L junction. I call it the (TM, people). Their lower lumbar spine is flat, so is the top of their b***y, and it is tucked. Ask them to untuck and see how far they can untuck….if they can it is not anteriorly tilted. So asking them to tuck it more…is no bueno. Leaves them glute-less for hip and low back support, adds to leaks and ultimately you are losing glutes… a powerful ally to move a bar and run.
PS glutes and the pelvic floor are BFFs. Get Some.