Glutes refers to three muscles that are located in your buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The word gluteus comes from the Greek word that means buttocks, and maximus, medius and minimus refer to the relative size of each muscle. You have six glutes, three on each side. They give shape to the buttocks and are strong muscles that help move your legs back or out from the center of the body.
Gluteus Minimus
The gluteus minimus, a small, fan-shaped muscle, is the smallest and deepest of the three gluteal muscles. The great trochanter, part of your femur, is a bony protrusion on the side of your hip, about 7 inches below your waist. The point of the fan, the insertion of the gluteus minimus is located on the front of that protrusion. The wider part of the fan reaches up and is anchored on your hip bone, the ilium. When the gluteus minimus tightens, it helps to move your leg sideways away from your other leg. It can also help to roll your leg medially, toward the other leg.
Gluteus Medius
The gluteus medius lies over the gluteus minimus muscle and is larger. Anchored on the ilium, a little higher than the gluteus minimus, it is anchored on the great trochanter as well. It is stronger than the gluteus minimus because it's bigger, but it has the same actions. If you move your leg out sideways, away from the other leg, both the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus are working. They both also help to roll your leg medially, as in pigeon toes.
Gluteus Maximus
The gluteus maximus is the largest of the three gluteal muscles. It is anchored on the sacrum and coccyx as well as the very strong ligament between the ischium and the sacrum, which is called the sacrotuberous ligament. The ischium is your sitting bone, part of the ilium. The gluteus maximus attaches to the iliotibial band and the femur just below the great trochanter. It is very strong, and it extends the thigh, which means it moves your leg backward. The gluteus maximus also rolls your leg outward, so that your toes point out to the side, the opposite of the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
How to Palpate the Glutes
To locate these muscles, stand facing a barre or full-length mirror. First put your hands on your side seams, between the waist and the top of your leg. Swing one leg sideways, parallel to the barre or mirror. You should be able to feel the gluteus minimus and medius contracting on the side that moved. Next, place your hands on your buttocks, over the area of your hip pockets. Spread out your fingers to cover as much area as possible. Slide one foot backward, behind you. You should feel the large gluteus maximus muscle contracting on the side that moved. If you stand straight with your hands on your side seams again, between the waist and leg, and point the toes of both feet together, as in pigeon toes, you should feel the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus tighten. If you move your toes outwardly and touch your heels together you'll feel the gluteus maximus tighten.
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