Every woman--and some men--at one time or another, is concerned about a shapely rear. Some naturally have a proportionally shaped backside, while others need to work at it. The glute complex is the strongest muscle in the body; however, on a day to day basis, most people do not fully engage this area, which is why many are a bit flabby in that area. There are a variety of ways to engage the gluteal muscles--often displayed in videos, books and classes.
Anatomy
Your butt, or glutes are made up of three primary muscles, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the largest of the three and makes up the majority of the actual shape of your hind quarters. The gluteus medius is located on the side of your buttocks, attached to your pelvic crest, and the side of your thigh bone, or femur. The gluteus minimus attaches to similar points, but is located under the gluteus maximus.
Function
The primary function of the gluteal complex is hip extension, as in pushing your hips in front of you--or, from a seated position, the act of standing up straight is another example. They also help in hip abduction (moving away from the body), and internal (medius and minimus) and external (maximus) rotation of the femur. The glutes are important in everyday function as they help you stand up straight, aid in walking and running, and rotating from the hip.
Significance
The gluteus maximus is the largest of the buttocks muscles and therefore is responsible for the actual shape of this area. While working the gluteus medius and minimus is important for function, they play little role in actual shape. Exercises that focus on full hip extension--standing upright represents your hips in full extension--from a hip flexed position--sitting down--will help build the gluteus maximus.
Types of Exercise
For a supine hip extension, begin by lying on the floor on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Push through your heels and elevate your hips until your thighs and spine are in line by squeezing your glute muscles. Hold for three to five seconds and lower you hips back to the start.
Single leg supine hip extensions are the next progression. Set up the same as before, only this time hold your left leg off the floor. Begin the exercise by pushing through the right heel, again squeezing your right gluteal muscles until your left thigh is in line with your spine, without twisting your hips. Hold for three to five seconds and lower your hips. Repeat for desired number of repetitions. Switch legs and repeat.
To do a prone cobra, lie face-down with your arms straight at your sides palms facing the floor. Tighten your glute muscles and raise straight legs off the floor as well as your arms and chest. Squeeze your glutes hard for three to five seconds and look toward the sky. Lower yourself back to the start.
Considerations
As with any muscle, do not work them on consecutive days. They need time to recover and repair. Rest periods are just as important as the exercises themselves. Keep in mind that your diet is also important. You can't actually "shape" a particular muscle, as your genetics will determine the actual shape of your muscles. However, you have a certain amount of control over how large or small you make the muscle, and how much or how little fat covers the muscle. The less fat covering the muscle, the more shapely it appears, which is why nutrition and cardiovascular exercise are important components to shaping your butt.
The time it will take you to achieve your ideal shaped buttocks depends on your current fitness level, and your dedication to a program. Don't look for significant changes in shape for at least 10 to 12 weeks.
Misconceptions
Many use hip abduction machines in the hopes of helping to shape their butts--but this action works the gluteus medius and minimus, and not the gluteus maximus. Instead of spending time on this exercise, use your time more effectively by working the gluteus maximus. Lightweight, high-repetition programs do not shape the muscle. Stick to heavier weight exercises in the eight to 12 repetition range for best results.
References
- "Strength Training Anatomy"; Frederic Delavier; 2001
- ExRx.net: Lying Hip Extension
- "Effective Strength Training"; Douglas Brooks, MS; 2001
Member Comments