Three separate muscles make up your buttocks: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the largest, most visible of the three buttock muscles. The gluteus medius is a smaller muscle located near the...
Your gluteus complex -- including your buttocks -- works with your legs and torso to move your hip joints in different directions, such as hip flexion, extension and rotation. The outer muscles of the gluteus complex primarily produces force while...
The gluetus minimus works with your hip to stabilize your pelvis and to assist the gluteus maximus to move the hip joint, such as extension, flexion, and rotation. You cannot isolate this muscle to move because it is connected to your hip muscles...
The gluteus medius muscle is one of the three gluteal muscles that make up your buttocks. The gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus are also known as your abductor muscles. These two muscle are responsible for the motion of pulling one leg away...
Lunges are often used to strengthen the major muscles of the lower body. A lunge strengthens the front and back of your thighs and your gluteus maximus. Another muscle -- one that is sometimes overlooked for its contribution in the lunge -- is the...
Your gluteus maximus gives your posterior most of its shape, but you have to other glute muscles: the gluteus minimus and gluteus medius. The gluteus minimus lies deep to the gluteus maximus and assists with pelvis stability and hip abduction;...
The hip abductors, or gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, are important hip muscles that help contribute to the stabilization of the core, especially while walking or running. While one leg is in contact with the ground, the hip abductors are...
The gluteus maximus -- the largest muscle of your posterior -- does more than just fill out your jeans. The gluteus maximus provides power and stability when squatting and speed when sprinting. If yours are weak, this may hold back your squat and...
The gluteus muscles, or "glutes" for short, consist of the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. These muscles have two functions--hip extension and hip abduction. When your thigh moves backward, you are extending your hip and when your...
Clamshell and leg-raise exercises both focus on moving the legs, but they strengthen different groups of muscles. When done properly, the clamshell is not likely to put stress on the back, but leg raises have the potential to strain lower back...
Your knees are tough, but they aren't built to last. They are small joints held together mostly by just four ligaments, and they take a pounding when you place pressure on them during exercise. If your knees are aching, they are likely struggling...
Your buttocks contains three different muscles: the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. Strengthening and toning your backside contributes to improvements in posture and body composition, while providing a strong foundation for your hips and...
Explosive movements such as jumping require both strength and speed. The primary muscles used in jumping are the vasti, gluteus maximus, soleus and gastrocnemius. Strengthening these muscles will produce increases in your jump height; however, to...
Knee injuries are the number one cause of disability among athletes, including joggers and runners. The knee is the largest joint in the body but not necessarily the strongest. It certainly is prone to pain and injury, the cause of which can be...
The term "knock kneed" describes what happens when the abductor muscles on the outside of the hip are weak. The knees point inward while the ankles point outward. If you have knock knees, perform abductor exercises to strengthen the gluteus...
Your hamstrings, located in the back of your thighs, are made up of three separate muscles--the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and the semimembranosus. This muscle group is primarily responsible for bringing the heel toward the buttocks and...
The muscles that internally rotate the hips are the gluteus medius, the anterior fibers of the gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae (TFL) muscles of the hips. When these muscles get tight, it's difficult to internally rotate your hips....
Kettlebells provide a challenging total body workout that includes cardiovascular exercise as well as muscle strengthening and toning. The dynamic nature of kettlebell workouts facilitates an intense core workout. While kettlebell training can...
According to MotherNature.com, three main muscles make up the buttocks. These muscles are the gluteus maximus, which is the largest and closest to the surface, the gluteus medius, a smaller muscle, and the gluteus minimus, the smallest and...
When your outer thigh hurts as you stand after running and after sitting, you may have one of two common conditions. Iliotibial band syndrome is the irritation and inflammation of a large tendon in your thigh. Meralgia paresthetica is a pinched...
The muscles that work during external hip rotation are the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, also called the abductors. These muscles are part of the buttocks. They begin on the pelvis and connect to the greater trochanter of the femur, which is...
Dead butt syndrome sounds more dramatic than it actually is. The condition is caused by inflammation in the gluteus medius muscles, which play a crucial role in hip and pelvis stability. If you've been diagnosed with dead butt syndrome, rest...
While the gluteus maximus crosses over the buttocks from the interior to the exterior side of the leg, the gluteus medius runs straight down from the hip underneath the gluteus maximus muscle fibers. The function of the gluteus medius is to...
The American College of Sports Medicine stresses the importance of regular exercise and recommends that all American adults get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. One common way to reach this goal is by utilizing exercise...
Exercises for your butt primarily work to tone your gluteus muscles, but commonly target secondary muscles in that area, including your thighs and lower back. These types of exercises, called strength or resistance training, do not work as a spot...
Building muscular endurance can help prevent or treat back problems. Greater muscular endurance lets your muscles perform repetitive contractions or sustain contractions for longer periods of time. A lack of muscular endurance in key muscle groups...
Your gluteus maximus, sometimes called the gluteus, gluteals or glutes for short, is essentially your butt muscle. One of the biggest muscles in your body, the gluteus is responsible for the action of extending your hip to the rear. This movement...
The muscle groups that make up your hips consist of your hip flexors, hip abductors, gluteus maximus and external rotators. Strengthening all of these muscle groups will strengthen your hips. The hip abductors and external rotators move your hips...
Most people worry about having a flat, overweight or saggy butt, according to ACE-certified personal trainer Keli Roberts in "ACE Fitness" magazine. You can lose pounds in the butt by learning to combine proper diet with both aerobic and...
