Glute activation is a process that encourages an exertion of force from the gluteus muscle group that is strong enough to dominate lower body movements as opposed to other muscles, such as the quadriceps, or lower back. If your glutes are firing off properly then you can improve mobility & posture, eliminate migraines, lower & upper back pain, improve eye sight, speed, strength, agility, as well as many other things.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY GLUTES ARE ACTIVATED?
I recommend taking part in this mobility screening to find out exactly what is going on for sure: https://immortal-training.com
WHO SHOULD USE THIS EXERCISE?
I highly recommend this exercise whether you are male, female, young, or old!
The focus is on gluteus medius, which is responsible for abducting the leg while rotating the femur outwards (i.e. – pulling the leg away from the body). This will help stabilise the hips and knees during big movements such as squats and dead lifts.
One of the main benefits is that the muscles in the hip flexor and adductor areas (in the groin area and inner thighs) will be stretched while the glutes tighten, which will help realign the pelvis into a more ideal position. If bootybuilding is what you are in need of then this move is a necessity!
I have used this exercise on clients for years and, along with a few other movements, have seen it turn flat bums into perky, round ones.
The video below explains how to correctly perform and advance the box squat, so that you can eventually squat with perfect form.
WHO SHOULD USE THIS EXERCISE?
Beginners who lack the ideal bio-mechanics for squatting ass-to-the-grass. This could be down to poor glute activation, tight hip flexors, tight hamstrings, bad posture, other issues, or a combination of several factors. To find out more about your overall bio-mechanics you should take part in this mobility test first: https://immortal-training.com/overhead-squat-test/
HOW DO BOX SQUATS WORK?
Box Squats will enable you to slowly increase your squat depth over time without a high risk of injury. The movement can also trick the brain into aligning the pelvis and lumbar into the correct position during your descent. Something about having a target to aim your posterior towards makes this possible. Over time your neurological motor map will change. Thus retraining not only your body, but also your mind, to squat safely and correctly.
HOW TO PERFORM
Main Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Key Points:
Keep your chest up, back straight & ass out
Hold a stick on the back of your shoulders
Stand with feet just outside of shoulder width, toes slightly pointed out
Squat down to the box, sit back slightly and drive yourself back up through the heels
This home workout for legs and back is based on High Intensity Interval Training in order to maximize fat burning and muscle gain potential, as much as possible within a short space of time.
Plyometrics involves the training of the muscles in a way as to exert maximum force with the objective of increasing power. In physics terms, power = strength x time/distance, but in order to simplify the meaning, power is the combination of speed and strength. Jumping is a form of plyometrics exercise and that’s what we are going to focus on in this workout.
I won’t bore you myself, but if you would like to learn more about the science of plyometrics/power training then check out this article: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/plymo.htm
For now, let’s just stick to the agenda, which is a hardcore home workout for legs using plyometrics with kettle bells, or dumbbells.
WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL I NEED?
1 or 2 kettle bells or dumbbells of a reasonable weight
This home workout for legs & back requires only a single kettle bell or dumbbell. I’m gonna show you how to get maximum results with minimal equipment!
For women, if you are a beginner, I recommend using no more than 8kg/17lbs for this routine. For some, 6kg/13lbs will be enough, but if you are more advanced you will need a kettle or dumbbell that weighs at least 10kg/22lbs. For the guys, 10kg/22lbs-12kg/26lbs should work well for beginners, and 16kg/35lbs+ for the veterans. If you are short on weight then don’t worry. All you need to do is add more reps to these sets, or take away a few reps if the weight is too heavy. I’ll leave it up to you to decide!
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