When I was younger, I thought that I had really strong glutes. Mostly because of the way my jeans fit. It turns out that was not the best way to measure glute strength. Related to this, although I didn’t know it at the time, was the knee surgery I had when I was 16, in addition to the multiple subluxations (this is when your kneecap decides to come out of place – not a pleasant experience) that I experienced in my collegiate lacrosse career. Naturally, I blamed my weak knees for the injury. After studying anatomy and learning from other fitness professionals, I learned that the knees were only the breaking point; the actual problem lay with my weak glutes.
That prompted me to learn more about glutes. Why else were they important? Could strengthening my glutes prevent future knee injuries? What were the best exercises to help strengthen them? After years of learning more about glutes, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned with you now.
Your glutes and quadriceps work together to accomplish the same physical movements. But when your glutes don’t fire the way they are supposed to, your quadriceps end up doing the majority of the work, and this places more strain in your knees. Sitting all day does little for your glutes. They are completely inactive, and if you don’t do the right exercises before you work out, the glutes REMAIN inactive. The end result is unnecessary stress on your knees and lower back. But don’t worry, correcting this issue is easier than you think. It just takes the right exercises.
Here are the best yoga postures to increase your glute strength. Try them out, feel the burn, and then use your newfound glute strength for more powerful squats, a faster sprint, and, most importantly, reduced risk of injury.
The Pose List:
- Airplane / Warrior 3
- Figure 4 Balance
- Warrior 2
- Deep Squat
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