SQUATOBER=GLUTES=LONGEVITY
- Enzo Athletic Performance
- Sep 27
- 2 min read
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GLUTE VIDEO!
With Squatober right around the corner I thought it’d be a great time to talk about the glutes! Back in the day (90’s and before) the glutes weren’t really as hot a topic from a training standpoint, or aesthetics- there weren’t as many songs out there about em & I’m not sure people really considered how much they actually do for us.
When I’m talking glutes, I’m referring to the 3 main muscles that make up our booty and everybody’s got em. The largest being the gluteus maximus, smaller gluteus minimus, and the one on the outside (think hip) gluteus medius (which actually can be tied to a lot of low back stiffness or pain. These muscles assist in many movements but I’m gonna narrow it down to the 3 main ones they perform which are:
Leg extension- or kicking your leg behind you like when you’re running/sprinting
Hip external rotation- so think of a dancer or ballerina turning their toes outward, or a baseball player turning to swing the bat as their back leg/hip externally rotates to stabilize them while producing power
Abduction- moving your leg out to the side like in a jumping jack
There are many ways to specifically train your glutes in a shortened or lengthened position, and when we are using a squat to do so we are training the muscles in a lengthened position as the most difficult point in the movement is where the greatest contraction is happening- at the bottom of the squat, or when we are lowest to the ground where we need to stand back up.
Glutes are so important because they are a longevity organ!
They protect your spine, support posture & power your gait, stabilize joints, – strong, well functioning glutes translate into burning fat & hormone regulation (being they are large and metabolically active)
Glute strength is the difference between:
Simply standing up from a chair or the toilet or needing assistance
Getting in and out of your car with or without out struggle
Shuffling and hunching when you walk or maintaining upright posture and strong, solid gait
Still hiking at 75 vs. using a walker at 65
Glute strength means independence and quality of life! AND it means…
SQUATTING THE WHOLE MONTH OF OCTOBER!
