When you run, your glutes keep your legs, pelvis and torso aligned. If your glutes get weak, it throws off this kinetic chain and you can experience a variety of leg and knee issues, such as runner’s knee, shin splits and Achilles tendinitis. It can be difficult to target your glutes during traditional strength-training moves because other local muscles, such as your hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexors kick in and do the work for your glutes. To strengthen your glutes, you must do moves that specifically target them.
To determine if your glutes are weak, try the single-leg stance test. Do this test after a long run so you can assess your glutes while they are fatigued. Stand with your feet together and your hands stretched over your head, palms together. Bend your left knee to a 90-degree angle so your left foot extends behind your body. Your thighs and knees should still be touching. As you balance, check to see if your right hip dips down. If it does, your glutes are weak. Switch and try the test on your right leg.
In 2011, the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy set out to determine which strength-training moves produce the greatest activation in the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. The side plank abduction with dominant leg on bottom produces the highest muscle activation in the gluteus medius. The front plank with hip extension produces the highest muscle activation in the gluteus maximus.
Following a five-minute warmup, start with the side plank abduction. For this move, lie on your side so your dominant leg is closest to the floor. Your legs should be straight and stacked directly on top of one another. Lift your hips off the ground so your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles form a straight line. While balancing on your elbows and feet, raise your top leg toward the ceiling for one second, and then lower it. Perform eight repetitions for one set. Do three sets with a one-minute rest between sets, and then switch legs.
For the front plank, begin face down on the floor, resting on your forearms and knees. Rise off your knees onto your toes, and support your upper-body weight with your elbows and forearms. You want a neutral spine from your trunk to your knees. In this position, bend your dominant leg’s knee into a 90-degree angle so your foot is parallel with the ceiling. Push that foot up toward the ceiling for one beat, return to parallel and repeat. Perform eight repetitions for one set. Do three sets with a one-minute rest between sets, and then switch legs.
