Hyp.no.t(h)ize.

I like big butts, and I cannot lie.

But even the most gravitationally defiant behinds can be subject to the demons of poor glute firing. I happen to be one of those not-so-lucky individuals whose glutes, strong and self-sustaining as they may be, fire about as well as a disillusioned lover.

But anyone who knows me, knows that I, bands and foam roller in hand, am on a mission to win back the love and fire of my glutes!

In no particular order, I'd like to share some of the tips/tricks that I've been using lately to shift from quad-dominant, glute amnesia to glute-engaged goddesshood both in and out of le gym. Some of these ideas could perhaps be applied to other muscle or joint transitions.

1) Know when to focus on joints and when to focus on muscles.
Romanian deadlifts are the single best example I can point to. I used to focus on my erectors, hamstrings and driving into my heels when I did deads, but I've actually found that I now deadlift with my hips, so to speak. I really think of this movement as more of a hip thruster that ends with a glute squeeze and find that if I commit to moving the weight through controlled, careful hip thrusting and finish by extending hips forward and zoning in on glute firing at the top, I have almost no lower back discomfort the following day.
Jonathan Fass does a great job of explaining this on his blog!

2) Before-bed stretching.
I never used to make time for before-bed stretching, but I generally manage to do so about 4/7 nights a week and am almost always rewarded with better sleep and looser hips. I keep a yoga mat unrolled in the dining room (at all times) and just hop on for a quick 5 minutes of stretching, whether it's late at night or during a study-break.

3) Fat is hip.
I never skimp on the healthy fats. Religious consumption of fish oil is something I believe definitely contributes to better joint health (any numer of studies can confirm this) and, in addition to Glucosamine, is a stellar stack for building joints that could hold a space station together.

4) Do the locomotion.
I try to chose cardio machines (and activities in general) that minimize hip flexion and allow for maximal hip extension. I can be seen occasionally on an elliptical trainer, but I do the majority of my (modest) cardio on a stairclimer. I imagine my posterior chain as a locomoter, and my glutes as the mechanism that lift and bend my knee and keep my legs in motion. When I begin to fatigue (especially during weighted-cardio), I find that my body reverts back to recruiting quads and back to move, so I drop down a level, establish physical contact (yes, I grab my own butt) and reconnect the mental server to the movement pattern I want. I find that, when focused, I can really redirect loading to different locations.

5) Get up, Stand up.
Sitting for hours on end (even before we add in the computer factor) seems to me, the most unnatural of human activities. Humans were definitely not designed to sit still, hips flexed, back hunched, shoulders slouched for prolonged periods of time. I do my best to get up every so often, but have been thinking more and more that a certain brilliant corrective exercise expert may have the solution with his stand-up desk!

6) You snooze, you lose.
It only occured to me very recently that I likely un-do a lot of my hard work by curling up in to fetal position for a few hours while sleeping! The first measure I took (based on MR's advice) to correct this was to sleep on my back with a small pillow under my knees. Although this feels perfectly fine as I hit the hay, I often wake up in the morning to find the sad, neglected pillow nowhere near my (gulp) completely curled up body! I certainly get better every night, but whether or not I hit the gym in the mornings, I always hit the foam roller first thing to roll out any nasty knots or tension in my back and hips. Oooh wee, who needs a spa when you have a foam roller!

7) Day off work.
There is a lot you can do on off-days to ensure that you continue on your path to better mobility. Mike has "Day-off work" written in to my programs and this can be as simple as chosing some mobility and static stretching exercises to keep your kinetic kitten purring like a ferarri, even on days when the gym is not on the agenda. Day-off work is also great for when you're travelling or unable to get to the gym.

8) See the change. Be the change.
The same way one might visualize the physique they desire, as they train toward it, I periodically envision the healthy spine and neutralized pelvic tilt that I am endeavouring toward. When I look in the mirror, more often than not, I'm scoping out my spine and not my hair! In addition to this, journalling and/or affirming your entitlement to a healthy body that moves like the wind is essential to becoming the beacon of movement efficiency that we all dream of being! Ok, just me.

On an unrelated (and concluding) note, my good friend Cassandra Forsythe has has just authored two new books geared toward prescriptive (and myth-busting) approaches to training and nutrition for women. Look for my review of her book, The Perfect Body Diet, coming very soon. In the meantime, for anyone who prefers to parlez-vous, check out the excellent review of her book "The New Rules of Lifting For Women" on Vinkomorf (a fantastic site) now!