How to activate glutes in squats – if you’re struggling with this, you’re not alone. It’s a common issue that not only hampers performance but can also lead to unnecessary strain on your lower back and knees.
In this guide, we’ll explore simple, actionable strategies and glute activation exercises to ensure your glutes stay engaged throughout your squat – helping you move more efficiently, squat deeper, and prevent pain. Let’s dive in!
Why Glute Activation is Important
The glutes, or gluteal muscles, are among the largest and most powerful muscle groups in the body. They play a crucial role in stabilizing your pelvis, supporting proper posture, and facilitating movements like squats, lunges, and hip thrusts. When properly activated, the glutes help prevent excessive strain on other muscles, like your hamstrings and lower back, ensuring more efficient movement and reducing the risk of injury.
However, activating the glutes during squats can be challenging for many individuals. One of the key reasons is a lack of control over pelvic movement. When performing squats, the pelvis needs to be stable and neutral to allow for proper glute activation. If the pelvis is misaligned or lacks control – whether through an anterior or posterior pelvic tilt – glute engagement suffers. Without good control of the pelvis and its movements, you can lose glute activation during squats, making it harder to maintain proper form and efficiency.
Another factor influencing glute activation is the involvement of opposing muscles, particularly the hip flexors. These muscles – specifically the iliacus and psoas – are responsible for flexing the hips and are integral in stabilizing the pelvis during squat movements. If the hip flexors are weak or not functioning through their full range of motion, the pelvis may be unstable, which hampers the ability to properly activate the glutes. This instability can make it harder to maintain a stable, neutral posture during squats, affecting overall glute engagement.
Finally, achieving consistent and frequent glute activation is key to reprogramming the body’s movement patterns. Over time, regularly practicing the right exercises and techniques helps reinforce glute activation and allows for better squat mechanics. This consistent practice ensures that the glutes stay engaged and supports safe, effective squatting.
Glute Activation Exercises to Build Pelvic Control
For your glutes to fully engage during squats, your pelvis needs to be in a stable, neutral position. If your pelvic alignment is off, your body may fall into inefficient movement patterns, causing your glutes to shut off. Proper pelvic tilt control and pelvic floor activation are essential first steps.
Exercise 1: Pelvic Floor Activation
Pelvic floor activation is one of the first things you need to work on if you want to ensure how to activate glutes in squats properly. These muscles help stabilize your pelvis, setting the foundation for your glutes to do their job.
- Sit or stand with a neutral posture, keeping your spine tall.
- Imagine you’re stopping the flow of urine midstream-this mimics the pelvic floor contraction.
- Gently engage the pelvic floor muscles and hold for 5–10 seconds.
- Keep breathing naturally-don’t tense up your abdomen or legs.
- Slowly release the contraction and repeat.
Do this for five reps to get a feel for your pelvic floor activation. As you become more aware of this contraction, your body will start to integrate it into squats more effectively.
Exercise 2: Pelvic Tilt Control
You’ll want to practice controlling your pelvic tilt because this is directly linked to glute activation. Think of pelvic tilt as the ability to move your pelvis in small, controlled ways, either tipping forward (anterior tilt) or backward (posterior tilt). A lack of control here can lead to improper movement patterns, like excessive arching of your back, which can make it hard to keep your glutes engaged.
- Stand or get down on all fours (if you prefer a more supported position).
- Start by tilting your pelvis forward, sticking your butt out and creating a slight arch in your lower back (anterior tilt).
- Then, try tucking your pelvis under (posterior tilt), flattening your lower back.
- Alternate between these movements in a controlled manner, focusing on feeling the motion in your pelvis rather than in your legs or lower back.
Complete 8-10 reps, paying attention to smooth, controlled movement. This practice helps you understand how pelvic tilt affects your squats and builds the foundation for better glute activation.
Exercise 3: Segmental Hip Bridge
The segmental hip bridge is an amazing exercise that helps you isolate your glutes and focus on the pelvic movement that encourages glute activation.
As mentioned, controlling your pelvic tilt is critical for glute activation. A study investigated how different pelvic tilts affect muscle activation during bridge exercises. They found that posterior pelvic tilt significantly increased gluteus maximus activity compared to anterior or neutral tilts. This shift can lead to more effective glute activation during exercises. However, it’s important to note that in some cases, like low back pain, strengthening muscles like multifidus may require the opposite approach. [1]
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Start with a neutral spine, feeling a small gap between your lower back and the floor.
- Engage your pelvic floor and perform a posterior pelvic tilt (flattening your lower back against the ground).
- Slowly lift your hips, vertebra by vertebra, until your glutes are fully engaged at the top of the movement.
- Hold for 5 seconds, keeping your glutes tight while you breathe.
- Slowly lower your spine one vertebra at a time to return to the starting position.
Repeat 5 times. This exercise will activate the glutes and improve spinal mobility-two crucial components for maintaining proper squat form.
Exercise 4: Psoas Stamps
When it comes to glute activation, don’t forget about your hip flexors. These muscles help stabilize the pelvis and work in tandem with the glutes. If your hip flexors are weak, it’s harder for your pelvis to stay stable during squats, which can prevent your glutes from firing properly.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and balance yourself with one hand on a sturdy surface.
- Lift one leg to a 90-degree angle at the hip and knee.
- Actively engage your psoas by pushing your thigh upwards, while keeping the rest of your body stable.
- To increase activation, gently press your hand against the lifted thigh to feel the muscle working.
- Slowly lower your leg back to the ground, imagining you’re “stamping” your foot into the floor as you return to standing.
Do 5 reps on each leg, focusing on controlled movement. This exercise will help coordinate the glutes and hip flexors, ensuring pelvic stability during squats.
Practice Makes Power: Stay Consistent with Glute Activation
Relearning how to activate glutes in squats effectively takes practice. Research shows that frequent glute activation exercises, done consistently, can dramatically improve glute recruitment during squats. One study found that when participants performed activation routines twice a day for a week, their glute activation improved by more than 50%! So, don’t be discouraged if it takes a little time – just keep practicing and your glutes will get stronger and more responsive. [2]
Putting It All Together
After performing the activation exercises, try out a few squats. Start in a neutral stance with your feet facing forward. Before you descend, engage your pelvic floor, perform a posterior pelvic tilt, and check that your glutes are ready to work. Keep your glutes engaged as you squat deeper, and make sure to maintain good alignment. If you feel like your glutes are losing activation at the bottom, don’t worry-just squat to a depth where you can still maintain that tension.
The more you practice this, the better your form will get. With time, you’ll be able to squat deeper and lift heavier without compromising glute activation.
Mastering glute activation in squats is all about learning to control your pelvis and activate the right muscles in sync. By following the steps outlined here, you’ll gradually build better squat mechanics, reducing the risk of injury and increasing your performance. Remember, it’s not just about squeezing harder – it’s about making intelligent, mindful movements.
For additional exercises to improve hip mobility and enhance glute activation, consider exploring the article on tight glute stretches.
Want more targeted routines for improving mobility and reducing pain? Check out the Hip Pain Solution program, which focuses on enhancing hip function and relieving pain through smart, systematic glute activation exercises. By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you’ll be well on your way to squatting pain-free and stronger than ever!
