When to activate glutes in squats

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blopmiyers
blopmiyers Posts: 195 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, recently I've discovered I haven't been utilizing my glutes, at all. In any workout. Probably due to the fact that I sit most of the day. I've been working on bodyweight exercises to strengthen my glutes. It's worked. But now I'm not sure how to incorporate it's use in squats. Do I activate them only on the way up? I apologize for the long read haha

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  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Muscles don't work in isolation like you think they do. If you're doing a barbell squat, go low enough that the hip crease is at low lower than the top of the kneecap, and stand up, you're using your glutes and they'll get stronger.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    blopmiyers wrote: »
    So, recently I've discovered I haven't been utilizing my glutes, at all. In any workout.

    The glutes automatically activate in a squat, always.. regardless of whether you feel them. If your form is good, don't worry about your glutes. If your form isn't good, work on your overall form. The only time i consciously squeeze my glutes is at the very top, to help stabilize the pelvis. :+1:
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,990 Member
    edited July 2017
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    blopmiyers wrote: »
    So, recently I've discovered I haven't been utilizing my glutes, at all. In any workout.

    Impossible if you're doing a squat using just bodyweight or lifting a barbell.
    blopmiyers wrote: »
    I've been working on bodyweight exercises to strengthen my glutes. It's worked. But now I'm not sure how to incorporate it's use in squats.

    No need to worry about it. Your glutes are "activated" doing back squats regardless of how you do them. All you need to do is drop so that your thighs are level w/the ground. No need to go ATG.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    While squats work the lower body, including the glutes, they are not a glute dominant exercise. Also if the glutes aren't activated properly, you will be using other muscles like quads and spinal erectors to lift the weight.

    How can you wake them up? I would say glute activation especially before your sets, incorporating more glute focused exercises (barbell hip thrusts, glute bridges etc) and working on squat form with lower weight and maybe resistance bands to help you feel it in the glutes. Also experiment with squat variations...I find I really feel pause squats in the glutes.

    Once you can properly activate your glutes and they become stronger, they will assist your squat. You may not always feel it when you go really heavy as other leg muscles will come to help but they will be worked.
  • ericmarkham5
    ericmarkham5 Posts: 8 Member
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    Agree with the first two responses here. Your glutes as well as hamstrings and a lot of other muscle mass gets used automatically whenever you produce hip extension which is when you come out of the bottom of the squat where you also produce knee extension. The squat uses a ton of muscle mass which is why it is such a good exercise. However there is a misconception that it is a quadriceps dominate movement due to the fact that the quads are mostly the only muscle producing knee extension. Whereas with hip extension you have more muscle mass distributed amongst the glutes, hamstrings, adductors, lower back etc which makes it harder to fatigue that area and therefore "feel" that arranging used. (aka the posterior chain.) If you want your glutes to work harder you'll have to squat more weight or sets/reps. No need for glute isolation nonsense that only makes that area sore giving the illusion your actually doing something. Soreness does not equal effectiveness. Also worth mentioning there's is no science or logic for that matter behind muscles not being "awake" needing to be activated by special exercises. If it were true we wouldn't be very effective as humans in general...
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Don't believe the noise, your glutes are working/firing just fine if you are squatting parallel.

    There is a ton of mis information out on youtube, in articles, or instagram etc from people that really don't have a clue.

  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    blopmiyers wrote: »
    So, recently I've discovered I haven't been utilizing my glutes, at all. In any workout. Probably due to the fact that I sit most of the day. I've been working on bodyweight exercises to strengthen my glutes. It's worked. But now I'm not sure how to incorporate it's use in squats. Do I activate them only on the way up? I apologize for the long read haha

    activate them before you get into the squat rack and keep them activated until you re-rack the bar.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    Cherimoose wrote: »
    blopmiyers wrote: »
    So, recently I've discovered I haven't been utilizing my glutes, at all. In any workout.

    The glutes automatically activate in a squat, always.. regardless of whether you feel them. If your form is good, don't worry about your glutes. If your form isn't good, work on your overall form. The only time i consciously squeeze my glutes is at the very top, to help stabilize the pelvis. :+1:

    i completely disagree with this. your glutes should be activated the entire lift
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Can someone please explain what the ever-loving-**** "glute activation" is that isn't already covered by squatting with good form - whether your squat choice is high bar or low bar?
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    CipherZero wrote: »
    Can someone please explain what the ever-loving-**** "glute activation" is that isn't already covered by squatting with good form - whether your squat choice is high bar or low bar?

    its being tight under the bar, instead of just squatting with your body all lose and floppy. If you focus on activating your glutes, in addition to the rest of your body, you are going to have a much more solid and powerful squat, and yes it should be covered in "good form" But sometimes people see good form as just going through the mechanical motions, but getting tight is also part of the form which can easily be neglected because it requires a lot of focus and effort.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
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    SonyaCele wrote: »
    CipherZero wrote: »
    Can someone please explain what the ever-loving-**** "glute activation" is that isn't already covered by squatting with good form - whether your squat choice is high bar or low bar?

    its being tight under the bar, instead of just squatting with your body all lose and floppy. If you focus on activating your glutes, in addition to the rest of your body, you are going to have a much more solid and powerful squat, and yes it should be covered in "good form" But sometimes people see good form as just going through the mechanical motions, but getting tight is also part of the form which can easily be neglected because it requires a lot of focus and effort.

    My take-away is "activating glutes" is just another phrasing from moron PTs who can't teach people how to squat properly.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    CipherZero wrote: »
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    CipherZero wrote: »
    Can someone please explain what the ever-loving-**** "glute activation" is that isn't already covered by squatting with good form - whether your squat choice is high bar or low bar?

    its being tight under the bar, instead of just squatting with your body all lose and floppy. If you focus on activating your glutes, in addition to the rest of your body, you are going to have a much more solid and powerful squat, and yes it should be covered in "good form" But sometimes people see good form as just going through the mechanical motions, but getting tight is also part of the form which can easily be neglected because it requires a lot of focus and effort.

    My take-away is "activating glutes" is just another phrasing from moron PTs who can't teach people how to squat properly.

    Bret Contreras talks about glute activation a lot and has done quite a bit of research on it. Not sure if I would call him a moron PT, I mean, he is the glute guy. ;)
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    CipherZero wrote: »
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    CipherZero wrote: »
    Can someone please explain what the ever-loving-**** "glute activation" is that isn't already covered by squatting with good form - whether your squat choice is high bar or low bar?

    its being tight under the bar, instead of just squatting with your body all lose and floppy. If you focus on activating your glutes, in addition to the rest of your body, you are going to have a much more solid and powerful squat, and yes it should be covered in "good form" But sometimes people see good form as just going through the mechanical motions, but getting tight is also part of the form which can easily be neglected because it requires a lot of focus and effort.

    My take-away is "activating glutes" is just another phrasing from moron PTs who can't teach people how to squat properly.

    if that's your take away, good luck with that.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    CipherZero wrote: »
    My take-away is "activating glutes" is just another phrasing from moron PTs who can't teach people how to squat properly.

    well, no . . . ther'es a bit of a difference between 'activating' something and just 'using' it. you can initiate a squat rep without properly engaging your glutes, just like you can initiate a bench press without engaging your 'shelf' through the upper back. sooner or later at some point during the rom those muscles are going to come under strain, and i just find personally that suddenly making demands of a muscle that isn't already pre-engaged and firing is not a bad way of getting it hurt.
  • fbchick51
    fbchick51 Posts: 240 Member
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    Back to the question at hand.
    blopmiyers wrote: »
    But now I'm not sure how to incorporate it's use in squats. Do I activate them only on the way up? I apologize for the long read haha

    If you are looking to thoughtfully/actively engage the glutes during squats, you activate them as you start your ascent. My power lifting coach called it the pinch a penny method. Essentially, as you start your ascent, imagine you have a penny tucked between the butt cheeks and you need to squeeze to hold it in place. The act of squeezing the cheeks together will help roll your hips under your spine and move more of the stress of the exercise off your lower back and onto your glutes.

  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    a theraband round teh knees or just beneath them is also really helpful for some people who have trouble getting their glutes to join in with their squats.

    test it out a little big first with some lateral walks and a few air-squats and so forth, to get used to the sensation and pre-establish the connection between your brain and those muscles.

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