Not feeling it in my glutes….,

Chic_geek31
Chic_geek31 Posts: 34 Member
edited February 2022 in Fitness and Exercise
I just started strength training at home. I’ve been using a case of water as weight while doing squats, hip thrust and deadlifts. I do not feel that my glutes are being worked. I feel pain in my knees and hamstring. Am I doing something wrong?

Replies

  • I2k4
    I2k4 Posts: 179 Member
    From experience with common patellar (knee cap) tedonitis first be sure of what exactly is hurting in knees - can be something worse. For ordinary pain my cure was bodyweight ankle and hip / glute exercise, corrects the muscle weakness pulling the connected kneecap out of its rigid bony railroad track - again very common. After a few years worsening from occasional pain running to pain everyday walking around nothing hurts after a couple of months of conditioning, and am lifting DB and band squats and deadlifts, including unilateral, no pain. I get better results from unilateral (single-leg) exercises, in the beginning floormat laterals, single-leg glute bridges, and calf-raises rebuilt my knees and strengthened my aging bum. I'd avoid big compound technical leg lifts as long as they hurt the knees - they require a healthy frame and technique goes wonky without that.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 873 Member
    edited February 2022
    Have you watched a number of videos about proper form for all of those things and then filmed yourself while doing them to see if your form is actually good? Usually that's the first thing to check out if you don't feel your workout in the proper area intended.

    I'd honestly start by doing some more simple glute activation movements to make sure that you are able to isolate those muscle movements. You said you are doing hip thrusts...you can continue with that (with the proper form) and actually put your hands on your butt and make sure you can actually FEEL your glutes contracting and pay close attention to if you feel other muscles contracting as well. My biggest thing when I'm doing hip thrusts is making sure my chin is tucked/proper neck position.

    I even just started by concentrating on just contracting my glutes just sitting down in a chair. It sounds dumb and I felt pretty dumb clenching and unclenching my butt, but it helped me be more connected and make sure I'm activating what I want.

    Glute bridges (banded) - same thing... I actually put my hands on my butt lol, single leg glute bridges, fire hydrants, clams (can be banded as well), crouched walking with a band...can all help too.

    For your deadlift, again I'm thinking form may be an issue --- as you lower you should be pushing your hips back, if you get to a point where you are still going lower and your hips no longer go back anymore, bend at the knee, not hinge at the hip. Hinging at the hip at this point will load more on your lower back at the end of the movement instead of your glutes. If you bend your knees to keep your hips pressed back it'll stay in your glutes more.

    That's my only advice with the mistakes that I know I made at the beginning.
  • ciaoder
    ciaoder Posts: 119 Member
    Good stuff from Westrich about concentrating on the muscle contraction. It's common to think of an exercise "I'll raise my torso and squeeze my glutes at the top." Reverse that thinking to "I'll squeeze my glutes and that will raise my torso". The change sounds subtle but in practice it's not. I like straight leg dead lift and pulse squats (sumo stance) for glutes. I get that the case of water is on hand, but it's probably not ideal for your form as it brings the weight away from your body and so could pull you forward off of your heels and onto your toes.

    Let us know how you make out.
  • thebaddplace
    thebaddplace Posts: 13 Member
    Good advice in the above posts! I second the advice for glute activation exercises prior to workout with bands. You can focus and feel the glutes firing.

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