Glute isolation?

ShapeUpSidney
ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
edited October 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Help! I have a torn hamstring, and postural issues that have led to me overusing my lower back and quads. I suffer from an anterior pelvic tilt.

I'm working really hard to strengthen my glutes and lower abs, but it's difficult to do this without involving some of the other muscles. They just seem to want to take over.

When I do plank rows, for example. my lower back works really hard to stabilize my hips. Same when I do the prone hamstring curl.

Can anyone recommend some things I can do to keep working on those lower abs and glutes, while isolating the muscles and not putting more stress on my lower back.

Replies

  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    for abs, cable crunches put almost no stress on the lower back.

    Glutes are going to be tough to work without stressing the lower back...the thigh adductor machine will target the hip joint and give you a good burn in the glutes (I'm not sure why it's even called a "thigh" exercise), but to really train the glues directly you need something like glute bridges, which I don't think you'll be able to do.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,086 Member
    Glute kickbacks. Get on knees and elbows. Keep back straight. Now with your leg bent at a 90 degree angle, "press" your heel up towards the ceiling. Make sure to bring your knees down low at the start.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Glute kickbacks. Get on knees and elbows. Keep back straight. Now with your leg bent at a 90 degree angle, "press" your heel up towards the ceiling. Make sure to bring your knees down low at the start.

    ^^^good one
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
    Glute kickbacks. Get on knees and elbows. Keep back straight. Now with your leg bent at a 90 degree angle, "press" your heel up towards the ceiling. Make sure to bring your knees down low at the start.

    I feel that in my back. My back works to stabilize the hips during this... :(
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
    for abs, cable crunches put almost no stress on the lower back.

    Glutes are going to be tough to work without stressing the lower back...the thigh adductor machine will target the hip joint and give you a good burn in the glutes (I'm not sure why it's even called a "thigh" exercise), but to really train the glues directly you need something like glute bridges, which I don't think you'll be able to do.

    I can do glute bridges, with no problem. I also do the "clamshell" which is just the same as the thigh abductor. When doing the thigh adductor though, I get it in my glutes and adductor magnus, which is a thigh muscle. So maybe that is the reason for the name...

    Also, the machine is named for the movement, adducting the thighs, and perhaps not for the muscles worked.
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
    Anyone have an opinion on dead lifts?

    And is there a good way to add resistance during a glute bridge?
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Anyone have an opinion on dead lifts?

    And is there a good way to add resistance during a glute bridge?

    Deadlifts hit the lower back hard.

    As for adding resistance to glute bridges: http://bretcontreras.com/2010/03/hipthrust/
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member

    Deadlifts hit the lower back hard.

    As for adding resistance to glute bridges: http://bretcontreras.com/2010/03/hipthrust/

    Do you think it would be possible to modify the RoM in the deadlift to avoid that?
  • REBEE17
    REBEE17 Posts: 101 Member
    Glute bridges severely HELPED my lower back pain. I still do them to keep the pain at bay.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    Glute kickbacks. Get on knees and elbows. Keep back straight. Now with your leg bent at a 90 degree angle, "press" your heel up towards the ceiling. Make sure to bring your knees down low at the start.

    I feel that in my back. My back works to stabilize the hips during this... :(
    I wonder if maybe supporting your stomach/hips over a step or bench would allow you to take the back muscles out of the movement?
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member

    I wonder if maybe supporting your stomach/hips over a step or bench would allow you to take the back muscles out of the movement?

    There is a modification I've worked on with my physical therapist that uses that concept. I also feel like I get it a lot in the hamstrings with glute kickbacks, but I'll keep trying diff positions and what not.

    I've seen huge improvement in the glute med, but not so much in the glute max.

    Key issues seem to be
    1) getting it in the lower back or hamstrings when I try to work on glutes
    2) getting in the hip flexor / quad area when I work on lower abs
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member

    Deadlifts hit the lower back hard.

    As for adding resistance to glute bridges: http://bretcontreras.com/2010/03/hipthrust/

    Do you think it would be possible to modify the RoM in the deadlift to avoid that?

    Hmmm...the ROM of a deadlift can be modified, but the problem is you'd take the glutes out of it as well.

    You could try a romanian deadlift, it's a little easier on the lower back, it could work for you: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/rdl-vs-sldl.html
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    Maybe a really low squat w/o weights? but only do the very 1st portion of the motion. IMHO, the very first move in a deep squat is the glutes. But it would be hard to take the quads out of it. Once you get close to parallel and above with your thighs, you'll engage the quads more and more.
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member

    Hmmm...the ROM of a deadlift can be modified, but the problem is you'd take the glutes out of it as well.

    You could try a romanian deadlift, it's a little easier on the lower back, it could work for you: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/rdl-vs-sldl.html

    That's helpful. I will try that.

    But now I'm realizing that I should be more specific. I really only need to avoid back extension. Flexion at the lower back isnt an issue.
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
    Maybe a really low squat w/o weights? but only do the very 1st portion of the motion. IMHO, the very first move in a deep squat is the glutes. But it would be hard to take the quads out of it. Once you get close to parallel and above with your thighs, you'll engage the quads more and more.

    I cannot currently do a squat correctly. The anterior pelvic tilt is so severe that I experience major back extension during squats. I'm working on doing a modified squat using TRX, but I'm not quite there yet. More PT...more PT...more PT
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Maybe a really low squat w/o weights? but only do the very 1st portion of the motion. IMHO, the very first move in a deep squat is the glutes. But it would be hard to take the quads out of it. Once you get close to parallel and above with your thighs, you'll engage the quads more and more.

    I cannot currently do a squat correctly. The anterior pelvic tilt is so severe that I experience major back extension during squats. I'm working on doing a modified squat using TRX, but I'm not quite there yet. More PT...more PT...more PT

    have you tried goblet squats?
    http://davedraper.com/blog/2006/11/04/what-are-goblet-squats-goblet-squat-instruction/
  • tuffytuffy1
    tuffytuffy1 Posts: 920 Member
    Bump, I have bad lower back pain with deadlifts and lots of other exercises my trainer has me do. I'm going to go check out what glute bridges are.

    EDIT: We actually do glute bridges on occasion, I just never knew that is what they were called. Good idea.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    Maybe a really low squat w/o weights? but only do the very 1st portion of the motion. IMHO, the very first move in a deep squat is the glutes. But it would be hard to take the quads out of it. Once you get close to parallel and above with your thighs, you'll engage the quads more and more.

    I cannot currently do a squat correctly. The anterior pelvic tilt is so severe that I experience major back extension during squats. I'm working on doing a modified squat using TRX, but I'm not quite there yet. More PT...more PT...more PT
    Wall squat? http://backandneck.about.com/od/deskexercises/ht/wallsquat.htm
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
    Bump, I have bad lower back pain with deadlifts and lots of other exercises my trainer has me do. I'm going to go check out what glute bridges are.

    Could be a few things, like

    1) overly tight / constrained hip flexor
    2) quad dominant
    3) pelvic tilt issues

    Look in the mirror evaluate yourself against this image...

    PosteriorPelvicTilt.gifAnteriorPelvicTilt.gif

    For anterior rotation, you correct that with stronger lower abs. You also have to stretch out those hip flexors like 5-7 times a day...
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member

    have you tried goblet squats?
    http://davedraper.com/blog/2006/11/04/what-are-goblet-squats-goblet-squat-instruction/

    Hmm...I will see if I'm up to that
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    Here's a really good one

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rv4DY8LldU


    It's ballet based, and very very low impact. Great glute isolation. I swear by bar method. I'm in that studio every morning.
  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
    Straight leg raises - make sure that your abs are engaged and your leg is parallel or behind your core.
    Clamshell exercises are fabulous
    Glute bridges with march (stick one leg out slowly and dont let hips drop).
    Side leg lifts (same idea) ...

    I am coming back from a combo quad and low back injury. I see PT and my main problems were weak core, weak glutes, and weak hip flexors.
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
    I hope this bump gets noticed, because I appreciate the contributions so far!

    Follow up question:

    I'm currently around 120-125 lbs with 18-19% body fat. Independent of my postural issues and PT, I would like to lower my body fat and perhaps lose a few pounds (10 at the most).

    For this reason, I typically eat at a caloric deficit.

    Will eating a a caloric deficit hinder my progress for improving my glute strength and correcting my posture?
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