The Major Problems:
1. Few people do direct glute training. Even though the glutes should be activated in exercises like dead lifts, bridges, supermans, side band walks, squat walks, and proper squats, most people would rather do direct arm training (small muscle groups) than direct glute training (large muscle group).
2. When the glutes start to weaken, compensation will occur. Athletes will start using their hamstrings and low backs instead of activating their glutes. So even when someone thinks they are training the glutes, they could be using surrounding muscle groups instead.
3. Most people do not have a large selection of glute exercises so they just ignore it.
Why You Should Care:
1. Correcting imbalances in the posterior chain can help prevent/alleviate back pain.
2. Glute weakness has been associated with knee pain (over compensation in the hamstrings).
3. Training large muscle groups can increase testosterone and growth hormone, both of which help build fat burning muscle. Glutes are the largest muscle group, therefore train it.
4. Athnletes often chase “explosive hips” through jumping, plyometrics, etc. Glutes play a large role in explosion and achieving triple extension. So if you want to train a muscle group to jump higher and be more explosive, look behind you!
