It sounds like a name for a gladiator in Rome. Glutes, butt, hips, ass, booty, whatever you want to call them they are probably one of the most important muscle group for any athlete in any sport. Some sports hips are more important than others. It is the foundation of the power plant of sport and you should spend plenty of time thinking about the power plant that you are walking around with and what you are doing to improve the output.
In the past I have written about power and the X factor of power. In other words is the X factor 3 throws of a shot put or thousands of pedal strokes to complete the Tour de France. This X factor will help to determine what output you want from your glutes. The value of the glutes is undeniable in producing power in athletes regardless of the X factor. So glute strength and power is a component of all sport and human locomotion. Most sports have evolved around our ability to walk upright, and this is why the gluteus is maximus not only in size, but importance to sports performance. The size of this muscle is necessary for our mobility for walking upright.
If I had to choose one muscle group as being the most important to train for sport it would be the hip complex. When training athletes at Sirens and Titans Fitness, I spend a lot of time working on this power plant. The ability to produce force and also velocity through the hips and how to transfer that into all planes of movement is where we spend a large percentage of our time with our athletes. If the hips are the horsepower of the engine, then the core and other stabilizing muscles are the transmission.
From the warm up to the heavy lifts, to the explosion of hips we are constantly focused upon hips. The ability to more effectively transfer the force from the ground up through the body is where great gains are made in an athlete. It is also a large component of a healthy back and knees.
There is a reason to take a look at your own hips from more than an aesthetic perspective. If you have great performing hip function you will typically have great looking hips. So if you are wondering if you should be spending time doing squats, deadlifts, lunges, explosive hip work, think about keeping your power plant firing on all cylinders, and how good your butt will look after, then grab a heavy bar and engage your hips.
Truth in Fitness
Jacques DeVore, CSCS, Certified Primal Health Coach