I used to be the typical meathead. Not believing in doing anything but chest!
Then I ended up competing in a natural bodybuilding show and noticed that I needed to build a better lower body.
I was really neglecting hitting the legs and noticed that every time I did, especially squats, my adductors would be in excruciating pain for the next couple days.
The would spasm like crazy. My hamstrings would be tight and it seemed that the only muscle group that was really getting any type of pump or soreness was my quads.
Maybe you can relate?
Also, I had something that everyone online was referring to “glute amnesia”. I couldn’t feel my glutes activating at all when using them. As well as when I was doing things that were supposed to be heavily glute dominant. Like squats or deadlifts.
LOL have you ever self diagnosed yourself? HA! Me too.
So of course, just like any stubborn dude, I refused to do the prescribed cure of my problem, which was hip thrusts.
But I did focus on doing legs twice a day from then on out, this being about 2 years ago. And I just figured that everything would right itself if I did them.
Sure I started to enjoy hitting legs more and they were putting on some size, getting stronger, and getting more chiseled out.
And yet, my glutes showed now change. I still got the adductor spasms, still couldn’t feel my glutes activating. And my posture was really showing what was referred to as an anterior pelvic tilt.
So at this point, I finally reach my wits end. And due to the fact that this is more of a personal development website, I want to share with you one of the biggest tips for self improvement.
And that is that we need to reach a point of absolute disgust with our situation in order to really change big time. In my opinion. Reaching out wits end. Realizing that the future is not going to EVER get any better if we simply continue doing what we have always been doing.
So, at this point, I committed to doing these annoying little things that they called “Hip thrusts”. I let go of my ego. And then started to do them, even though I felt like they weren’t cool, and they were “chick exercises”.
Well let me be the first to tell you, that the ladies knew what was the best ALL ALONG.
I started doing hip thrusts, and didn’t really feel much change at first. My hamstrings were taking the grunt of the labor. I didn’t feel my glutes activating at all for months.
But I kept going. I figured, heck its not going to hurt if I keep at this. And at best, maybe I can get rid of my glute amnesia and really starting using my body is a more efficient way because of the strength I am building in my glutes.
So fast forward about 6 months of doing about 12-16 sets a week on my glutes.
I start feeling them activating when I walk. My pelvis seemed to correct itself and I felt less of a “tilt” in my pelvis.
It was almost as if my head was steady and sturdy, like I was almost looking down more in a way. But in the proper way.
And my whole body just starting to feel much more powerful.
I felt like my walk was more of a graceful glide. As I seemed to be able to push through and off my glutes with more power and force.
So 6 months in, mind you, it took that long, I started to reap the rewards of being patient using the power of persevering.
I started to squat again regularly, and quickly was up to my regular max for reps and weight. And the best part about it, no pain at all, whatsoever in my lower back and adductors, like I used to get.
Then a couple weeks of feeling this way, I upped the weight on pretty much everything. I started blowing away my squat personal bests, then deadlifts, then bench and other accessory lifts like shoulder press and hammer curls.
All in all, my whole anatomical structure was corrected more or less, by my commitment to simply hitting my glutes twice a week. Like I would with any other muscle group.
So the long short of it, is that by building stronger glutes, I became a stronger and completely pain free lifter.
And I feel better in the gym at 32 than I felt at 22.
So please my friend, give it a try. It will change your life, both inside and outside the gym.
Glute Training For Beginners
If you are like me and you are new the to glute game, I suggest simply starting with doing hip thrusts on the ground with no weight at all.
Then you can graduate to putting a light dumbbell on your lap when hip thrusting.
Then after you have mastered both light and heavy weight with dumbbells, then it is time to graduate to barbell hip thrusts.
This isn’t a perfect template of progression, and yet it worked good for me. Someone who had no experience in glute training at all.
So give it a try, and keep trying, for weeks or months. And one day, whether it be sooner or later, you too will experience the power of stronger glutes!
Thanks for reading my friend.
I hope it was just what you needed!
With gratitude,
Chris Cucchiara
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