A month dedicated to squatting would not be complete without mentioning the glutes - aka, YOUR BUTT. And can we really talk about butts without hearing Sir-Mix-A-Lot’s hit, "Baby Got Back"?
When we squat, all THREE of our butt muscles - gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus - participate, both on the way up and, perhaps more importantly, on the way down. Without our beautiful bums, we’d fall straight to the floor when dropping it like it’s hot.
Call it whatever you want - bum, arse, caboose, booty, rump, or tush - come to class prepared to work it!
WEEKLY CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
Monday, June 26th @ 12PM with Destinie:
I always say: better butt, better life. Put that on a t-shirt! A weak butt causes tight hip flexors and pulls on our low backs - ouch! Luckily, if done mindfully, squats and other Pilates exercises give us double the opportunity to build strength back there. Today’s class is all about exploring the concentric and eccentric capacity of gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus.
Wednesday, June 28th @ 8AM with Destinie:
BYOR – Bring Your Own Requests.
Friday, June 30th @ 12AM with Mollie, Nicole, Keegan, and Destinie!
Join us for our virtual birthday party! This class is our gift to you.
We’re picking one tricky exercise (hint: it rhymes with slime sketch) and having two totally different bodies respond to cues. The purpose of this class is twofold: 1) we want to showcase why and how a teacher picks a particular cue and 2), how participation and dialogue between teacher and student affects cueing and overall results from the exercise. Gain a better understanding of why and how we teach and learn ways to make each session a two-way street to your advantage.
Raffle entry details:
In June, every Livestream mat class you register for earns you a spot in our birthday raffle. We'll draw FIVE winners who will receive prizes including full sessions, half sessions, and mat classes, based on teacher availability. Multiple wins are completely possible! Winners will be unveiled at the conclusion of our birthday party class. If you can't attend the party, we'll inform you of your win via email.
**If mat classes aren't your thing, you can still join in by purchasing raffle tickets. Click here to participate. Each ticket costs the same as a mat class - $15.**
DEEP DIVE
Behold, the glutes. Three muscles make up the gluteal complex - gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. But what actions do these muscles perform?
Gluteus Maximus:
Concentric contraction of glute max results in hip extension (hip straightening along sagittal plane) and external rotation (rotation away from the midline along transverse plane). Eccentric contraction of glute max results in controlled hip flexion (hip bending along sagittal plane).
Gluteus Medius:
Sometimes referred to as the “fountain of youth glute.” Concentric contraction of the glute medius results in hip abduction (frontal plane movement away from the midline). Eccentric contraction of glute medius results in controlled hip adduction (frontal plane movement towards the midline). Glute medius is also split into two sections - anterior fibers and posterior fibers. Concentric contraction of the anterior fibers results in internal rotation (rotation towards the midline along transverse plane), while concentric contraction of the posterior fibers results in external rotation.
Gluteus Minimus:
Notice that gluteus minimus is the deepest of the three glute muscles. Concentric contraction of glute minimus results in hip abduction and internal rotation. Eccentric contraction of glute minimus results in controlled hip adduction and external rotation.
