Building Real Glute Training Workouts

I am excited because coming in a just a couple of weeks is the start of the Perform Better summits. For those that may not know, Perform Better has been running one of the best fitness educational events for probably close to 20 years. You have so many of the top names in functional training, rehab, nutrition, and sports performance training that it is not only a honor to be a part of it, but learning from great professionals too.

Each year I try to speak about something personal, believe it or not, it is never outwardly about learning about DVRT. Instead, I look at how DVRT can be a solution for a lot of the needs we see with people in many different environments. That is why I took this year to do my presentations on “The Glute Truth”.

Why glutes? Just because it is an easy hot topic to talk about? Maybe a tiny bit, but the truth is that it is close to my heart because I know what it is like to have really NO use of these muscles and how they impact your every day life and everything you do!

Yes, I won’t bore you again with my story of 3 spinal surgeries in 14 days, but let’s just say it was pretty intense. During this period I had lost complete use of my right leg, including much of my glutes. EVERYTHING was so difficult from just getting out of bed, off the couch, to just walking around.

I know we all hear the glute strengthening is important, but until they are their weakest possible you don’t really understand how they impact you. Probably the biggest lesson I got was when I left the hospital with just the ability to basically wiggle my toes.

Difference in a few weeks between being able to use my glutes and not being able to use them!

Being in a walker, feeling so unstable, to do my first steps without a walker was a real eye opening experience. Realizing HOW much the glutes are to our foundational, every day movements was shocking but it shouldn’t have been.

In the end, the real point of telling you this is I know people love talking the “science” of glute training but we still often miss some really fundamental concepts. Like what?

-The glutes are three muscles that are formed in a way that really let’s you know they are made for movement in all three planes of motion. Not just extending the hips but RESISTING many motions as well. This means performing glute exercises that only focus on one motion can be very limiting. While possibly necessary in early phases of training to raise awareness of these muscles, the reality is that should not dominate your glute training.

-The glutes never work by themselves! Not only are the hamstring quite integrated with the glute movements, but so is the core and even the lower leg/foot. Physical therapist, John Gibbons, writes…

In other words, why WOULD you spend time isolating the glutes in training? This isn’t how they function if life and means getting us standing and moving in different patterns learning to produce AND resist force makes the BIGGEST differences.

That’s why DVRT glute exercises like these 3 great movements aren’t just “another” for of glute training. Rather, they are ways to progressively challenge the glutes in different ways. The result is not just a better look gluteal area, but glutes that WORK as good as they look!

For myself, it meant walking better, doing things in life better, and being less worried about hurting myself again. A few weeks ago I went down some stairs and slipped JUST right! Instead of falling, my body actually “caught” itself because I had been teaching it to work smarter and when it came to act in a real life situation the training paid off!

It shouldn’t be a question of, “do you want to look or feel good?” Rather, learning how something like understanding glute training  can allow you to do both more effectively and efficiently. You become SMARTER about where and how you invest your fitness time and energy!

How did we add another layer to DVRT Ultimate Sandbag movements? Check out our new DVRT Core Strap HERE that allows you to definitely say that NOTHING gives you more than DVRT!