Ski Muscle of the Week #6: The Gluteus Muscles

The Gluteus Maximus, along with its little sisters, the Gluteus medius and minimus, are my favorite skiing muscles because a simple squeeze of these “butt muscles” can cure a lot of skiing ills. Do you ski bent over like a gorilla? Do your arms freeze to your chest while you ski down an easy beginner slope? Are you constantly poking the snow with your poles to turn or stop? A simple squeeze of these large muscles and you automatically recenter yourself and rediscover the ability to ski with your legs.

Here's why: The Gluteus Maximus is one of largest and strongest muscles in our body. Together with its sisters, they help us maintain an erect trunk and steady our femur over our tibia. Because they are on the opposite, high side from those overused quadriceps (see Ski Muscles of the Week #3 and #4), strong glutes help distribute the forces experienced in skiing to the top of your femur, rather than just the front. At the end of a long ski day, judicious use of your glutes will mean thighs that are less strained, arms that are relaxed and ready to help you balance, and upper and lower legs that become stacked and, therefore, ready to act in unison. In short, that simple butt squeeze improves your stance and that makes you a more confident skier.

Best thing about this muscle: Stand and squeeze your butt muscles right now. You will instantly feel your hips thrust forward and move over the top of both femurs—this simple action helps keep you out of the back seat, because squating or leaning backward now becomes very awkward—try it and see for yourself!

Exercises for the glutes:

Bridge.

Deadlift.

Reverse lunge.

Sumo squat.

Hip extension.   Lie face-down with your legs straight, toes on the floor. Bend your legs at the knee. Squeeze your right glute. Lift your right thigh off the floor. Lower and repeat with your other leg. Work up to three sets of ten repetitions.

Snow should be falling in mass quantities any time now! See you next week . . .