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My glutes are getting stronger but I am still almost completely unable to squeeze them hard without also contracting my quads (like they pull against each other).
If I isolate my glutes more, say by lying on my back with my knees bent, i have an easier time not involving my quads but a more difficult time squeezing my glutes really hard.
To what degree, if any, should these two muscles act together? Should I be working towards using my glutes without engaging my quads at all or is there always going to be some amount of involvement between them?
If I isolate my glutes more, say by lying on my back with my knees bent, i have an easier time not involving my quads but a more difficult time squeezing my glutes really hard.
To what degree, if any, should these two muscles act together? Should I be working towards using my glutes without engaging my quads at all or is there always going to be some amount of involvement between them?
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Re: glutes vs quads
Sun, September 6, 2009 - 7:20 PMHow long have you been practicing those isolations?? Did you first tried them by spreading the legs apart? I heard by miss Sharon K. that this type of warm up requires a one year daily practice to get nicely done. Usually mine gets like yours, when the mucle starts to fail after a considerable time,I suppose it's the normal repetition tiredness =P I think there's no problem about them working together(maybe just a little longer time results), once you're not requiring more from your body than you could handle...just keep on ^^
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Re: glutes vs quads
Mon, September 7, 2009 - 11:17 AMWith many activities we use the quads and gluts together within the movement, so it is common to have a habit of association with these two muscles. It will take time and patience, but you can develop the awareness and isolation of each separately over time. Straddle sit and straddle squat positions are very helpful in helping to release the quads from the glut contractions.
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Re: glutes vs quads
Wed, September 9, 2009 - 1:53 PMCrazy. I don't know that I ever had that problem. I always noticed that my inner thighs – adductors – hurt really bad after doing glute squeezes.
You could always try squeezing your glutes while in a position that is already using your quads to their max. I wouldn't suggest spending a lot of time in the position working on it, but just enough to feel/visualize a separation.
For example – stand balanced on one leg, bend the other leg at the knee and hold the foot in the same hand. This is a quad stretch. Maintaining your balance as best you can – use a wall or a chair if you need to without leaning forward – now squeeze the glute on the same side as the foot that's up. Are they separating now?
Or step into a lunge and kneel the back knee all the way down to the floor. You should feel your quad working in this position. Now squeeze the glute on the kneeling side. Is there a separation now?
Just a thought. Something to try. -
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Re: glutes vs quads
Sun, September 13, 2009 - 3:25 PMThanks! Tribe was down and then I forgot that I had posted this until just now.
In the meantime I've been practicing glute squeezes, and I find my quads "helping" a lot less now. It just happened over time. I guess it took practice.
One way that's easy for me to do then without the quads getting involved is being up en releve -- this was also the first position I was able to isolate my glutes in and it's still the only reliable way I can isolate one glute from another.
I'm gonna try the lunge tonight.
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Re: glutes vs quads
Wed, September 23, 2009 - 11:14 PMI'm still really struggling with this. I'm not even sure most of the time that I'm squeezing my glutes and not just tensing up my whole upper leg. When I try to do a workout like Asharah's that involves a series of glute squeezes, my whole leg ends up sore, right down to my shins and calves. I feel like I'm kind of just spasmodically jerking around.
I can get a good squeeze in with both glutes at once if I'm standing with my legs relatively together, or if I'm sitting with my knees together. I know I'm doing it in that position because I can see (In the mirror) or feel my butt lift up if I'm standing, or I raise a little bit up off the seat if I'm sitting.
But if I get in any legs-apart or legs-bent position, nothing. Not in straddle sit. Not in horse stance. Not in a lunge. Not on my back with my feet on the floor and my knees up. Not in a boat, not with a goat. And I just cannot reliably separate them and squeeze one at a time. I'm reduced to standing with my butt cheeks cupped in my hands, slowly squeezing them one at a time and trying not to lock up the rest of my hips and legs.
I noticed, too, if I try the position Duck suggested, my quads HURT, like they're being pulled on. Do you think stretching out my quads would help? Is part of my problem maybe that they're tight? I do a lot of walking and not much stretching of my quads.
This is very very frustrating. -
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Re: glutes vs quads
Thu, September 24, 2009 - 10:09 AMI have trouble separating my legs from my glutes while seated if I'm tight in those areas (which I usually am). At the workshop last week my psoas were in major spasm & when we sat on the floor in straddle position all I could feel working were my hip flexors.
Have you tried rolling out your IT bands, quads & hip flexors (they're hard to get to. I've still not found a good way to access them with the roller) & then seeing if it's any easier?
This is one of those positions I just never feel comfortable in, personally, due to very tight hips.
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Re: glutes vs quads
Thu, September 24, 2009 - 10:14 AMI just read the comment about your quads feeling pulled on in the position Duckamuck suggested. I'm thinking you might have the same problem as me: VERY tight quads & IT bands. Can you sit like this? images.teamsugar.com/files/u...sana.jpg I totally cannot & it feels like a very intense pulling on my quads & IT bands when I try.
If tight quads & IT bands are the case then I'd really suggest rolling them with a foam roller. It helps me a bit, but this position is still a problem for me after years of trying. I think I need to step up the rolling to every day. -
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Re: glutes vs quads
Sat, September 26, 2009 - 3:33 PMI have a lot of experience with seated virasana, but I can't even approach sleeping virasana. I feel it as extreme tightness down the front of my lower legs and ankles, though, rather than a pull in my quads or ITs.
I hope there's something I can do to help relax my quads other than rolling them, as space is at a premium in my house and I'm not in a position to be able to store uni-purpose items unless I can't avoid it. I go to the spa sometimes, and I noticed that putting my quads up against the jets in the pools can be painful until I massage and stretch them out a bit. I'm thinking it's the same general principle as the rollers.
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Re: glutes vs quads
Thu, September 24, 2009 - 8:09 PM2 things come to mind - Yes! stretch the quads! Stretch 'em often (but only when warm).
Second thing... when I first started bellydancing, it seemed like EVERYthing we did "activated" my quads. Like, even simple travelling moves that shouldn't be using them. Frankly, the problem was my quads were so horribly out of shape that everything went there first. It wasn't until after they were more in shape that I was able to focus on other muscles.
That could be what's going on here. Maybe your quads just aren't physically "ready" to move on to the next level that the rest of your body is ready for. Keep at it, keep trying, you'll eventually get there. But keeping them stretched will definitely help that happen quicker. -
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Re: glutes vs quads
Sat, September 26, 2009 - 3:35 PMThat could be. It would come as surprise, because as I say I do a lot of walking, and my quads are easily the most bulky part of my legs. I don't have a lot of problems with squats or lunge positions and I don't feel my quads during regular bellydance-class activities or dancing. But It's definitely possible. I'll pay a lot of TLC attention to them for a while and see if I can get them a little more cooperative.
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Re: glutes vs quads
Sat, September 26, 2009 - 8:18 AMTry sitting in a straddled position. Keep good posture. Keep your hands on your quads to keep them relaxed and just work your glutes. If you feel your quad tightening up massage them to make sure they stay loose. The two should never be dependent on each other. Its harder to do when you stand up (I'm still working on that one). Moria Chappell teaches this in her workshop and is amazing so take her if you ever get the chance, its beyond well worth it.
Hope this helps,
Zondra
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Re: glutes vs quads
Wed, October 21, 2009 - 9:51 PMWell, I have been going along doing lots of walking and squats, working out, stretching my quads whenever I got the chance, not really focusing on trying to do glute squeezes, and all of a sudden today I could do it! I can't do it very fast but if I pay attention to keeping my knees soft and my legs relaxed, I'm able to alternate glutes quite distinctly without involving my quads. So clearly something happened to make my body ready.
Thanks for all the help! -
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Re: glutes vs quads
Wed, December 2, 2009 - 10:11 PMI have another update! I can pulse my glutes without activating any other muscles in my thighs or legs. It's definitely not a strong contraction and I have trouble isolating one glute at a time, but I can sit crosslegged and pulse them, lay on my back and pulse them, float in a hot tub and pulse them, and not feel any other muscles working at all. So now I pulse, pulse, pulse, anytime I think of it, to build that squeeze up.
Incidentally, I got better at isolating them completely after I started paying a lot of attention to stretching out my leg muscles, including but not limited to quads. I also worked on strengthening my thighs in general, and I think part of being able to let go of my quads was that my inner and rear thigh muscles were stronger and taking more of the load my poor quads had been picking up practically all on their own.
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