WTF Is Gluteal Amnesia and How to Know if You Have It

AKA "dead butt syndrome"

By Locke Hughes, Self

[post_ads]Chances are, you’ve heard how sitting all day is bad for your heart (and waistline). Turns out, sitting also causes big problems for your butt. While gluteal amnesia may sound like a spell that Harry Potter learned at Hogwarts, it’s a very real condition—and pretty prevalent these days, thanks to our sedentary lifestyles and jobs that tie us to a desk or driver’s seat from 9 to 5 (if not longer).

Gluteal amnesia, or "dead butt syndrome," happens when your glutes "forget" how to activate properly.

Sitting all day is the main culprit, Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, tells SELF. But it's more accurate to blame an unfortunate side effect of parking your butt in a chair all day: tight hip flexors. "When you sit a lot, the hip flexor ​gets ​shortened and tighter​, which leads to the butt muscles not firing or working as optimally as they should," Chris Kolba, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., physical therapist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF.

[post_ads]This happens ​through a process known as reciprocal inhibition, which can ​occur in any opposing muscle groups in your body. “Reciprocal inhibition occurs when tightness in one muscle [your hip flexors, in this case] creates length in the muscle on the opposite side of the joint [your gluteal muscles, or glutes],” McCall explains. If this occurs for too long, the process that tells the lengthened muscle to activate—specifically, the neurons that fire and signal the muscle fibers to contract—is compromised. In other words, when your hip flexors ​get super tight, your gluteal muscles become lengthened and desensitized, and won’t generate much force (or “turn on”) when you try to engage them.

“Prolonged sitting can also create a ‘laminating effect’ between the muscle fibers, in which the continual compression of the tissue causes them to get tacked down, losing their elasticity and ability to contract optimally,” Kolba explains.

Unfortunately, no one’s immune to this condition, even if you work out frequently.
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Because of the less than perfect posture most of us have when we're sitting—shoulders slumped, lower back rounded, core disengaged—it's very possible to go all day long without activating your glutes, Sara Lewis, celebrity trainer and founder of XO Fitness in L.A., tells SELF.

And certain workouts can actually exacerbate hip tightness, instead of help. "The repetitive nature of running or cycling can lend itself to tightness in the hip flexors, too,” Kolba says.

“I can say that the majority of my clients presented some level of glute amnesia when they first started training,” Kira Stokes, a NASM-certified celebrity trainer and creator of the Stoked Method, tells SELF. “Running or cycling are better than sitting, of course, but they’re mostly quad-dominant workouts, so you still need to give your glutes some extra TLC.”

If your glutes don't do their job correctly, the rest of your body may pay for it.

The gluteal muscles (a group of three muscles that make up the buttocks) help power us through so many activities, from walking and carrying heavy things, to performing both cardio and strength exercises. When your glutes lose strength, other muscle groups in your back and lower body are forced to take on the extra work to compensate, setting you up for issues such as lower back, hip, or knee pain, Kolba says. It can also lead to muscle imbalances throughout your body and other lower body injuries, adds Stokes.
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Gluteal amnesia itself shouldn't cause you any pain, but over time, if left untreated, weak glutes could contribute to other strains and pains. "If the glute muscles are not working efficiently or to their max capacity, then other muscles or areas will be subject to more stress/work, eventually leading to symptoms," says Kolba.

There are a few simple ways to test for gluteal amnesia.

Stand up in a neutral position and imagine you’re wearing a belt. “If your belt line drops toward the front, it means you have an anterior pelvic tilt, which signifies you aren’t contracting your glutes properly,” Stokes says. If your glutes were engaged correctly, your belt line would be parallel to the floor. Another quick test: Lie faceup on the ground, placing your hands under your butt. Try to “squeeze” your right butt cheek and then left butt cheek. You should be able to feel your glutes engage.

Finally, take note of any pain in your hamstrings during moves like deadlifts or step-ups. “If your hamstrings start to cramp during or after these exercises, or they’re much more sore than usual, it indicates your glutes aren’t firing correctly and your hamstrings are doing all the work,” Stokes explains.
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Now, for the best news: Gluteal amnesia is reversible.

You just have to “work your butt off … literally,” Lewis says. “There are three parts of the glutes with a laundry list of exercises to target each of them.” First, there’s the gluteus minimus or "shelf" where your butt meets your legs, which can be targeted by barre’s micro-movements, Lewis says. “Plies work your hidden but necessary 'middle butt,’ the gluteus medius, while squats, lunges, and bridges will work your gluteus maximus.”

One key to keep in mind for all glute work: Focus on driving from your heels (not the ball of the foot), which helps fully activate your maximus, the biggest and strongest part of the butt, Lewis advises.

Stokes says glute bridges are a super simple and effective way to reactivate your rear, which you can level up with one-legged bridges or by placing a resistance band around your thighs. In addition to bridges, she suggests working on glute-targeting moves such as bird dogs, clamshells, donkey kicks, and planks after every cardio workout.

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Incorporate lower-body exercises like deadlifts, squats, and lunges into your strength training routine, too, Stokes says. Just remember her signature tip to help target your glutes even more effectively: “Squeeze your butt like you're holding a million-dollar check between your cheeks—you wouldn’t want to drop that!”

No time to work out? “You can treat dead butt syndrome outside the gym, too,” Lewis says. During the workday, be sure to get up and walk around occasionally. You can also work your glutes (secretly!) literally anywhere: Stand tall, and tuck your tailbone and flex your glutes as hard as you can for five counts. Release, then repeat 10 times.

Finally, don’t forget about the foam roller. Rolling out your hip flexors and IT band (side of the leg) can help release the myofascial tissues that support your muscles and bones which can get knotted and painful, Lewis says.

If you work your glutes several times per week, you should notice a change in how your muscles feel in about a month, Lewis says. Follow these steps, and you’ll be back to being BFFs with your glutes in no time.

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