1.8.

2016

WhichexercisestargettheGlutealMuscleswhileminimizingactivationoftheTensorFasciaLatae?

WhichexercisestargettheGlutealMuscleswhile
minimizingactivationoftheTensorFasciaLatae?
ThepurposeofthisblogistosummarisethekeyfindingsfromthearticlepublishedbySelkowitz,Beneck&
Powersin2013ontheuseofexercisestoretrainglutealcontrol.Asaphysiotherapist,Iamoftenaskedthe
questionofhowtobestretrainglutealmusclefunction.Therearesomanyvarietiesoftrainingavailable
today,includingPilatesreformers,redcordsystemsandweights,thatitcanbehardtospecifywhichform
trainingismorespecific.
Theresultsofthisarticleisspecificallyapplicabletoretrainingthesuperiorportionsofgluteusmaximus,
gluteusmediusandtensorfascialatae.ThequestionIhopetoansweris"Howdowedothat?"
Formanyyearsnowhipstrengtheningandbiomechanicsretraininghasbeenapartofrehabilitation
programsforlowerback,hipjoint,kneeandotherlowerlimbinjuries.Thereisalargeamountofevidence
thatexiststosupportthat"thereissignificantweaknessinhipabduction,externalrotation,andextension,
withassociatedincreasesinhipinternalrotationandhipadduction,duringfunctionaltasksinpersonswith
patellofemoralpaincomparedtopainfreeindividuals"(Selkowitzetal.,2013.p.54).
Thepurposeofthistrialwastoexaminethemuscleactivationpatternsoftheglutealmusclesandtensor
fascialatae(TFL)duringexercisescommonlyprescribedforrehabilitation,usingfinewireelectrodeEMG.
Theauthorshighlighttwomainmethodologicalflawsexistinginpreviousresearch:theuseofsurface
electrodes,andthelackofmonitoringofsimultaneousTFLactivity.Theauthorshaveaddressedbothof
theselimitationsthroughtheuseoffinewireelectrodeEMG,whichenablesresearchestoevaluatemuscle
activityofbothTFLandglutealmuscles,whileminimisingcrosstalkoccurringfromneighbouring
muscles.Theoutcomeofthestudywouldbetoprovideinformationastowhichofthebelow11
exercisesmaximisetheactivationofGMedandSupGmaxwhileminimizingtheactivationofTFL.
Thestudyincluded20healthyvolunteersbetweentheageof1850wererecruitedfromCalifornianbased
universitiesandcommunities,whowereeligibleforthetrialiftheyhadnopriororcurrenthistoryofany
neurologicalconditionsormusculoskeletalinjuryofthetrunkorlowerlimb.
Theauthorsusedthefollowingpositionstotestindividualmusclemaximalvoluntarycontractions:
SupGmax=pronehipextensionagainstresistancewiththekneebentto90degrees.
Gmed=sidelyingabductionto30degreesagainstresistance,withthehipandkneein0degreesflexion.
TFL=Sidelyinghipabductionto30degreesagainstresistance,withthehipin45degreeshipflexion.
FollowingEMGtestingforeachmuscle(asabove),thevolunteersperformedthefollowing11exercisesin
randomorder.
1.Hipabductioninsidelying
2.Clamwiththerabandresistancearoundthethigh.
3.Bilateralbridge
4.Unilateralbridge
5.4PKhipextensionwithpatientbalancingonelbowswiththekneeextended
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1.8.2016

WhichexercisestargettheGlutealMuscleswhileminimizingactivationoftheTensorFasciaLatae?

6.4PKhipextensionwiththepatientbalancingonelbowswiththekneeflexedto90degrees.
7.Forwardlungeswithlungeerect
8.Squat
9.Sidestepping(crabwalking)withtherabandaroundthighs
10.Hiphitchingofftheedgeofthestep
11.Forwardstepup.

Tosummarisetheresultsofthisarticlein4points:
1.ThemajorityoftheaboveexerciseswillpreferentiallyactivatetheglutealmusclesoverTFL.
2.TopreferentiallytargetGMED,sidelyinghipabductionandhiphitchingofftheedgeofthestepprovide
thegreatestactivation.Thisactivationpatternhowever,isgreaterthanthatofTFLbutnotinisolationto
TFL.
3.SupGmaxismaximallyrecruitedduringaclamandsecondlyduringaunilateralbridge.
4.Clam,sidestep,unilateralbridge,4PKhipextension(straightknee),4PKhipextension(bentknee),
bilateralbridgeandsquatallshowedstatisticallysignificanthighernormalizedelectromyographicsignal
amplitudethantheTFL.Theseexercisesarealsobeenwritteninorderamplitudeofglutealactivation
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WhichexercisestargettheGlutealMuscleswhileminimizingactivationoftheTensorFasciaLatae?

andallhave50%moreactivationintheglutealmusclescomparedtoTFL.

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WhichexercisestargettheGlutealMuscleswhileminimizingactivationoftheTensorFasciaLatae?

Inclinicalpracticewehaveaccesstoalargevarietyoftrainingequipment.Theresultsofthisstudy
reinforcethattheprimarymovementshouldbekeptinmindwhendeterminingwhichexerciseismost
appropriateforrehabilitation,anduseequipmenttoprovidevariationsandsportspecificmodulations.Over
all,theseaboveelevenexercisescanbeusedtoprovideaneffective,lowcost,andeasytoteach
independentrehabilitationprogramforglutealfunction,acrossavarietyofmusculoskeletal
conditions
Sian

References:
Selkowitz,D.M.,Beneck,G.J.,&Powers,C.M.(2013).WhichExercisesTargettheGlutealMusclesWhile
MinimizingActivationoftheTensorFasciaLata?ElectromyographicAssessmentUsingFineWire
Electrodes.JOrthopSportsPhysTher,43(2),5464.

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