"Butt Lag": Is There a Recruitment Failure of Gluteus Maximus in Subgroups of People?

It is well known that gluteus maximus is important for the lumbar spine, SIJ, Hip and the lower limb. Many years ago as a new grad I would ask clients to "squeeze their bottom" and not feel a palpable contraction and proceed to say "you can start whenever you are ready". This later became a joke with clients.

Even commonly recommended exercises didn't seem to help (e.g. bridge, bird dog variations, prone hip extension). All that seemed to happen was a large amount of hamstring tone usually without controlling lumbar extension or rotation. It is also possible for some people to do the "Prone Over Bed Hip Extension" (previous post) without a palpable contraction in gluteus maximus.

There are alterations in the timing of EMG of gluteus maximus in numerous conditions (e.g. ankle sprain, SIJ pain) but it hasn't been researched the same way the quadriceps have been investigated for the well known "qauds lag". Personally, I have never used weights or muscle stimulation for this. It has always been better motor imagery and mental effort to force the contraction. Obviously other sensory motor strategies help.

Gluteus maximus has three functional sub-divisions. Cranial gluteus maximus (superficial); Caudal gluteus maximus (deep iliac); Deep sacral gluteus maximus. These would be classified as a global mobilizer, global stabilizer, local stabilizer, respectively.

The facilitation strategies used to correct a "Butt Lag" should keep this in mind.

Landau primitive reflex: This is the best option, however this can be problematic in people who are weak, who perform the pattern incorrectly (poor motor skill learning) with lumbar extension symptoms or have hamstring cramping (just perform with the knees extended rather than flexed).

Deep Hip Instrinsics: This is often the most convenient and a failure to get enough force is easy to see. This should not be done with overactive - short superficial gluteus maximus. This can also be a problem with piriformis pain and hamstring cramping.

Supine Creep postural reflex: This is also convenient, but can be problematic for people with poor motor skill learning, and ends up being no better than a standard bridge.

Side Lying Hip Extension: This is very useful and often necessary when the above problems exist (poor motor skill learning, hamstring cramping, piriformis pain, severe trunk weakness). This takes advantage of some simple physiology of length tension relationships and is very useful.

Following the facilitation strategies, standard specific movement pattern control, specific muscle imbalance and other strategies addressing the inhibition should be addressed or progressed.

Clinically, a "Butt Lag" appears to exist and is relatively easy to address, provided the underlying reasons for the proposed inhibition are addressed concurrently. These scenarios provide the impetus for some research questions for gluteus maximus.

Gibbons SGT 2007 The role of psoas major and deep sacral gluteus maximus in lumbo-pelvic stability. In: Vleeming A, Stoeckhart R and Mooney V. Movement, Stability and Lumbopelvic Pain, 2nd Edition, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh

Gibbons SGT and Comerford MJ 2001 Strength versus stability. Part 1: Concepts and terms. Orthopaedic Division Review. March / April. 21-27

Gibbons SGT and Comerford MJ 2001 Strength versus stability. Part 2: Benefits and limitations. Orthopaedic Division Review. March / April. 28-33