The muscle tissue of the buttocks is a large array of quadrangular muscles located on the back of the pelvis. They determine the shape and shape of the buttocks (subject to the normal content of fat mass in them). On the one hand, they are fixed on the spine and pelvis, and on the other, on the upper part of the femur at the back. The muscles of the buttocks are of three types: large, medium and small. Developed muscle tissue is not only beautiful from an aesthetic point of view. Muscle tone determines the strength and health of the body as a whole. The muscles of the buttocks and thighs make up a large part of the muscle volume of a person.
Anatomy
The largest in size is the gluteus maximus muscle. It is located closest to the skin and is responsible for the appearance and aesthetics of the buttocks, since it depends on how much this part of the body will protrude . The structure has a diamond shape, broad and fleshy.
The abnormally large size of the muscle tissue of the buttocks is a characteristic feature of the structure of the muscles of people, and it is it that allows a person to keep the body straight upright. The structurally large muscle consists of coarse fibers that gather in bundles and are parallel to each other. These bundles are connected into one large, but at the same time divided by partitions consisting of fibers.
The gluteus maximus muscle begins in the area of the ilium (specifically, from its posterior part) and is located directly above and behind the iliac crest. Further, it passes along the lower part of the sacrum, away from the coccyx. The fibers are directed down and to the side, forming with the external fibers a large part of the muscle in its lower part. Further, the muscle bypasses the greater trochanter of the femur and turns into a wide membrane. The deep-seated fibers in the lower part of the muscle are located between the lateral broad femoral and adductor muscles.
The gluteus maximus is one of the main muscles involved in sports such as hockey, basketball, soccer or volleyball. Her sprain can be very painful and lasting.
Middle muscle
On the outer surface of the ilium originates the middle muscle of the buttock (higher from the front line of muscle tissue). The gluteal aponeurosis gives her a start. Its parts converge into a tendon attached to the side of the hip joint.
Small muscle
It originates between the lower and anterior gluteal lines in front of the ilium. At the back, it extends from the sciatic muscle and attaches to the hip joint.
Gluteal muscle function
Being in a static state in the pelvic area, large muscle fibers support the muscles of the thigh and help the human body to stay upright. Fixing itself motionlessly below, the muscle supports the body above the femoral head, which helps us to stand on one leg. For example, when tilted, it helps the body to stay straight, pulling the pelvis back.
The gluteus maximus muscle strains the so-called wide fascia of the thigh (this is the connective membrane of the femur extending from the pelvis to the knee joint along its outer part). This helps not to turn the thigh inward while running and stabilizes the knee joint. The gluteus maximus muscle has other functions:
- She is responsible for hip extension in the pelvic area.
- Extends the body when it is fixed.
- Turns the hips out.
- Helps to divert them in different directions.
- Helps bring the thigh to a central position.
- With its help, the body and legs are stabilized during physical exertion, such as running or walking.
Improving the muscles of the buttocks
Today, a sporting lifestyle has become widespread, it has become fashionable to maintain your physical shape and bring the whole body into tone. And if for the most part we are talking about an aesthetic component and an increase in physical strength, then with regard to the gluteal muscles the situation looks different - a lack of muscle mass in this area causes atrophy of the legs, a person can not stand, walk or squat for a long time.
The functions of the gluteal muscles are very diverse. Changing the appearance, shape and volume of muscles is possible only through persistent and regular training (if we talk about natural changes, and not surgical intervention, for example).
The role of exercise
Different exercises for pumping up the gluteus maximus muscle have different goals: you can either increase their volume or adjust the shape. Increasing the volume does not seem to be a particularly difficult task; for this, some special methods and training programs are not needed, regular tasks to maintain muscle tone are sufficient. If we are talking about visual adjustment, then it is necessary to study each individual bundle of muscle tissue fibers, for which whole complexes of various exercises are performed. The gluteus midi is also involved in them.
The most effective exercises are squats, lunges and deadlifts. And if the first two types of exercises are feasible without special equipment, then the latter is feasible only in the gym.
Types of exercises
There are two general groups of exercises for the gluteal muscle:
- With or without weights.
- Basic or isolated.
Performing exercises, most importantly, do not forget about the technique of execution. If it is violated, instead of the gluteus maximus muscle, you run the risk of increasing quadriceps in volume. But even more serious consequences of incorrect exercise is a violation in the functioning of the joints, which can lead to injuries of the gluteus maximus muscle.
Weights are dumbbells and barbells. Weight and type of weighting agent depends on the level of training of the trainee. When working with them, the technique should not be disturbed, while the work of the muscles should be felt.
The basis of any training aimed at correcting the gluteus maximus muscle should be basic exercises. The most effective of them: lunges, squats, split-squat and deadlift.
Squats - this is one of the most effective and complex exercises in terms of techniques for their implementation. For development, a weighting agent of the smallest weight is required (for example, a bar without a load).
Deadlift can be performed with large weights and helps to improve the appearance of the gluteal region, since even a small gluteus muscle will be involved.
When working on the muscles of the pelvic region, you can use not only weighting materials, but also various simulators and auxiliary items. A split squat is a lunge with the fixation of a non-working leg on a bench.
For a more detailed, point-based adjustment of the buttock muscles, so-called isolated exercises are used. They are executed after the base. These include: lifting the pelvis, bench press, legs to the side.
Recommendations
The choice of the number of weekly workouts and their duration depends on the individual preferences of the person, his features and mode. You can train once a week, elaborating on a specific muscle (in our case, the greater or lesser gluteus muscle), you can divide the training into three stages, doing certain sets of exercises for different problem areas. The most important thing when choosing the intensity of training is not to overdo it, because this can lead to stretching of muscle tissue and prolonged pain in the buttocks.
In any case, even if you overtrained the muscle in the previous workout, by the beginning of the next all the unpleasant sensations should go away. When aiming to work out the large and small muscles of the pelvis, do not forget about proper nutrition, because the lack of such will lead to excessive accumulation of fat in the problem area and will make training, even regular and long-term, useless.
The main task of training is to improve the body as a whole and support a healthy physical form. The race for the aesthetic component of training is far from an end in itself. We examined the anatomy of the gluteal muscles.