Virabhadrasana III
Warrior Pose III, with squats
All of the gluteals must work to perform this movement—the “deep six” external rotators keep each side of the pelvis stable in spite of the different actions in each hip, and the larger gluteals add additional support for the hips. This move forces your buttock muscles to shore up their connection from the thighs through to the lower back to keep the hips and spine stable.
Photo Credits: Paul Mille, Illustrations: Michelle Graham
HOW TO From High Lunge with your left foot in front, stretch your arms forward, parallel to your mat and to each other, palms facing one another. As you exhale, press the left thighbone back and the left heel actively into the floor; straighten your left leg and lift the back leg to come into Warrior III. Keep your pelvis level as you bend your left knee slightly (shown), then straighten it. Repeat 6–8 times without letting the spine, shoulders, or pelvis change their relationship to one another. If you can’t balance, place your fingers on a wall and allow them to slide up and down as you move. Repeat on the other side.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Bridge Pose, variation
This pose is exactly the opposite of sitting: It places the hips into extension and strengthens all of the deep and larger buttock muscles. What’s more, this posture also helps you figure out which side of your glutes is stronger. The more you practice it, the better each buttock will become at supporting its counterpart.
HOW TO Rest on the ground with your arms on the floor. Unlike the classic version of Bridge, keep your arms and shoulders passive so that they don’t compensate for your gluteal strength. Place your feet parallel to each other and a few inches from your butt so that when you lift up, your shins are perpendicular to the floor. Activate all of your deep-core muscles at once to keep the natural curves in your spine intact. Then, activate your glutes and raise your pelvis off the floor without allowing your lumbar to curve into a backbend. The key is to reach full extension, creating a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees, without feeling any discomfort in your back. If you feel a pinching sensation or any soreness in your lower back, reinforce the tension in your abdominals and gluteals and lower your hips until you find an angle that works. Lift your left foot off the ground 1 inch and hold the pose for 4–8 breaths without any wavering or collapsing in your pelvis/hips. (If this is too much, just lift your heel.) Switch sides. Then lie flat on your back to rest. Repeat for a total of 3 complete rounds.
Salabhasana
Locust Pose, with block between legs
Salabhasana will mostly target your gluteus maximus by tasking it to lift each hip, thigh, lower leg, ankle, and foot against gravity. This pose also helps you determine whether your gluteals are strong enough to lift your lower body. (For optimal health, your tush should be able to carry you.) If your gluteals “fail,” you’ll likely feel this in your lower back, which can lead to back pain.
HOW TO Rest on your abdomen with a block between your thighs, and stretch your arms out in front of you with your palms facing one another. Activate your abdominal muscles and inner thighs. Posteriorly tilt (tuck) your tailbone by contracting your buttocks and raise your legs off the floor. This action will minimize any compression in your lower back. Activate your back muscles and raise your upper body and arms off the floor. Maintain all of this while breathing into your rib cage for 6–8 breaths. Return to the starting position, rest, and repeat 3 more times.
Utkatasana
Chair Pose
This pose mostly targets the gluteus maximus and medius, and the piriformis. Rather than offloading the task of supporting your body weight like we do when we sit in a chair, this move puts stress on your glutes, which helps you build strength and endurance. Bonus: It takes quite a bit of strength to lower into the pose and to raise yourself out of it: These dynamic elements are just as beneficial as holding traditional Chair in the lower “sitting” position.
HOW TO Stand in your best Tadasana (Mountain Pose) with your feet hip-width apart and toes pointed forward. Simultaneously stiffen your ab muscles and back muscles so that your spine moves as a single, staff-like unit into the pose, and contract your gluteals with a squeeze of your buttocks. As you do all of this, attempt to move the floor apart with your feet by firing your outer hips. Then, without shifting your spine, raise your arms overhead and sit deeply into an imaginary chair. Lower as deeply as you can without losing any of the muscular activation listed above or allowing your spine to change shape. (A quick mirror check helps you to see if your spine is compensating for lack of stability in the glutes and pelvis.) Breathe into your rib cage as you maintain core stability; stay here for 8 breaths or longer.
Writer Jill Miller is the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness Worldwide and author of The Roll Model. She has presented case studies at the Fascia Research Congress and the International Symposium of Yoga Therapists, and she teaches at fitness and yoga conferences worldwide. Learn more at yogatuneup.com. Model Chelsea Jackson Roberts, PhD, is an Atlanta-based yoga teacher. She founded chelsealovesyoga.com, a platform for discussion on yoga, race, and diversity.
This article was first published in the print edition of Yoga Journal Singapore, which is now Yogahood Online.
