Why the Phrase “Your Glutes are Turned Off” is Wrong
Have you ever heard a licensed practitioner, strength coach, or personal trainer tell you that your “glutes are turned off” or “we need to activate your glutes”? Well, I’m here to tell you why it’s wrong and that you should be careful what you tell people.
My name is Dr. Alexander Carrillo, and I am a licensed physical therapist. I decided to write a post about this because this is a common mistake I hear amongst my colleagues, in the gym, and with that social media fitness “experts.”
By telling someone their glutes are turned off or that they need to activate their glutes, implies that their muscles are not working properly. If the individual’s gluteal musculature were “off,” then they wouldn’t be able to rise from a chair, walk, ascend stairs, etc. In almost all cases, when these phrases are used, the individual is fully healthy. These phrases can be considered “more correct” if the individual has some neurological pathology. Even then, these phrases are still questionable because, in some cases, the person will never fully regain motor output to that area, for example, a complete spinal cord injury.
In contrast, try using other phrases to help get your point across. Phrases such as, “we’re going to try to bias your glutes,” “this exercise is going to engage your glutes really well,” or “this exercise is really going to facilitate your glutes to work.” These are good alternatives to tell people because words matter! There is a psychological component that is often overlooked when dealing with individuals seeking guidance. Please stop saying that their glutes are turned off, or anything similar, like this, can lead to a belief that they have something wrong with them when in reality they just need to strengthen those muscles!
Author: Alexander Carrillo PT, DPT