Squeezing Your Butt

[Jonathan Silverman]

I hear this cue often in my gym, to squeeze ones butt. I understand it has to do with force transmission. But my question si something that i noticed.

If i lean a little forward i can't squeeze my butt. If i lean a little back then i can squeeze it better. Why is that, and what does it mean for the basic barebell lifts?

[Mike C]

same reason it's easier to squeeze the triceps when you straighten your arm.

[Jonathan Silverman]

Thanks for your reply however your analogy is lost on me because I dont have a sense of squeezing my triceps! I cant even feel that? Can you?

[Mike C]

squeezing = flexing to me.

[Marotta]

This seems gay. I'm gonna call this gay.

[veryhrm]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. In terms of the feeling of having you butt squeezed together (are we really talking about this ?) there's going to be more muscle mass bunched up when the muscle is in its most contracted (shortest) position. For your glutes that's when you're standing up straight. It's a fuller feeling.

If you're talking about the muscle being under tension then you can't test this w/o using external structure of some sort. When you "lean a little forward" your glutes only have to provide enough force to keep you in that position. If they provide more force than that it will straighten you hip and stand you back up. In the leaned over position if you activate your hip flexors trying to lean over forcefully they can fight against your glutes also but they are much weaker muscles than the glutes so they can't make the glutes work anywhere near full capacity. (there's also the additional issue of reciprocal inhibition which impacts how much you can have your muscles work against each other.)

If you tried the experiment in a leg press machine where the machine itself is preventing you from straightening at the hips you'd find you can use the glutes pretty hard in a bent over position.

[Jonathan Silverman]

This seems gay. I'm gonna call this gay.

I'm not gay. Because at the end of the day what gives me pain, are girls not guys.

[Carnivroar]

someone's hitting on you

[Jonathan Silverman]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. In terms of the feeling of having you butt squeezed together (are we really talking about this ?) there's going to be more muscle mass bunched up when the muscle is in its most contracted (shortest) position. For your glutes that's when you're standing up straight. It's a fuller feeling.

If you're talking about the muscle being under tension then you can't test this w/o using external structure of some sort. When you "lean a little forward" your glutes only have to provide enough force to keep you in that position. If they provide more force than that it will straighten you hip and stand you back up. In the leaned over position if you activate your hip flexors trying to lean over forcefully they can fight against your glutes also but they are much weaker muscles than the glutes so they can't make the glutes work anywhere near full capacity. (there's also the additional issue of reciprocal inhibition which impacts how much you can have your muscles work against each other.)

If you tried the experiment in a leg press machine where the machine itself is preventing you from straightening at the hips you'd find you can use the glutes pretty hard in a bent over position.

I agree with this point of yours that contracted glutes make your posture straighter because you cant have a strong glute contraction if your hip angle stays closed. You can only get a stronger glue contraction if your hip angle is opening or is open (ie straight posture). I don't really understand the leg press suggestion, I don't use machines.

[Marotta]

I'm not gay. Because at the end of the day what gives me pain, are girls not guys.

I was referring to butt squeezing in general, but whatever.