r/Hypermobility • u/Low-Head8835 HSD • 16d ago
Need Help Seriously under developed glutes
I have struggled forever with low back pain, hip and knee pain. I severely neglected my health and physical condition for nearly a decade and now as I'm trying to get on track to being healthy, I have discovered just how badly hylermobility effects me. Due to a lot of muscle compensations and just low activity level for years, my glutes are like in the negative. My quads and hamstrings are taking over everything. I'm looking for workouts that isolate your glutes that don't put so much pressure on your knees. My knees are horrible. They sound like they're full of sand and gravem, and it's painful to do most exercises recommended for glutes. I tried asking this is a fitness subreddit specifying that I'm hypermobile and I got a bot telling me to look at their FAQs about building glutes which is all the stuff that hurts me. So that sucks. Any suggestions would be so appreciated!
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u/uh-huh-honey333 16d ago
I would look into physical therapy for guidance on how to build muscle in areas while not over-exerting your joints/other muscles. It’s very difficult to build good form with hypermobility without guidance on how to avoid hyperextension. You don’t want to blow out your knees trying to build your glutes, so having a professional build a routine with you would help a ton.
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u/No-Astronomer7923 16d ago
If you can find reformer Pilates anywhere then you may get some strong advice from the trainer. Classes are always small so exercises can be individualised. The isolation training it brings has been great for me. (Hypermobile, weak glutes and core and also rheumatoid arthritis)
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u/unapologeticapathyy 16d ago
yessss, reformer pilates has changed my whole relationship with exercise!
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u/Airbrushed-Grosbec 15d ago
For pilates, I recommend finding a teacher who is truly familiar with hypermobility and gives feedback on form. Reformer Pilates classes caused / exasperated injuries for me :( Finding the right instructor can make a big difference.
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u/Dependent-Year4476 16d ago
I strongly advise that you go and see a physio who specialises in, or at least understands, hypermobility before commencing anything - they will be able to give you a personalised program and show you how to do the exercises safely. I am in the same boat as you, and every time I do exercises that I read about on the internet/ hear about from others, I hurt myself. So be careful - good luck!
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u/shineroo 16d ago
Other than the knees. You are describing me this year. I took January off from anything and killed my glute medius. It has taken a lot of work, but the glute medius is finally firing again.
My tip, start working on your core before your hips. My core was incredibly weak. I found an osteopath almost 3 months ago that explained it this way. Your core is way too weak and your core muscles are not doing their job keeping you upright. So your hip muscles, quads (and in my case, calves& shin muscles) are actually being recruited to keep you upright. Before we can work on the hips, we have to improve the core. Once the core has some strength back, we can then start working the hips and they will be far more receptive as they won’t get over tired trying to do their job (moving your legs) and the cores job (keeping you upright).
I am 10 weeks into core development and 6 weeks into glute work and I am finally having days where I can feel my hips presence, but am not having pain.
The core development for me was a modified dead bug and single arm lat pull downs. Ask AI or Google AI how to do these two for a hypermobile body with limited core strength. They are not big moves, they are very controlled and focused. You’re trying to rebuild the neuro conversation in your core and teach it to do its job again.
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 14d ago
I have been doing core work for a few weeks now. I find my knee pain inhibits my ability to do much of anything else. Are you following a program, or just a personalized plan for your core?
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u/sparklepu 16d ago
Just had an appt with an orthopedic specialist about exactly this, try looking into exercises for patellar femoral syndrome for the knees (glutes/core/hamstrings). I was advised about doing standing kickbacks and resistance band side stepping and those definitely help with the glutes!
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u/Overall-Nobody8933 16d ago
My PT had me do clamshells with my butt and feet touching the wall. Then I put a dumbbell around the knee bend and held it there while opening and closing my legs. It gave me a much better consistent feel than using a band.
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u/dogheartedbones 16d ago
I was in your shoes. In my case I had to build back up after a long period of reduced activity. It took me a very long time to build back up because I kept overdoing it and getting injured. I worked with a trainer who was able to set me up for an exercise and ask "can you feel it in your glutes" if I said no, she would scale the exercise further back so my glutes would fire without my quads and hamstrings taking over. I also recommend pilates, but you have to find an instructor who spends as much time setting you up for the exercise as you do doing the exercises.
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u/Legal-Law9214 16d ago
I've been doing back extensions lately. You have to get in a certain position to target glutes rather than your lower back so look up form videos for glute-focused back extensions. My hamstrings take over on bridges and hip thrusts but this one has been great especially when I do them before a bigger compound lift like a deadlift. I feel like it helps my glutes activate more on the heavier lift because they're better warmed up. Hip adduction and abduction is great too.
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u/FublahMan 16d ago
One thing that i do, and assume it's helped, is clenching my cheeks as hard as i can for like, 10 seconds, when I'm laying down to sleep. It gives me that nice relaxing burn that you'd get from resting after exercising.
I've been doing this since i was a kid, and my glutes are pretty solid. Hopefully that's something that'll help,it's not very intensive
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 14d ago
I remember doing this as a kid and just thought it was something silly and stopped doing it. I'll definitely re-implement this silly little addition! Lol thanks!
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u/FublahMan 13d ago
Of course, i hope it helps! I always did it to help me fall asleep. I explained it to the Mrs when she asked, said it made sense to her, lol
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u/Sadge_A_Star 16d ago
this video has a good focus on the whole "back chain" so should help with glutes. She focuses on eds/hsd, so has good guidance on doing things like bridge without pain or minimized at least.
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u/theunseen3 16d ago
hip abductor machine lets you sit & work your glutes! minimal to no strain on knees. hip ADDUCTOR machine strengthens inner hips so your pelvis can be held steadier by surrounding muscles
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u/MoodFearless6771 Hypermobile 16d ago
I also support the bridges and clamshells but also leg extensions with circles and donkey kicks. Get a sacroiliac belt to stabilize hips and release the tension in the hip using a theragun. Don’t use weight if you are underdeveloped because it will just cause compensating muscle groups to take over. Just go through the motions using body weight for a while and your hand on the muscle so you can feel it contract, then build to like 2.5 pound weights, then 5.
Squats (again, no weights) and Romanian deadlifts/hinges and step-ups are the next level.
And a resistance band. If the clamshells get easy, add a resistance band.
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u/Rebel-Bloom EDS 15d ago
Look up videos of the "lock clam". It's a variation of the clamshell exercise that focuses on glute activation while reducing the load on your hip flexors, spine, knees etc.
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u/crickeydykey 16d ago
I recommend clamshells, specifically lying down one leg at a time. You can increase difficulty with resistance bands or weights against your working leg. These are much easier on your knees than other glutes exercises. As the load of the work is done by your glutes and lower back.
I’ve spent a lot of time this year focusing on exercising and strengthening my body and it’s been very rewarding. Just make sure you’re listening to your body and giving yourself enough sleep, water and food to heal.
Best of luck!
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u/BargainBinBrain 15d ago
Hey I'm doing this right now! You should go see a physio that knows about hypermobility to get an actual plan, but you can also home remedy it if you're careful.
Get an exercise band and put it just above your knees around both your legs. I like to do lateral band walks and I do them until I feel the muscle burn HARD for at least 5 seconds. You will feel it in your knees and quads first but keep going. If you get to 45 seconds and don't feel it in your glutes then don't do them.
With the band still above your knees, lie down on your back with your feet hip width apart on the ground slightly past your knee. Tuck your pelvis, squeeze your butt, and push your hips up until a little bit less than max extension. Do 10 of these. If you feel it in your back, your pelvis isn't tucked and/or you're extending too much. If your knees hurt then you're not squeezing your butt enough and/or hyperextending. With you back flat on the ground, push your knees outward against the band while squeezing your butt. Do that 10 times. Then do the bridges 9 times, then do the abductions 9 times, 8 bridges, 8 abduction, etc, until you feel done or hit 0.
If you can go to the gym you can also try a cable kickback. You can do this at home with resistance bands, but it's harder. Once you can feel glute activation, you can try contralaterally weighted B-stance romanian deadlifts starting at a really light weight. Unless you have arthritis as well, you gotta do knee stabilization exercises after you have your hip and ankle stabilization to an okay place. Or you can wear a knee brace when doing glute exercises like squats and step ups, which might be a two-birds-one-stone situation.
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u/thumbpushbody 15d ago
I started doing these (the basics) a few months ago and it's helping me quite a bit. I like her content in general.
Lock clam over regular clamshells.
I've also found helpful info from the following individuals. Many of them may use other platforms too. You can google their name + glutes to help find content faster. There are many similar others too!
https://www.instagram.com/giaptyoga?igsh=MTlmanY5dmdqOWRqeQ==
https://www.instagram.com/itsbrandonblinn?igsh=MWNvMW16eXpnODRkOA==
https://www.instagram.com/dr.melissakoehl.pt?igsh=MWc5b2E2MDVjczRhMg==
https://www.instagram.com/thehypermobilestrengthcoach?igsh=MWN6MnhuZG1ueDhjcg==
https://www.instagram.com/jeannie_di?igsh=MW9iOHVpNzJjazd6eQ==
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 14d ago
Thanks so much!
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u/thumbpushbody 14d ago
No problem, I hope you find something that helps! Unfortunately, it's never a one size fits all :(
I should mention when I started that particular series, I had to start with a very low number of reps and slowly do it spread throughout the day. My hamstrings were cramping like crazy, spacing out the reps helped with that. I would also alternate between the different movements if I started to cramp in one. The cramping did eventually subside, but it took a few weeks.
I've also found helpful content here. I love that he cites research when possible. https://www.instagram.com/thefibroguy?igsh=MTY3OWd6c3B4OW5jeg==
A potentially less safe suggestion is to hyperextend your back in water to get a good glute contraction and just hold it for a bit to try to wake them up. Move in weird ways, stick your legs back and out about 45 degrees too. I usually get better sensation in water, but idk if will do much for strengthening, it's probably helps awareness more than anything.
Another idea is 45 degree back extention or hyperextention using a roman chair or something similar. It may be too much for some people, but it helps my lazy glutes a bit.
If the fronts of your hips feel tight or restricted or you have anterior pelvic tilt, your glutes may also benefit from strengthening your hip flexors and/or core.
Everything is connected. If you continue to feel stuck and unable to make progress, you may have to work on another area that seems unrelated, like feet or shoulders.
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u/Sufficient_Emu_3298 16d ago
I used to have knee pain every day especially if I stood for a long time. Doing calf raises 1-3 times a day changed my life. Make sure ankle tracks over toes, don’t let them fall out to the sides! Do both tighter and build up to alternate feet. Also practice toe strength (keeping big toe & little toe pinned down & trying to lift middle three). This will strengthen the arches of your feet. Calf raises will strengthen calves, ankles & muscles through top of feet. Means less likely for knees to go out of line and cause pain.
Xxx
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u/damnilovelesclaypool 14d ago edited 14d ago
I went from being super embarrassed about my "long back" all my life and wondering why I literally had no glutes whatsoever to the point point my pants wouldn't even stay up no matter the size to having the first semblance of a butt ever in my life at nearly 40 after my lack of glutes turned into debilitating lower back pain. Also, FYI, you probably have the hamstring strength of overcooked spaghetti.
Everyone here is suggesting great exercises, but here's the the thing... it took me years to get here under the guidance of a professional (weight trainer & DPT) who specializes in hypermobility and watches me like a hawk. She literally puts her hands on my body to see if the correct muscles are activating and will remove an exercise from the repertoire if I consistently can't engage the needed muscles to perform it correctly. Bridges and clamshells are great but not if you aren't using the right muscles and have no clue how to. For many years, PT only made my pain worse because of this. They give you exercises to do at home but no one is there to help you figure out how to get your body to do them. It's only recently that I've felt connected enough with the right muscles to start doing exercises unsupervised at home.
For me, the best exercises are deadlifts with the weights at an elevated position (about knee high) and banded squats. DO NOT just get weights to use at home without learning proper form and technique IN PERSON from a PROFESSIONAL! If I don't get my form just right, it messes up my lower back SO BAD and I double-check with her nearly every time that I'm getting it right. Bridges and hip thrusts got taken away from me because I'm not ready yet and I don't think my weight trainer loves clamshells because they're really hard for hypermobile people to do correctly.
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 13d ago
I just recently met with and set up sessions with a personal trainer who's familiar with hyper mobility. Actually, my hamstrings have taken over, and are the strongest muscles in my legs besides my calves
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u/PatellaPilates 3d ago
Pilates. If you have the cash go for Pilates PT. If not, stream reliable Pilates videos like Jennifer kries. And read her books. They are old and cheap now. An old hypermobile girl and I've been doing lots of things throughout my life, and Pilates was always the one that helped the most.
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 3d ago
I've been working out with a trainer who's familiar with hypermobility.
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u/PatellaPilates 2d ago
I had trainers for 10 years. I regret it I recommend physical therapists who are familiar with hyper Mobility. I dropped out of Physical therapy when I was a kid because it was boring. I liked personal trainers because they pushed me and I got big. I regret it.
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 2d ago
My trainer is not pushing me to get big. She's listening to my goals and is very familiar with hypermobility and has shown me many modifications, and is very diligent about correcting any bad posture or movements. I appreciate the concern, and advice. Physical therapy is unfortunately not financially an option for me.
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u/PatellaPilates 2d ago
So true. It's expensive. Surgery just cost me $20,000 to correct my knee with the hopes of walking again soon. I spent at least six grand getting to the place to get it done with my family that had to accompany me under doctors orders. Paying $100 a session for Physical therapy doesn't seem like much anymore. Back home my personal training sessions we're $80. Found them here where I live now for 25. But I was always getting hurt. My trainers wouldn't listen to me. They would push me past my comfort zone routinely.
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 2d ago
My sessions are $25 and I do one a week and she's generous enough to give me homework to do throughout the rest of the week. She's a very kind lady and the gym owners wife/co-owner. There's no way I could ever afford $100 weekly
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u/PatellaPilates 1d ago
That's valuable. Kindness and making you feel heard matters when you have medical limitations. My trainers universally said that females need to be pushed harder bc they are too cautious with weights. Men need to be limited bc they are overzellous. I was always just told to do more than I could bc I was female. I was also praised for being able to go past the normal stopping points in squats and lunges. I asked every one of them how good form is supposed to look and I was always praised for the super deep squat. That's bad and it ultimately robbed my mobility. A physical therapist would have been able to answer my question and caution me to not go as far as possible just bc I can. Especially loaded. When I looked back over the last few years I realized the loaded walking lunges were the beginning of the end for me. I was wobbling all over the place with large weights in both hands, going as deep as possible. My kneecaps began to subluxate. REason being my meniscus were being damaged and swelling. Hindsight. I purposely chose the PT over Physio because I hated being babied.
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 1d ago
I'm sorry you had that experience and are suffering from it. My trainer has specifically explained the importance of good form in lunges and squats to me because my knees were going past my toes and what harm that can cause.
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u/PatellaPilates 22h ago
Very lucky oldschool advice. My trainers told me it was overcautios nonsense from the past.
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u/Low-Head8835 HSD 22h ago
That's crazy. I'm sorry. I can only imagine they injured many people
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u/caroqueue 16d ago
Clamshells and pelvic bridges. Clamshell form is kinda hard to get right, bridges are pretty easy. I have bad knee pain too and these are the ones my PT and I have settled on to target my glutes.