Tips for activating glutes on the bike

Strength
#1

Hi,

I’ve been reading and hearing a lot about Glutes activating and helping on the bike. I was wondering are there any specific exercises so that I consciously activate them whilst on the bike? Am currently also doing strength on the Gym regularly with exercises focused on strengthening my core and helping me better stabilize hips (squats, lounges, stepups…) I saw already improvements on the bike, but I was wondering if there’s a way to “teach” my body to use the glutes on the bike.

Thank you in advice,
JC

#2

Have you done ‘elements of style’? I could certainly feel my glutes activating on the climbing portion! May also be worth checking the bike fit, if that’s off then you won’t be in the right position for them to provide much added impetus.

#3

Yeah, EOS was my 1st Sufferfest video! :slight_smile: I do feel them and when tired or intense efforts sometimes i even try to do a “systems check” regularly.

#4

I go to pilates classes every week.Whenever we do an exercise for glutei, I always feel it in my quads while my glutes remain soft.Same with EOS standing drills, my quads seem to take the whole load and then go bang.

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#5

Replying to myself, i googled and read around about this topic since it interested me and wanted to share a good article here and a video here, i believe it’s worth a watch!, please don’t hate me i found it on another trainer platform, but I’m sufferlandrian 100%! :wink:

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#6

Our SUF Strength program will also activate your glutes.

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#7

In my training, I’ve found that rotating the pelvis is the key for my glutes to be engaged during cycling.
Though Im sure you already know that tip from EOS!

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#8

How do I know if my glutes are engaged? Yesterday I did one of the hardest 30 minute climbs I’ve ever done. Yesterday I could feel my abs and today and my abs are definitely sore. I’ve never had that happen to me before. I’ve really back off on my running in the past couple months, so I’m wondering if it was caused by the climbing or by lack of running or both. Would be nice to use my glutes to ride with instead of my abs. lol.

#9

To address glutes on the bike, get out of the saddle. Accelerate, sprint or do an uphill surge.

Similarly, low cadence, high resistance pedalling out of the saddle will have the same effect.

Interestingly, there’s another current topic on saddle drop (link) where I mentioned a bike fit. A bad bike fit - or complete lack thereof - can also be bad for your glutes.

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#10

@emacdoug,
Your core stabilizes you on the bike and not directly involved in the pedaling motion. Engaging in a strength and mobility plan will increase your core strength as well as the glutes.

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#11

What’s interesting is I’ve never had this experience with all the times I’ve done G.O.A.T. which I also did last week without any problems and has never caused me any back or abs soreness… I also did Getting Away With It yesterday before the long climb. So, maybe it’s just overuse fatigue from more time standing and climbing that I’m used to.

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#12

Thanks!

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#13

Thanks everyone for your inputs!

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#14

@JC2020

Another thing that helps is to complete Pre Ride activation in the yoga sessions just before riding … gets the glutes firing before you get on.

I’m with you on the ‘how to tell it’s actually happening though’ thing.

I just do the pre yoga and hope for the best.
If I’ve just done one of the STR sessions (eg before power station) then I don’t do the yoga as the STR sessions do it more …

3 Likes
#15

Hi,

I have the same issues an couchalandria button (glutes)
Wondering if adding cadence build drill at the begin of a session in the warm up could help and at the end to help on getting the fire sequence correctly?

Thanks

#16

Small update here, having had integrated strength training at the gym with focus on core and involving lots of squats and variations, my MAP has gone UP and I have noticed that nowadays my glutes are “firing up”.
I did TEAM SCREAM a few days ago and for the first time ever, by the end, my Glute muscles were hurting from the effort! So I guess they’re finally contributing! :smiley:

#17

I think this is true, along with engaging your core more generally. Having your saddle high enough is an important factor, too—before I had a bike fit mine used to be too low, and my quads did most of the work.

#18

Try It Seemed Like Thin Air. At about the two hour mark I really notice the gluteal activation :crazy_face: