Oh my God Becky. Look at her butt. It’s dead. She has dead butt syndrome.
Maybe we can help her.
Is this you? Do you suffer from DBS?
If a booty can die, maybe we can revive it. We have 3 options:
- Call 1-900-Mix-Alot (90’s kids know)
- Learn to engage your glutes via exercise
- It’s a surprise- scroll to the bottom to find out
What causes DBS?
A few weeks ago I wrote about Bill Gates ideal employee: a lazy person. Why? Because Lazy people find the most efficient way to do things. Efficiency leads to profitability.
Your brain/body are like that. Efficient with a touch of lazy. If you do not use a specific muscle your brain/body conveniently forget how to use it and dedicate that brain space to something more profitable.
If you never use your rear end muscles…
Then why would the brain prioritize their strength?
So if you sit too much and don’t use your glutes, or if they are injured and you can’t use them, then you get something called sensory motor amnesia. Your brain forgets how to move the unused muscles. Other muscles take over (synergistic dominance) and you end up with DBS (and some problematic gait issues).
Luckily there’s plenty you can do to re-activate your glutes and put some junk in your trunk. Here’s a mini buns of Steele class for that A**. Four exercises you can do any time, and any where that will turn on your glutes.
Bridge Pose
Bridge pose- Lie on your back. Lift your hips. Squeeze your glutes. This pose is basically the exact opposite of sitting. Your glutes are engaged and your hips are open. Do you sit every day? Good. Do this every day as well.
Single Leg Bridge
Bridging may be a little too boring. Try the Single Leg bridge. 85% of adults experience low back pain. These two exercises are a safe warm up for the back, demand you activate your glutes, and are staples to any warm up sequence I do.
Bird Dogs
Bird Dog- Your glutes are responsible for extending your leg behind you (propelling your forward). There are many different versions of this one so check out the video for some options. Basically you start on all fours, squeeze your glutes, and kick your legs behind you. This is a simple/safe exercise that engages the glutes and lower back. Another staple of my warm ups.
Side Note- If your glutes extend your leg behind you, and the motor on a treadmill does that for you, then we can conclude that while the treadmill doesn’t cause DBS it certainly doesn’t help.
Squats
And finally the exercise that if done properly will give any persistent gym goer a booty: The squat. I don’t recommend doing heavy squats every day, but bodyweight squats and goblet squats can be done several times a week.
Barbell squats are the fastest way to create strength and muscle mass in your booty, but let’s face it, not everyone likes to put a heavy bar across their back. If you love your barbell squats get on it. Don’t love it- stick with the bodyweight version. I did bodyweight squats daily for a month and had to stop because none of my jeans fit.
Mystery Option
And finally the mystery option: You can work with a trainer. We have a few here at Fitwho know how to progress you from engaging the glutes, to doing heavy barbell squats if that’s what moves you.
There are hundreds (thousands?) of songs about rear ends, but never the dead/flat/nonexistent kind. We work out so we can feel good and look better naked, amiright?
There are hundreds (thousands?) of songs about rear ends; but never the dead/flat/nonexistent kind. You’re not stuck like this. With the right guidance anyone can grow a firm backside.
And who knows, maybe they’ll write a song about you.