Human movement sciences - kinesiology

Question

What are some over or under active muscle compensations you would see with someone doing a hip glute raise? And why?

Answer 1

If a person is just performing a hip glute raise once it would not be expected that a compensation pattern would develop. Compensation patterns will usually develop over time as your body is placed in the same position over and over and it starts to adjust and make changes in order to keep gravitational forces equal. In the hip glute raise the gluteal muscles contract to put the pelvis into a posterior tilt. This causes the anterior hip flexors to relax. At the same time the hamstrings contract as the knees remain bent and the hips extend. The lower back muscle also contract as the back is placed in extension. The quadriceps and abdominals will relax in opposition. Since most movement patterns of daily activities require flexion of the hips, core, and back, we should work on strengthening the posterior muscles in order to keep balance of strength and avoid compensation patterns such as upper and lower cross syndrome.