I know that you know...

and probably understand how I feel about clamshells.

They are legion on the interwebs. You've probably been told that simply because you're a runner, you automatically have weak glutes and you need to do clamshells. Stat. Especially before your run as part of your warm up.

ok, maybe half true.

I can definitely say that even as a PT-student during my last clinical rotation, I was told this. Not the clamshell part, though, thank the running gods.

But recently I've been seeing a continuation of running form guru videos and the gradual re-emergence of "you need to activate and warm up your glutes before your run"...

Ok, buckle up. Here's the thing.

Strength training is what builds stronger glutes. Hands down. 100% of the time. You need consistency (2x a week) and progressive overload (gradually lifting heavier weights)

However...

I do understand when you all tell me "I can't get them to work. I can't tell if these glute warm up exercises are helping but I'm too nervous to NOT do them..."

A lot of times this described sensation is more due to poor or affected neuromuscular coordination, or maybe more easily understood as a mind-muscle connection.

No, neuromotor control is NOT going to feel like a major glute contraction.

But when you go through a 20minute glute warm up before your runs, this is effectively what you're attempting to train: neuromotor connection, control, or activation. Not necessarily "strong glutes".

The difference is like turning up the volume on your glutes.

• Strength training with a heavy squat: turn up the BASS!!!
• More neuromotor control based exercises: more like turning up the volume from 1 to 50.

So what I've done with this week's blog post is I've tackled 3 different insanely common, viral exercises that have been recommended ad nausuem to runners to "fix" their weak glute problem and include in their pre-run warm up circuit.

What I've come up with instead, are corrective exercises that I either do myself, or have given to other runners or patients to do before their run so that they can do their workout with less or no pain.

Interested? I'll drop it below so you can check it out. As always, if you like an exercise, use it! If you love your clamshells and you have the best runs of your life after you do them, then please keep doing them!

I'll see you over there ;)

Dare to Train Differently,

Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit

P.S. Hot Take: I don't think your running warm up should always take 20 mins. Especially if it's all about glutes. This week's blog is me tackling viral "weak glute" exercises and which one's I'd personally use instead.

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