Leaking when laughing? Maybe not now…

Are you doing heavy glute training — either heavy squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, and similar movements? I have been a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor for a number of years and I can tell you with certainty that if you are not training the opposing muscles just as hard, you create muscular imbalances that can lead to problems years later.

We have seen this kind of training pattern before. In the 1980s it was the high-impact and step aerobics era, which overdeveloped the quadriceps and calves while leaving the posterior chain and core underdeveloped, resulting in lasting knee and shin issues. In the early 2000s, it was the crunch phase, and nearly everyone knew someone who had one of those ab rollers.  The problem was that they overworked front of the body core while neglecting the back of the body extensors and glutes. This led to neck, back, and postural problems.

Don’t get me wrong, strong glutes are unquestionably beneficial, and I train them 3 times a week.  They improve your posture, protect the lower back, and of course support long-term bone density. But, when you load heavy, without including the opposing muscles, and the rest of the body, you get muscular imbalances.

The most common imbalance is pelvic-floor dysfunction. The build-up of abdominal pressure when lifting heavy loads such as (2) 45-pound plates in addition to incorrect form (whether that is alignment, rep speed, or something else) sets you up for this. And if you don’t train core as hard as you train glutes, then muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel can weaken. This will not happen right away, but when it does, it frequently leads to stress urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, or other issues in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, especially after pregnancy or menopause.

Oh, and that’s not all……

Other long-term risks include chronic lower-back strain or disc degeneration from an overdeveloped posterior chain paired with an under-supported core, knee injuries, hip labral tears or stress fractures.

If you feel any of these symptoms, take a rest from the heavy loading:

• A deep, achy pain in your hip, right where the tendon attaches
• Stiffness after sitting or first thing in the morning
• Pain that gets worse with loading (stairs, lunges, bridges) but may feel better once warmed up
• Sometimes a “creaky” or “grindy” sensation

So ladies, if any of this resonates with you, remember to practice balanced training rather than isolated maximal loading. Progress slowly, master proper breathing and bracing techniques, strengthen the entire kinetic Train with wisdom and patience — the results will last.

❤️

Everything in balance