The Most Powerful Muscles in Walking: Glutes vs Psoas-How to Walk Properly
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- The most powerful muscles in walking: Glutes vs Psoas. In this video I discuss the difference between how we use the glutes when we walk and how we use the psoas. I will focus in on the hip extensor portions of the glutes and compare them with the hip flexor psoas muscle. Both muscles are important in gait, but at different times and in different situations. It is important to understand how to use these muscles, because improper use can lead to a variety of different health conditions.
On level ground, we are not using glute extension significantly. The glutes fire eccentrically during loading response to decelerate the flexion of the forward hip that occurs after heel contact. EMG studies show the glute max stops firing after the forefoot hits the flat position. This means the glutes are not powering the swing through portion of gait. The swing through is powered by the psoas muscle, in conjunction with the other core muscles and muscles in the legs.
The glutes become significantly more active when we begin walking up a slope, even a small one. In this circumstance, the glutes are required on the rear leg to push the body forward during loading response. After the forward foot hits the flat position, we switch to psoas flexion. This pulls the lumbar spine forward, triggering the rise of the body to a standing position on one leg. This movement is aided my the knee extensors and ankle dorsiflexors. The movement pattern here is identical to the movement used during the swing through on level ground. Because of the slope, the movement results only in a standing position, not a full swing through. The glutes must then be reengaged to complete the swing through.
Link to video on The Psoas, the Most Underrated Muscle in Walking
• The Psoas-The Most Ove...
Improper use of the glutes can lead to leaning forward and heavy heel strike. It can also result in an anterior pelvic tilt and exaggerated arch in the lower back. Improper use of the psoas muscle can result in duck foot walking and posterior tilt of the pelvis. To see the full video on psoas function, you can click on this link.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any existing EMG research on the use of the psoas muscle. The core muscles have largely been ignored in research on walking technique.
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Thank you! Such a clear and concise explanation of the role of the psoas and glute during gait. Very helpful anatomy lesson on these two as well.
You're so welcome!
Great video, best explanation I've found so far. I have a lot of knee pain because I'm flat-footed and walking all wrong. How does one train to use the glutes to walk and not the quads? It seems that I used to and then lost the ability or the natural motion a some time ago but I need to learn again to save my knees! Advise would be helpful and if you do have a video on it, a link too if its not too much trouble. Thank you!
The key is learning the proper pattern of movement for each phase of the step. You can find that in most of my videos. You do have to use your quads during the swing phase. I don’t believe in the idea of forgetting how to use the glutes. I think most people are really referring to having an anterior pelvic tilt, which is more from not engaging the lower abs correctly. As I said in this video, your glute max is not active at all during the swing phase , so you should not be trying to use it more.
Omg I'm soooooooooooooo happy to find your content 😭❤
Since I as a Kid I feel like I don't know how to walk, it's not comfortable and it feels unbalanced. Like I'm making a random motion to go forward.
So people say to me "jus get your back straight and contract your belly" but allways seemed incomplete to me, it was not sufficient for me to understand how I should feel my body from the palm of my feet to de top of my head
Walk never was easy task for me 😆 so much components (muscles, bones, motion, breathing and etc) and I never understood how it was so easy to everyone
I am glad you found the channel
Fantastic illustrations!!!🎉
Thank you so much 😀
Very interesting and informative. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful video. I am understanding much more clearly the pulling action. I also feel tremendous activation of my glutes when I “tuck” and pull using my psoas. My proprioception in the hip area is getting very strong. I imagine my coccyx tipping forward as if it is a pencil drawing a line on the ground directly straight in front of me. My heads being pulled up by a balloon creating an extension from the top of my head to that line I am drawing with my coccyx. The torsional rotation happens around this line. This creates a strong root and solid contraction which gives me a strong feeling of stability and balance. I experiment with how much I can contract around this “turn, tuck, lift” moment. It feels wonderful and my butt gets lit up . Each day I feel stronger and more solid. I feel such confidence. It is harder to feel if I walk slower. My daily parc walk is around 4K and lasts around 40 minutes. My stamina is increasing steadily. As I dial in this feeling it becomes more ingrained and let’s me concentrate on other elements of the walking code. I am patiently practicing and studying and so very happy to finally have a functional and, what I believe to be, correct technique.
Thanks again 🙏🏻
I am subscribed but I don’t receive notifications of new videos. No big deal, but is there something else I need to do to stay informed?
Thanks again for the comment, Brian. If you click on the bell, you can select to get notifications for new videos.
I checked my notification center on my iPhone and turned it on after clicking on the bell. Thanks again for your work. I’m looking forward to your next video. I’m really happy to have found your channel and I will keep working on my coordination “ one step at a time “.
What do you advise about the best time to start the Tai-Chi practice? It seems more complex. Should I wait? Where to start. I read the Tai-Chi code that I downloaded and was delighted and a bit overwhelmed 😂
brian can you share any more about your walking? I have always felt like my gait wasn't quite right when walking at a leasurely pace. I have to think about each step and i'm constantly correcting myself and wondering if im doing it right. My goal is harmony throughout the body so i can stay strong and not ever return to my back pain or piriformis/sciatica. Been increasing my daily walks and now im getting a weird pinch that sometimes seems like psoas and other times like piriformis which is odd because theyre on different sides. Any advice on finding my ideal gait would be much appreciated
Thanks for your hard work
My pleasure, John. Thanks for your support
Good day. I have been interested in walking for many years. I am from Europe - the Czech Republic. I realized that walking is related to the psyche of a person with his brain. With his dual hemisphere. A person affects his nervous system and also the duality of the brain by his behavior. This is all related to dynamics and statics - the balance of walking. Everything is governed by the nature of man, good and evil and thoughts. Have you seen a native person with a healthy character and a nice walk? Why does the devil have a round back and short legs in fairy tales? The duality of the brain, each hemisphere controls one half of the body. During walking, it is a redistribution of energy as a whole. Believe that it has a lot to do with a person's nature and love. Anger, fear disrupts the nervous system and walking.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi there! Can you please share more with me? I suffer from my nervous system and I’m very angry, I’m trying to heal. But it’s so difficult!
@ashleyzacahula5235 What additional information are you seeking? There are a lot of videos on the channel to start. Let me know if there is something you haven’t found.
@@ashleyzacahula5235 This channel is useless. You see that people have video instructions, the author even answers, but the effect is zero. All work for nothing only he has views and money. It makes fools of you and doesn't explain the cause of the problems. Walking happens on a subconscious level. The balance of the body determines the balance of the mind! Brain! Hemispheres do it! Equality of hemispheres! Each part controls half of the body! Each hemisphere controls half of the body. I am from the Czech Republic and our method is the best in the world thanks to Dr. Richard smíšek. He calls it spiral stabilization. Check out youtube. And don't listen to fools like the video author! He only has money and does not teach anything.
@@ToddMartinMDseeking information regarding the nervous system and autoimmune disorders
Interesting approach. I also think the psoas (should) take a major role in human locomotion.
I'm really interested in the sprinting motion (acceleration).
I believe that the key to an efficient fast pace is using the psoas and glute together but also to avoid using other muscles like the hamstrings and calvs too much.
My guess is that two jointed muscles like the hamstrings, gastroc and rectus are not thought to create movement/work but rather they transmit the work of the power muscles near the core (glutes, psoas) .
What's your opinion for sprinting.
I believe all of the actions we have control over, that decide what movement we are doing, come from the rotation of the upper and lower waist and powered by the glutes or psoas. The knee and ankle actions from the quads and hamstrings and calves are a reflexive reaction to the core. You don’t have to think about those so you don’t have to try to use them more or less if your core movement is correct.
❤ thank you, Dr. Martin!
You are very welcome
very interesting the role of psoas anatomically explained. it will take some effort to process all the datas. thx for the brain food!
Enjoy your practice.
Another great video and a topic of interest to me (glutes when walking). I am going to have to watch it a few times and also practice it. I am 4 weeks in after ankle fracture surgery and will soon be walking again. Thank you.
Good luck with your recovery.
Exactly what i needed to learn when i were kid , i had plaster in left feet for 21 days when i were less than 1 yr of age . When it was removed my toe finger shrinked as my mom says and look really worst due to low blood circulation, im 25 now , i realised that i were not stepping this leg with pressure and due to this it becomes thinner and light weighted also this leg's feet is small than my right one with uneven toe finger and i can not do anything with this, though i walk normally as people do , but the problem is i do not feel the stretch in my psoas hamstring calf gluets muscels together with this leg . what excercises should i do to make it thicker naturally (as im girl i do not want tight muscels i want soft bulk ) please suggest how can i engage my entire muscels of this leg while walking or doing anything with same pressure as other leg .
Is ut possible to achieve the same strength as my other leg , does the muscels below calfs , ankles archilles tendon grow by certain excercises , pls suggest and make video something for this kind of issue , if you make a suggesting video this will also helps the people who suffers with muscel imbalance or those who have less strength in their leg .. 🙏
Why are there so many influencers and teachers on youtube that are so adamant about walking forefoot and using barefoot shoes and having gluted as the primary driver. None of that feels correct or natural. I am very curious how much glute activation should be felt walking on flat ground. If i walk normally i won't really ever fatigue my glutes unless there's an incline but if i allow a bit more side to side movement of the hip with each step i definitely get more glute contraction due to the glute medius bringing you back to neutral and it seems to help activate glute max more as well. How much hip sway should we have before it becomes detrimental to other structures? Trying to figure out my random piriformis/deep glute pinchy feeling i get sometimes when stepping
The forefoot proponents all seem to be people who have person pain problems that I believe are related to the way they were heel striking. Mark from Grown and Healthy has mentioned his past problems. I guess psychologically it would be easier for some to imagine every one in the wild is walking incorrectly as the reason, not that they were walking incorrectly. I did debate Mark, if you haven’t seen it. The one time I saw Bob from Bob and Brad take more than a couple steps on camera, he is terribly duck footed. The glute issue is also weird, especially since emg studies show there is no glute firing during swing through on level ground. Their argument always seems to be “the glutes are very strong, so we should use them for everything.” You shouldn’t feel much glute max on level ground, although it does help cushion the landing between heel contact and foot flat. You will feel your glute medius when on one leg. Sway should be minimal.
Dr., never heard of (extensor fibers}, good to know!
what are you talking about? I am talking about the extensor fibers.
What's your thoughts on landing on the heel instead of the forefoot?
We should be landing on the heel. I have many videos on the channel discussing this, including a debate with Grown and Healthy, so I would check those out.
@@ToddMartinMD I feel more activation of my glutes when I land on my forefoot also I feel safer navigating through Guineas rough streets. I also notice the people here (native Africans) walk forefoot to heel and their glutes are huge.
@@4lov3r101 What is the point of feeling more activation in the glutes. I feel more activation in my glutes when doing a squat. That doesn't mean we should walk by squatting. Feeling more muscle exertion doing the walk actually means you are doing it in a less efficient way. I know Grown and Healthy and Bob and Brad make this assertion, but it is actually an irrelevant point. The primary purpose of walking is not to get glute exercise. The idea that a certain method of walking is better because it uses more glutes is nonsense. Anytime you walk or even stand with your knees more flexed, you will require more glute to hold the body up because you are not using the natural structure. Even if you walk heel first, but flex your knees more, you will feel your glutes more. It is not relevant. If you feel unsafe landing on your heel, that means you must have an issue with the way you walk. There is nothing unsteady about landing on the heel, and it is how nearly every person in the world walks. Of course, you can walk however you feel comfortable.
@@ToddMartinMD in the art of debate.. the first person to insult the others opinion or theory has already lost the debate. How many different countries have you observed Doctor? Respectfully.
@@ToddMartinMD I'm also vetting your information because I need to make sure walking correctly so please don't take it as if I'm being argumentative just because I have the free time. I'm genuinely concerned. I have another question. With muscle anatomy which I'm sure your very proficient in because I've watched your videos. Would you agree or disagree that larger muscles were designed to work harder or carry more load then smaller muscles? That smaller muscles were intended to aid the larger muscles?
Ty!
You’re welcome
In Japan they use the Ahh Soas muscles.
I found that my glutes get full workout and tired walking up slopes especially if muddy, or grassy, doing low footsteps
Slopes are definitely the best for the glutes. The glute max doesn't get much work on level ground.
I know it's off topic but would you say some people are just born not flexible? Never could touch my toes
Definitely. Some people are born that way. But it can be trained. I just noticed the auto-correct problem.
Way over most people’s heads, unfortunately.
No doubt. The target audience for this is rather narrow.
If you care or rather need to understand, it is not that hard to follow. In short, if you are motivated to learn something, you will learn something. Cheers.