Day Three Glutes - The Big Debate

I am reading about glute free backbends via yoga journal (our homework) while I am simultaneously making egg muffins (see post on what I am eating during training). I couldn't be happier as I am laughing while I learn very insightful information. The non-activation of my glutes has been one of the largest points of debate regarding protecting / curing my lower back pain. This article was so insightful and I am definitely in the gripper camp.

Gripper Camp: teachers who urge their students to contract their gluteals as hard as they can during backbends. Love this, they say that the soft pedalers who believe their students should always keep muscles completely relaxed in backbends only refer to the small % of an elite minority of freakishly flexible people. Shouldn't Joe Yogi have the right to tighten his buttocks if it gives him a fighting chance of extending his hips and saving his back? - hilarious! I will continue to tighten my buttocks!

As the Grippers and soft pedalers were about to come to blows over this issue the peacemakers stepped in. You can contract the gluteal muscles in backbends without allowing the thighs to fly outwards. They came up with a three part method which can be read in the below article. Therefore giving Joe Yogi the benefits of these powerful muscles without the downside.

http://www.yogajournal.com/article/practice-section/the-max-factor/

#lovingyogatraining

NOTE* Any informational text is credited to yoga journal's article in link above.