Virabhadrasana III Warrior Pose III, with squats
All of the gluteals must work to perform this movement—the “deep six”
external rotators keep each side of the pelvis stable in spite of the different
actions in each hip, and the larger gluteals add additional support for the
hips. This move forces your buttock muscles to shore up their connection
from the thighs through to the lower back to keep the hips and spine stable.
HOW TO From High Lunge with your left foot in front, stretch your arms
forward, parallel to your mat and to each other, palms facing one another.
As you exhale, press the left thighbone back and the left heel actively into the
floor; straighten your left leg and lift the back leg to come into Warrior III. Keep
your pelvis level as you bend your left knee slightly (shown), then straighten it.
Repeat 6–8 times without letting the spine, shoulders, or pelvis change their
relationship to one another. If you can’t balance, place your fingers on a wall
and allow them to slide up and down as you move. Repeat on the other side.Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Bridge Pose, variation
This pose is exactly the opposite of sitting: It places the hips into extension
and strengthens all of the deep and larger buttock muscles. What’s more,
this posture also helps you figure out which side of your glutes is stronger.
The more you practice it, the better each buttock will become at support-
ing its counterpart.
HOW TO Rest on the ground with your arms on the floor. Unlike the clas-
sic version of Bridge, keep your arms and shoulders passive so that they
don’t compensate for your gluteal strength. Place your feet parallel to each
other and a few inches from your butt so that when you lift up, your shins
are perpendicular to the floor. Activate all of your deep-core muscles at
once to keep the natural curves in your spine intact. Then, activate your
glutes and raise your pelvis off the floor without allowing your lumbar to
curve into a backbend. The key is to reach full extension, creating a diago-
nal line from your shoulders to your knees, without feeling any discomfortSalabhasana Locust Pose, with block between legs
Salabhasana will mostly target your gluteus maximus by tasking it to lift each
hip, thigh, lower leg, ankle, and foot against gravity. This pose also helps you
determine whether your gluteals are strong enough to lift your lower body.
(For optimal health, your tush should be able to carry you.) If your gluteals
“fail,” you’ll likely feel this in your lower back, which can lead to back pain.
HOW TO Rest on your abdomen with a block between your thighs, and
stretch your arms out in front of you with your palms facing one another. Acti-
vate your abdominal muscles and inner thighs. Posteriorly tilt (tuck) your tail-
bone by contracting your buttocks and raise your legs off the floor. This action(^4) poses to put your rear in high gear
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yogajournal.com
ANATOMY
practice well
OUR PROS Writer Jill Miller is the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness Worldwide and author of The Roll Model. She has presented case studies at the Fascia Research
Congress and the International Symposium of Yoga Therapists, and she teaches at fitness and yoga conferences worldwide. Learn more at yogatuneup.com.
Model Chelsea Jackson Roberts, PhD, is an Atlanta-based yoga teacher. She founded chelsealovesyoga.com, a platform for discussion on yoga, race, and diversity.
in your back. If you feel a pinching sensation or any soreness in your
lower back, reinforce the tension in your abdominals and gluteals and
lower your hips until you find an angle that works. Lift your left foot off
the ground 1 inch and hold the pose for 4–8 breaths without any waver-
ing or collapsing in your pelvis/hips. (If this is too much, just lift your
heel.) Switch sides. Then lie flat on your back to rest. Repeat for a total
of 3 complete rounds.
will minimize any compression in your lower back. Activate your back
muscles and raise your upper body and arms off the floor. Maintain all
of this while breathing into your rib cage for 6–8 breaths. Return to the
starting position, rest, and repeat 3 more times.