The effects of standing gluteal squeezes on gluteal strength, power, endurance, and girth

Abstract

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Hip weakness can result in low back pain and lower extremity pathologies. The purpose of this study is to determine if eight weeks of standing gluteal squeezes, a simple and convenient exercise, provides statistically significant increases in gluteal strength, power, endurance, and girth. METHODS: Gluteal strength measurements were obtained using hand-held dynamometry. Subjects' prone hip extension and side-lying hip abduction strength were tested. Gluteal endurance was measured using a timed single-leg bridge. A five-time sit-to-stand (STS) test was performed to evaluate lower extremity power. Lastly, girth measurements were taken at the greatest gluteal circumference. The squeeze group was instructed to perform 150 standing gluteal squeezes per day for eight weeks. All subjects returned after eight weeks for post-intervention measurements. RESULTS: Subjects in the squeeze group demonstrated statistically significant (p <?0.05) increases in hip extension strength (10.38 kg increase, p < 0.012), gluteal endurance (an increase of 20.56 seconds, p < 0.018), lower extremity power (improvement of 0.79 seconds during the STS test, p < 0.001), and gluteal girth (1.37 cm increase, p < 0.007). However, none of these changes were statistically different from those in the control group which also improved on all outcomes, but only demonstrated statistically significant improvement in hip extension strength and STS scores. The reliability of all outcome measurements was high (ICC = 0.96). CONCLUSION: Subjects who performed standing gluteal squeezes during the eight-week intervention produced statistically significant improvements in hip extension strength, gluteal endurance, lower extremity power, and gluteal girth. Limitations of this study include a control group that also improved on all outcome scores which did not differ statistically from those of the intervention group, despite showing smaller improvements that may be less clinically significant.