Tight hip flexors, the muscle group on the front of the hips that works in opposition to your glutes, can interfere with your butt muscles engaging. The hip flexors, part of your quad and psoas, are shortened by sitting for long periods of time as well as sleeping in the fetal position. You have to lengthen and loosen your hips before even attempting to fire up your booty. Here's how to do just that.
Roll Out Your Quads
Grab a foam roller — most gyms have them — and roll out your quads. Foam rolling is like a massage; it gets the blood flowing and it preps muscles for stretching.
- Resting on your stomach, place the roller under the front of your thighs, lifting yourself into a basic plank position on your elbows.
- Pull with your arms to roll up and down the length of the quad. Do not roll over your knee joint. It is even more effective to do one leg at a time and to hold the roller in really tight spots.
- Continue this movement for 30 to 60 seconds.
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