Pelvic raise: does it work or not?
Is the hip raise a good exercise for the glutes?
This exercise is controversial because many people mistakenly consider it excellent for the glutes. It isn’t! Let’s look at the facts:
Gluteus maximus
The gluteus maximus (the target muscle) is only worked effectively through a large range of motion. The pelvic raise starts with a 135-degree angle between the thigh and torso and ends at 180 degrees—that’s a range of motion of just 45 degrees! In movements such as squats and leg presses, for example, you can achieve a range of motion of up to 135 degrees, or at least three times more!
Lower back activation
The pelvic raise strongly activates the entire lower back musculature, generating an isometric stabilization contraction. This means that when performed consistently, this exercise can help with the highly important task of stabilizing the lower back… See? 👍🏼 It can be very useful!
Posterior pelvic tilt
Many people use or prescribe this exercise for a few reasons, the main one being that the client has no posterior pelvic tilt (the pelvis positioned too far forward) or has an anterior pelvic tilt (the pelvis positioned too far back).
A person in this situation doesn’t have the necessary structure to perform a squat properly and without risk of injury, and if they do squat, it may not produce the desired muscle activation.
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Martial arts athletes
For most people, this exercise may be completely unnecessary, but for a Jiu-Jitsu or MMA athlete, it could win them a championship. The pelvic raise (known as the “upa” in combat sports) helps with explosive movements that require hip elevation, such as escaping from mount, escaping the “100 kilos” position, or even reversing position.
The pelvic raise can help you a lot… But not with your glutes.
Some variations of pelvic tilts are generally recommended to help build lower-back muscle and treat pain.
That’s because this simple exercise focuses on strengthening and stretching the core muscles associated with discomfort in this area. In addition, pelvic tilts are safe for practically anyone, including pregnant women.
When it comes to the glutes, the pelvic raise isn’t the best training option.
Another option is to increase the weight you use when performing specific movements. Just be sure to increase the weight gradually. Make too big a jump too quickly, and you risk injuring yourself.
Ideally, your workout routine for your glutes should build them without creating imbalances in other muscles. This sometimes happens if you’ve already injured a particular area of your body and therefore don’t train it.
