isolating gluteus medius

I've got a weak Glute med which is causing me to inward rotate my leg and causes me to get groin injurys. I was told by a S&C coach to stand next to a wall, bring the leg closest to the wall up to right angles and pus against the wall with the outer thigh.

It hits the glute med on both sides (thats what it feels like) and is a basic isometric strengthening exercise. There is another one but I think it would be too difficult to explain. :!:

yep the above is right or an alternative, is called a lying wall angel. you have to ensure your shoulders, heels, pelvis etc are all in contact with the wall. You could also do some 1 leg step lowers. Stand on your weak leg, dorsi flex the opposite foot, and slowly lower into like a 1 leg squat until the heel touches the floor, then push back up. repeat slowly for aroun 10 reps etc. This will work the lateral sling system

Why on earth would anyone want toIsolate their Glute Medius?

Because that along with glute min and piriformis etc is a lateral rotator. If your adductors are in a weak shortened position your abductors will be weak, giving a 1 leg muscular imbalance. Therefore you would stretch your adductors and strengthen your aBDuctors including glute med.

Agree with Mark.

Also glute med exercises are used to improve activation of the muscle. Sometimes these muscles are not functioning properly so need to 'wake' them up. Isolating muscles maybe required to progress movement - followed by integration as part of a kinetic chain.

Another good glute med drill I have some athletes completing is to have a theraband tied around the legs below the knees, tight enough so there is no slack when feet are together. Flex the knees and hips slightly and start to walk sideways with small controlled steps. Hips and shoulders should remain parallel to the floor with only the lower limbs moving. Repeat in both directions. To increase intensity, increase theraband tightness or thickness of band.

Single leg squats are also good. As a drill I will get the athlete to single leg box squat to a height they can decend to without losing joint alignment and maintaining spinal extension. The box height is decreased when an athlete can produce perfect form. If an athlete struggles with single leg squat (even shallow movement), I get them to hold on to a theraband with the opposite hand to the squatting leg which is attached to a stable object (or partner to hold other end). This allows the athlete to have assistance while ascending. Holding the band in the opposite hand helps avoid rotary movement and lateral flexion of trunk. This is a drill and is not used to replace strength exercises.

I have both on video if anyone is interested in the movements.

Also if you get the oppotunity, purchase the 'magnificent mobility' from Eric Cressy and Mike Robertson. There is some good activation exercises for glute med and most other body parts. I highly recommend this dvd.

http://www.magnificentmobility.com/

Shouldn't you check TVA activation first before isolating Glute Med?

Why?

Surely if the Abdominal wall is dysfunctional this will directly affect Pelvic stability. Thus if the Glute Medius is firing correctly or not, this TVA should be address first?

I disagree. Glute med can be weak with no bearing on abdominal/trunk stability and strength. An athlete that runs around a 400m track may have imbalances in glute med but not trunk purely for the continous left bend running.

You can accurately test glute med strength to assess weakness or not activating it properly. I dont believe that isolating testing trunk muscles is necessarily always needed. If you are looking at TVA testing as some research has shown that it 'activates' prior to the movement, then this will need to be tested for every movement. TVA co-contracts.

A dysfunctional abdominal wall may have some effect on pevlic stability but looking solely at TVA will not address the problem.