Glute pain from overuse

Glute pain from overuse: what causes it?

Glute pain from overuse is pain and stiffness in the gluteal muscles that develops when the training load is greater than the muscle’s capacity to recover. The buttock region consists of three important muscles. The gluteus maximus is the large, powerful muscle that extends your hip when getting up, climbing stairs and sprinting. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus lie at the side and keep your pelvis stable when you stand on one leg, walk or run.

Overload often develops through a rapid increase in volume, intensity or frequency. For example, by going from two to five training sessions a week, lifting heavier with poorer technique or suddenly running a lot of hills. Too little sleep, insufficient food and few rest days reduce the capacity to recover. A stiff hip or a weak trunk can also cause the glutes to do more work than necessary.

Muscle soreness, overload or a strain?

Not every pain in the buttock after sport is the same:

• Muscle soreness after training: a normal reaction to a new or heavy stimulus. The pain peaks after 24 to 72 hours and disappears within a few days.
• Overloaded muscle: the pain lingers for longer than a week or returns with every workout, often with hard, tender spots (trigger points) in the muscle.
• Strain or small muscle tear: a sudden, sharp pain during an explosive movement, such as a sprint or a heavy lift.
• Tendon irritation at the side: gradually developing pain at the attachment of the gluteus medius and minimus on the outside of the hip, often worse when lying on that side.

Common symptoms of overloaded glutes

Are you active and do you recognise these symptoms? Then have them assessed before a minor complaint becomes a long-term injury.

• A nagging, tired or pulling pain in the buttock after training.
• Stiffness when getting up after sitting or the morning after a workout.
• Pain during squats, lunges, hip thrusts or climbing stairs.
• Hard, tender knots in the gluteal muscles that you can feel.
• Pain radiating to the side of the hip or the back of the thigh.
• Less strength or explosiveness when sprinting and jumping.

Overloaded glutes are annoying, but rarely dangerous. Do contact your GP straight away if you have a fever with a red, warm swelling in the buttock, numbness or loss of strength in your leg, or extensive bruising after a sudden tear during sport. Numbness in the saddle area or problems holding urine or stools are a reason to call 112 straight away.

Training mistakes that overload the glutes

In athletes, we see the same patterns again and again. Programmes aimed at bigger or rounder glutes often contain a lot of volume for the gluteal muscles, with several heavy sessions a week. Without enough rest between those sessions, the muscle becomes overloaded. A poor hip hinge during deadlifts, a pelvis that drops during lunges and an exaggerated hollow back during hip thrusts also shift the load to places that are not prepared for it. In runners, building up hill or interval training too quickly often plays a part.

How De Fysio Man helps with overloaded glutes

We combine recovery of the muscle with a smartly adjusted training schedule, so you do not have to stop completely.

Recovery and muscle treatment

• An analysis of your training schedule, volume and recovery moments.
• Connective tissue massage and deep tissue techniques for tense glutes.
• Dry needling or trigger point therapy for stubborn knots in the gluteus medius and minimus.
• Mobility exercises for the hip, lower back and pelvis.
• Technique coaching for squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts and lunges.
• Advice on sleep, nutrition and rest days for better recovery.

Rebuilding your training schedule

We temporarily reduce the volume, without stopping your training completely. We then build up again in small steps, with lighter weeks in between. You learn which signals indicate that your muscle is not yet ready for more load, so you can adjust yourself.

Glute pain, piriformis syndrome and sit bone pain

Overload of the glutes can also affect deeper muscles and tendons. If a small hip rotator deep in the buttock becomes overloaded and presses on the sciatic nerve, we speak of piriformis syndrome. If the pain is located on the bone you sit on, it is often sit bone pain from an overloaded hamstring tendon. On the page about buttock complaints, you can read more about the different causes.

Keep training without setbacks

The best prevention is a gradual build-up. Increase your training volume by no more than ten percent a week and plan a lighter week every four to six weeks. Train the glutes heavily on a maximum of two to three days a week, with at least one rest day in between. Start every session with a warm-up for the hips and trunk and always choose technique over weight. This keeps your glutes strong and resilient.

How we work at De Fysio Man

1. Intake and training analysis

We go through your training schedule of the past weeks and look for peaks in load. We then test the strength of your glutes, your hip mobility and your technique during squats and the hip hinge.

2. Tailored treatment plan

You receive an adjusted schedule with muscle treatment, recovery moments and exercises you can do alongside your own training.

3. Back in the gym stronger

We build your volume and weights up to your level from before the symptoms, and give you tools to dose your schedule yourself in the future.