Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius

⚙️ The Setup:

Gear: Use a firm massage ball (lacrosse ball or similar).

Starting Position:

For Gluteus Maximus (Part 1): Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet flat.

For Gluteus Medius (Part 2): Lie on your side, propped up on your elbow.

Control: Use your hands/forearms and feet/non-rolling leg to control the amount of weight you place on the ball.

🧱 Part 1: Gluteus Maximus (The Big Muscle):

1. Sit and Sink

Placement: Place the ball under one buttock, right in the center of the fleshy part.

Pressure: Lean your weight onto that side. You can lift your feet slightly if you need more pressure, or keep them flat on the floor to better control the weight.

Locate: Roll around gently to find a tender spot.

2. The "Clamshell" (Pin & Move)

Once you find a tight spot, keep the ball perfectly still.

Rotate: Let your knee on that side fall outward (external rotation/open), then pull it back inward (internal rotation/closed).

This rotating motion gently grinds the muscle fibers across the ball.

3. The Figure-4 (Deep Release)

Optional but Powerful: Cross the ankle of the leg you are rolling over the opposite knee (into a figure-4 position).

This stretches the glute muscle tight over the ball, allowing you to dig much deeper into the tissue.

⛰️ Part 2: Gluteus Medius (The Side Muscle)

This muscle is higher up, on the side of your hip, and is key for pelvic stabilization during walking.

1. Find the "Side Pocket" Position: Turn onto your side and prop yourself up. Placement: Place the ball on the fleshy area below your belt line but above the bony protrusion of your hip thigh bone (greater trochanter).

⚠️ Warning: Do not roll directly on the hip bone protrusion. Stay in the soft tissue just above and behind it.

2. The "Side Lift" (Active Release): Lie on your side with the ball pinned under that "side pocket" spot. Keep your bottom leg straight or slightly bent for balance. Lift: Slowly lift your top leg up toward the ceiling. Lower: Slowly lower it back down.

Repeat: This forces the Gluteus Medius to contract and relax directly under the pressure of the ball.

3. The "Shimmy" (Cross-Friction)

If lifting the leg is too painful, simply rock your hips slightly forward and backward (like you are slightly rolling over in bed and rolling back).

This cross-friction is excellent for the tissue along the top ridge of the hip bone (iliac crest).

⚠️ Quick Tip: The Sciatic Nerve Warning

If you are rolling the Gluteus Maximus (the big buttock muscle) and feel a sharp, shooting electric shock or tingling down your leg, you have hit the Sciatic Nerve.

Correction: Move the ball immediately. Usually, shifting it slightly outward (toward the hip bone) is safer than being deep in the center.