ISSA: Foundations of Glute Training
UPDATED ACTUAL Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Describe inactive glutes and how this dysfunction contributes to other glute and hip
dysfunctions: - CORRECT ANSWER - Glute inactivity is defined as your glutes not being
activated during movement. When glutes are unable to activate properly during movements, this
can lead to the overactivity of other muscles. This is known as synergistic dominance. During
movements like the hip extension, hip flexors, hamstrings, and adductors can become overactive
and lead to overdevelopment in many cases. This will result in glute weakness unless you work
on flexibility and myofascial release protocols. There can also be lower back pain because the
muscles of the lower back can assume the work of inactive glutes.
Define lower cross syndrome and its effect on body structure: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Explain the causes and symptoms of hip flexor dysfunction: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Define reciprocal inhibition: - CORRECT ANSWER - A reflex of the nervous system
inhibiting the opposing muscles during movement.
Define Sherrington's Law of Reciprocal Inhibition: - CORRECT ANSWER - A muscle that
contracts, there will be an opposite that is relaxing. Agonist (prime mover) and antagonist.
What is a result of a tight prime mover (agonist)? - CORRECT ANSWER - Decrease in neural
drive - the transformation of neural communication to a motor neuron to generate muscle
contraction - to the opposing (antagonist) muscle. An example would be developing tight hip
flexors that result in impaired neural control of glute musculature.
Describe how knee pain develops as a result of inactive glutes: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Knee valgus: knees cave in toward the midline (anime girl legs)
Knee vargus: knee moves to the outside
, These two are some examples of how you can tell someone has weak and inactive glutes. With
knee valgus, you can tell that the glutes are inactive and are unable to control femur rotation,
leading to the adductors to become overactive.
List other factors that contribute to how glutes are unable to activate and contract: - CORRECT
ANSWER - -Piriformis syndrome (piriformis muscle in the buttocks spasms and causes pain
to that region)
-Dysfunction of the hip flexors
-Iliotibial band (IT) band syndrome (connective tissue rubs against the thigh bone)
-Pelvic tilt (one side of the hip is elevated higher than the other)
-Asymmetrical weight shifting
Describe piriformis syndrome: - CORRECT ANSWER - The small, flat, band-like muscle that
lies behind the hips and its origin is sacrum while its insertion is the trochanter (top of the
femur).
What are causes of piriformis syndrome? - CORRECT ANSWER - The main cause of this can
be a result of tight hip flexors. The reason being: tight hip flexors cause the gluteus maximus to
become inhibited. And when the gluteus maximus isn't active, another muscle has to take over,
which is the piriformis muscle. And since this muscle is so small, it is going to become
overactive and spasm because it is not meant for the kind of work the gluteus maximus does (it
being the largest muscle in the body). Then the sciatic nerve (lies right under the piriformis
muscle) is compressed which will lead to pain, numbness, and tingling sensations. It is important
to do hip flexor and piriformis flexibility exercise to ease off the pain.
What are some ways to calm overactive hip flexors? - CORRECT ANSWER - Stretches and
foam rolling techniques of the quads, tensor fasciae latae (TFL), and IT (iliotibial) band.
What athletes are most at risk of developing piriformis syndrome, and why? - CORRECT
ANSWER - -Soccer players
-Track and field athletes
-Runners
UPDATED ACTUAL Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Describe inactive glutes and how this dysfunction contributes to other glute and hip
dysfunctions: - CORRECT ANSWER - Glute inactivity is defined as your glutes not being
activated during movement. When glutes are unable to activate properly during movements, this
can lead to the overactivity of other muscles. This is known as synergistic dominance. During
movements like the hip extension, hip flexors, hamstrings, and adductors can become overactive
and lead to overdevelopment in many cases. This will result in glute weakness unless you work
on flexibility and myofascial release protocols. There can also be lower back pain because the
muscles of the lower back can assume the work of inactive glutes.
Define lower cross syndrome and its effect on body structure: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Explain the causes and symptoms of hip flexor dysfunction: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Define reciprocal inhibition: - CORRECT ANSWER - A reflex of the nervous system
inhibiting the opposing muscles during movement.
Define Sherrington's Law of Reciprocal Inhibition: - CORRECT ANSWER - A muscle that
contracts, there will be an opposite that is relaxing. Agonist (prime mover) and antagonist.
What is a result of a tight prime mover (agonist)? - CORRECT ANSWER - Decrease in neural
drive - the transformation of neural communication to a motor neuron to generate muscle
contraction - to the opposing (antagonist) muscle. An example would be developing tight hip
flexors that result in impaired neural control of glute musculature.
Describe how knee pain develops as a result of inactive glutes: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Knee valgus: knees cave in toward the midline (anime girl legs)
Knee vargus: knee moves to the outside
, These two are some examples of how you can tell someone has weak and inactive glutes. With
knee valgus, you can tell that the glutes are inactive and are unable to control femur rotation,
leading to the adductors to become overactive.
List other factors that contribute to how glutes are unable to activate and contract: - CORRECT
ANSWER - -Piriformis syndrome (piriformis muscle in the buttocks spasms and causes pain
to that region)
-Dysfunction of the hip flexors
-Iliotibial band (IT) band syndrome (connective tissue rubs against the thigh bone)
-Pelvic tilt (one side of the hip is elevated higher than the other)
-Asymmetrical weight shifting
Describe piriformis syndrome: - CORRECT ANSWER - The small, flat, band-like muscle that
lies behind the hips and its origin is sacrum while its insertion is the trochanter (top of the
femur).
What are causes of piriformis syndrome? - CORRECT ANSWER - The main cause of this can
be a result of tight hip flexors. The reason being: tight hip flexors cause the gluteus maximus to
become inhibited. And when the gluteus maximus isn't active, another muscle has to take over,
which is the piriformis muscle. And since this muscle is so small, it is going to become
overactive and spasm because it is not meant for the kind of work the gluteus maximus does (it
being the largest muscle in the body). Then the sciatic nerve (lies right under the piriformis
muscle) is compressed which will lead to pain, numbness, and tingling sensations. It is important
to do hip flexor and piriformis flexibility exercise to ease off the pain.
What are some ways to calm overactive hip flexors? - CORRECT ANSWER - Stretches and
foam rolling techniques of the quads, tensor fasciae latae (TFL), and IT (iliotibial) band.
What athletes are most at risk of developing piriformis syndrome, and why? - CORRECT
ANSWER - -Soccer players
-Track and field athletes
-Runners
