“If it looks right, it flies right!”

I once heard an interesting comment from Yusuf Omar, a colleague from York University and one of the technical consultants for my book The Elite Trainer. He said, “An athlete’s glutes should look like half a Calabrese bread standing upright!” Yusuf has worked with Ben Johnson and other elite athletes over the years—he knows that well-developed glutes are key to athletic success.

Another expert on the subject is Charlie Francis, Ben Johnson’s former coach and one of the sharpest minds in the field. On page 53 of his book Training for Speed, Francis states:

A pronounced gluteal fold gives clear evidence that the athlete is not well trained in the key hamstring (rear thigh) function of hip extension—remember, this is the primary source of imparting force against the ground during a stride.

In other words, if there’s an indentation at the gluteal-hamstring junction, further glute development is needed. The solution? Hip extension work: squats, deadlifts, power cleans, reverse hypers, glute pull-throughs, good mornings, swings, lunges, high step-ups, and more. Over time, the goal is to “fill” the indentation so that the hamstrings seamlessly flow into the glutes—a sign of strong hip extension capability, according to Francis.

Bottom line: Next time you see Calabrese bread on the table, think about your glutes!