Overextension

While the squeeze itself isn’t bad, the main problem is that it can lead to overextension of the spine. “A squat should finish with your ribs stacked over your hips. Focusing too much on squeezing your glutes can create a pelvic tuck that pushes your hips too far forwards,” explains strength and conditioning coach Pennie Varvarides. That can lead to pain or injury as you’ll be overloading the spine.

Glute engagement

Squeezing muscles, particularly glutes, is commonly described as a way to ‘activate’ or ‘engage’ the tissue. So if you’ve ensured that your squeeze is done safely, without any curl through the spine, can it really focus the tension through your glutes?

Should you squeeze your glutes at the top of exercises like squats and deadlifts?