Your butt is the biggest and most important muscle you have, but your glutes can get a case of the lazies, forgetting to "activate" or "turn on" sufficiently during everyday tasks or workouts, says certified strength and conditioning specialist Bret Contreras, coauthor of Strong Curves: A Woman's Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body. There's a textbook term for this phenomenon—gluteal amnesia—and it could be dragging you (and your fitness goals) down. After all, your rear assists in every type of motion: running, jumping, lifting, you name it.
Making a few simple adjustments to your strength-training routine can score you a better backside burn, ASAP.