The most feared of all the Roman emperors? Not really! The gluteus maximus (Latin- largest of the buttock) is the muscle mass making up most of the buttocks. Contrary to popular opinion, we do not sit on these muscles, because they move aside laterally as we sit. Actually, we sit on our pelvic bones protected with overlying fat, connective tissue and a cushioning bursa.
Although the gluteus maximus is a powerful extensor of the hip (pulling the leg back behind us), it is not much used in walking, but in movements requiring great strength. For example, when we walk upstairs, with each step the gluteus maximus must lift up our entire body weight. Also, the gluteus maximus powerfully extends our hip and leg when getting up from a sitting position. There are two other gluteal muscles: gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Can you guess what their names say about their size compared to the gluteus maximus?
