Clam Shells and ITF/TFL?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

I’ve googled and googled, and haven’t been able to figure out:

  1. what’s a clamshell? I know it’s something for the glute/adductor area, and can make a guess (open and close the legs, like a clamshell) but I’m not sure

  2. ITF/TFL : I know it is / they are also in the gluteal area, but where exactly are they and/or what do the acronyms stand for?

Thanks,
Dan

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[quote]Dan M wrote:
I’ve googled and googled, and haven’t been able to figure out:

  1. what’s a clamshell? I know it’s something for the glute/adductor area, and can make a guess (open and close the legs, like a clamshell) but I’m not sure

  2. ITF/TFL : I know it is / they are also in the gluteal area, but where exactly are they and/or what do the acronyms stand for?

Thanks,
Dan[/quote]
Taking a stab at it, the clam shell is weighted resistance, knees bent, move knees apart without moving the feet apart.
IT is the iliotibial band, sometimes called tract, TFL is the Tensor Fascia Latae (or Lata)
Lateral aspect of the thigh.
Something interesting. Muscle names are not that cryptic. They are names for what they do, where they are, or what they look like. Deltiod–like a delta, a triangle. Rhomboid, you can probably guess. Latissimus Dorsi means wide muscle (latissimus) of the back (dorsi, dorsal). Flexor digiti minimi, small muscle, flexes the small finger. Ilio tibial band runs between the ilium and the tibia.
Made anatomy easier once I realized this.

3

[quote]Dan M wrote:

  1. ITF/TFL : I know it is / they are also in the gluteal area, but where exactly are they and/or what do the acronyms stand for?

Thanks,
Dan[/quote]

Ilio-tibial band/tensor fascia lata. Probably mentioned in lots of articles here. One pic (below is one long link):

http://www.emedx.com/emedx/
diagnosis_information/knee_disorders/iliotibial_band_surface_anatomy.htm

4

[quote]Dan M wrote:
I’ve googled and googled, and haven’t been able to figure out:

  1. what’s a clamshell? I know it’s something for the glute/adductor area, and can make a guess (open and close the legs, like a clamshell) but I’m not sure [/quote]

Lying on either side. One leg on top of the other. Bring hips up slight towards your chest (approximately 45 degrees of hip flexion0. Bend your knees to approximately 45 degrees also. Keep your top foot in contact w/ your bottom foot (the foot on the table or floor) and then lift your top leg, like a clam (remember keep your top foot in contact w/ the bottom foot.

To add resistance tie a piece of theraband or theratubing around your knees. This exercise works primarily your gluteus medius and other hip external rotators.

Generally, i have always seen it abbreviated ITB (illiotibial band) and TFL (tensor fascia latae) TFL originates on the lateral/outside border of your illiac crest (hip bone). It is a very small muscle probably about the size of your fist.

It then forms the ITB which is a long band of tissue that runs the length of your femur (on the outside) and inserts into the lateral aspect of your knee at Gerdy’s tubercle.

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Does clamshells with resistance bands do anything to cause Gluteus Medius hypertrophy? or is it simply meant for glute activation so one can move on to other weighted Glute workouts?

what should be the frequency of clamshells workout. Is it 2-3 times a week?

TIA

6

13 years later…

But I’ve been doing a lot of hip rehab lately so I know all about clam shells. I don’t think the glute medius is anything to be concerned about when it comes to hypertrophy. It’s a tiny muscle and it’s usually only prioritized when there’s dysfunction in the hip (like me).

For comparison, this would be like trying to achieve hypertrophy in your rotator cuff.

If you’re worried about hitting the tiny glute medius muscle then put a band around your knees and do squats or barbell hip thrusts. That’s going to be more useful than adding bands to your clam shells.

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I’ve never seen a thread this old revived.

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Awesomeness.

Is Androsol included?

1 Like