Fun fact: The Gluteus Maximus is the largest muscle in the human body. It’s behind (pardon the pun) nearly every meaningful movement we make, such as walking, climbing stairs and rising from a chair. It’s also a crucial stabiliser for the lower back and pelvis – yet it remains one of the most under-trained and under-rehabilitated muscles.
Why? Because training the glutes in isolation is genuinely difficult.
For example, when clinicians think about hip rehabilitation, the conversation often centres around leg press machines, hip abduction exercises and general lower body strengthening.
getback™ Clinical Director Geoffrey Mackay says the problem with that approach is the gluteal muscles are deeply connected to the pelvis.
‘When significant force is applied in most traditional strength exercises, the pelvis can tilt uncontrollably,’ he says.
‘This pelvic instability doesn’t just reduce the effectiveness of the exercise, it can put the lower back at real risk.’
Controlled hip extension: the missing link
Until now, there has been one movement pattern missing in hip rehabilitation: targeted, controlled hip extension.
The getback G260 Hip Extension device is changing that. The newest addition to the getback Hip & Knee Program addresses the problem of glute training head-on.
‘Rather than settling for a leg press, which doesn’t adequately target the Gluteus Maximus, or hip abduction – which misses it entirely – our technology partner David Health Solutions has designed a dedicated device to isolate and safely load the hip extensors,’ Mackay says.
The result is an exercise device registered as a Medical Device with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) that delivers precise, controlled hip extension for both rehabilitation and preventive care.
Who is it for?
Mackay says the G260 Hip Extension device is particularly well suited for pre- and post-operative rehabilitation for hip replacement, hip osteoarthritis, patients with lower back pain and sports injuries.
‘Pre- and post-operative rehabilitation for total hip arthroplasty requires careful, progressive loading of the hip extensors,’ he says. ‘The G260 allows therapists to apply that load safely and measurably from the earliest appropriate stages of recovery.’
For hip osteoarthritis (OA), strengthening the muscles around a compromised joint reduces the mechanical load on the joint itself. Targeted gluteal strengthening can meaningfully reduce pain and improve function in patients with hip OA.
Weak gluteal muscles are also a contributor to chronic low back pain. Because the G260 trains the glutes in isolation — without loading the lumbar spine — it’s a safe option even for patients with concurrent back complaints.
Evidence-based rehabilitation and preventive care
The getback philosophy is grounded in the idea that rehabilitation outcomes improve when exercise is precise, measurable and progressive. The G260 Hip Extension device integrates with the EVE software platform, which allows therapists to measure and track strength levels, range of motion, progression over time, and patient adherence.
Combined with the getback leg press, hip abduction and knee devices, therapists now have a full toolkit to address virtually any hip complaint with the precision that modern rehabilitation demands.
