HOW: Shift your weight to one leg as you bend the opposite knee and place the lower leg over the top of the knee on the leg you’re standing on. Hinge forward at the hips keeping your back flat and slightly sink down on your leg creating a stretch in the bent leg. Hold this for as long as prescribed and do this as you walk forward alternating legs.
FEEL: You should feel a stretch in the hip you are bending.
COMPENSATION: Don’t lean to either side, stay upright even as you hinge forward.
FEEL: You should feel your core and shoulder muscles working.
COMPENSATION: Make sure to rotate your hips and upper half all at once.
FEEL: You should feel your hip muscles working.
COMPENSATION: Maintain a squat position. Don’t shift your weight to the leg tapping in each direction.
FEEL: You should feel your hamstring muscle working as well as your core.
COMPENSATION: Keep your arms relaxed and stable, don’t push into the ground with them. Don’t twist your torso. Only lift your hips up with one leg.
FEEL: You will feel the leg that is in front doing most of the work, with your thigh and butt muscles working.
COMPENSATION: Do not lean side-to-side or lean back, keep your weight mostly on your front foot. Perform the split squat with good form by not letting your knee collapse in or bow out, do not let your pelvis drop.
FEEL: You should feel all the thigh muscles and the butt muscles working in the leg you’re standing on, but primarily in the thigh muscles.
COMPENSATION: Avoid putting too much weight (if any weight at all) on the foot you are reaching down with. Don’t let your knee cave in, and avoid rounding your back or side bending.
FEEL: You will feel your quads working with this exercise. You may also feel a stretch behind your knee in the calf and hamstring region when your knee is straight.
COMPENSATION: Focus on staying tall with your chest up as you perform this exercise. Do not lose tension in the band and keep your knee straight the entire time.
FEEL: You should feel your leg muscles working.
COMPENSATION: Keep your chest upright. Make sure most of your bodyweight is on the back leg.
FEEL: You will feel your left hip flexor muscles and your core muscles working with this exercise.
COMPENSATION: Do not lose left hip position in this case or low back position, do not let your low back excessively arch.