HOW: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Keep the both feet entirely on the ground throughout the movement. Place your hands in front of you about shoulder height to help counterbalance your weight. Sink your hips down and backwards, and then stand back up.  FEEL: You should feel all of the thigh muscles and butt muscles working.

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the knees cave in or bow out. Keep equal weight distribution in both feet, and try not to let your hips shift left or right. Keep a neutral spine by keeping your core engaged to avoid having a over-arched or rounded back.

HOW: Get a kettlebell set-up in only one hand in the front rack position. Be sure to keep your knuckles facing the ceiling throughout the duration of this exercise. Set a sturdy base by getting your feet shoulder width apart and engaging your core. You can place your other hand on your hip or out to the side for balance. Now push outwards into the kettlebell towards the scapular plane (listen to cues to find this) as you simultaneously push the kettlebells up overhead. Slowly bring the kettlebell back down to starting position, and repeat.

 

FEEL: This should feel like an upper body workout, especially your shoulder and triceps.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not lose kettlebell position, do not arch your low back, do not use your lower body for momentum.

HOW: Start with both feet on the ground. Using the momentum of your arms, swing them towards the ground while bending at your hip and knee. Then explosively jump up.

 

FEEL: You will feel all the muscles in your legs working to control the landing and descent.

 

COMPENSATION: Landing Position. Make sure your knees are aligned over your toes. They should not dive inwards on the landing. Your goal is to absorb as much of the landing forces as you can and land softly. That means that you want your hips and knees to bend as much as they can to absorb the force. If you do not let them bend much, you will land “stiff” and hard. Let your hips go back and your chest go down to help absorb the forces. Your toes should touch the ground first when you land and quickly your heels will follow. You should land in a “ready position” like you would if you were playing sports, with your weight ever so slightly forward on the balls of you feet. You should not fall forward or backwards after landing.

 

For a detailed video on landing mechanics, click here: https://youtu.be/RThUCYRDyZw 

When it comes to ab exercises, variations of the leg lift exercise are a staple for those in the fitness industry. However, why is it that sometimes you feel this exercise in your low back? I thought we were training abs?

Be sure to pay close attention to the entire video for comments and simple explanations in the bottom left corner. Below are some other explanations in more detail…

In terms of anterior musculature, the rectus abdominus and external obliques are responsible for keeping the pelvis posteriorly rotated. This limits excessive low back arching, associated with anterior pelvic tilt. These muscles have to FIGHT against stiffness from muscles responsible for anterior pelvic tilting. This includes the iliopsoas and erector spinae.

Because the legs are being lifted into the air, the hip flexors are being recruited. Without stabilizing the pelvis in a posteriorly tilted position prior to lifting the legs, the pelvis may anteriorly tilt and your low back may arch. This may be why you’re feeling this exercise in your low back!

SO be sure to watch the full video, watch for the cues and differences in form, and be sure to follow the tips to perform this exercise! It is important to understand when our muscles fatigue – we lose form. Focus on quality here!! If you’re eventually feeling it in your low back, those abs and external obliques may be fatigued.