When
you think of leg training, you think squats, lunges,
leg press, leg extensions, leg curls, maybe stiff-legged
deadlifts, right?
And
how many of these exercise have a LATERAL
(sideways) component?
If
you're not doing any exercises with a strong lateral
component, you're leaving MASSIVE potential
results on the table, in muscle mass, hip strength
and stability, and overall balance.
This
lateral focus is especially critical if
you're an athlete in just about any capacity
or sport (even bowling or golf!).
The
Solution: Towel Speedskater Squats
I
call these "Speedskater Squats" because
the body position is very similar to the position
a speedskater is in when going around a corner.
It's a GREAT bodyweight
exercise for targeting the entire lower body with
a lateral focus.
It
hits the adductors (the muscles of the inner thigh,
which bring the leg in towards the centerline
of the body) and the abductors (the muscles that
bring the leg away from the centerline of the
body). These are the Gluteus Medius and Gluteus
Minimus muscles of the hip, i.e. the outer butt
muscles.
First,
loop a towel around a pole or other solid object
and grasp the ends of it. Stand on one leg (start
with the leg in closer to the post...this will
focus on the adductors) and lean away from the
post.
Now
come down into a single-leg squat.
Touch
your knee to the ground then push back up. Do
your best to NOT push with your back foot...you
want as much of the push to originate from your
front foot as possible.
Use
your grip on the towel to lean to the side during
the movement...that leaning is what's going to
target the lateral-focused muscles of the lower
body.
The
next variation targets the abductors (the muscles
that bring the leg away from the midline of the
body...in this case, the gluteus medius and minimus
muscles).
Using
the same towel setup, stand on the leg that's
further away.
Come
down into a single leg squat then push back up.
When
you've done your reps on one side, switch to the
other side.
As
you get stronger, you can very easily add resistance
to this exercise by holding a dumbell or kettlebell
(or even just a heavy duffel bag or water jug)
in your free hand or wearing a weight vest. The
execution is exactly the same. And while it's
not "pure" bodyweight training, the
fact that you can use just about anything "grippable"
for resistance makes it an extremely versatile
movement.
Personally,
I've gone as high as using a 125 lb dumbbell in
my free hand...and at that weight, you get some
excellent grip strength work on your towel-hand
as well.
Now,
if you'd like to get greater range of motion on
the exercise, set your foot up on a Step riser
or other solid flat block to perform the exercise...you
can use pretty much anything that won't slide
out from under you (that part is pretty important!).
Working on a riser means your back leg will have
further down to go before it hits the ground and
stops the movement, increasing the stretch on
the glutes at the bottom.
The Bottom Line:
Lateral
leg training is MASSIVELY important and is almost
completely neglected in most programs...and yet
is has TREMENDOUS potential to dramatically improve
athletic performance very quickly. This very simple
exercise allows you to target your adductors and
abductors in the lateral movement pattern quickly
and easily, while giving you the option to add
substantial resistance, if you need it.
