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Exercise of the Week – One-Legged Deadlift with a Balance Challenge
14-09-2009
Tagged Under : Exercise, Exercise Week
are one of my favorite exercises because they pretty much work the entire back body – the lower back, glutes and hamstrings. My clients like these, too, because they can feel their glute muscles engage and they get a nice stretch at the bottom of the movement. Also? They’re happy they’re not doing squats or lunges.
One version they tend to whine about (and I do encourage whining if it helps you get through the workout) is this one-legged deadlift. There are versions where you keep for balance, which is a great transition move to try before moving on to this one. This version, however, is all about balance.
Not only do you focus more attention on the working leg, you also engage the core and stabilizer muscles to keep your body in alignment as you lower the weight up and down. This is a tough move, especially on your non-dominant side, so take your time and practice with a lighter weight if you need to. To keep it safe, make sure you keep the core braced and the shoulders back (i.e., don’t hunch or round the back as you go forward). If you do this move right, you’ll feel your hamstrings come alive and you’ll make great improvements in your balance.
Do it right: Tip from the hips and lower the weight towards the floor (back straight) while lifting the right leg straight out behind you to hip level. Contract the glutes of the right leg to pull back up and repeat for 8-16 reps before switching sides. Try to keep the foot flexed to encourage keeping the hips squared towards the floor.
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- Just Ten Minutes A Day For A Toned And Tight Derriere
- Exercise of the Week – Crossover Step Ups
- Hamstrings – Overlooked and Undertrained
