Barbell Squat (Front View)
After you’ve situated the barbell on your back, appropriately grabbed the bar and lifted off the rack you’ll want to slightly rotate your feet and knees outwards before beginning your squat. When squatting, attempt to avoid inwardly rotated knees. Be sure to brace your core and activate your glutes. Keep the entirety of your feet planted and the bar in-line over them. Try a ‘Goblet Squat’ or ‘Zombie Squat’ if you have limited hip mobility, or limited shoulder mobility. (See ‘Barbell Squat Breakdown’ in the ‘Powerlifting’ tab for a more in-depth breakdown of the initial setup on the bar.)
Bulgarian Squat
With one foot elevated on a stable surface step your opposite foot out to an appropriate distance. To gage this distance squat over your foot planted on the floor and look to keep your shin and torso at a parallel diagonal angle. If you’re unable to do this, you may be too close or too far from your elevated foot. Focus on your glutes and quadriceps as you squat up and down.
Clam Shells
With a light to medium resistance band placed above your knees assume a modified plank position off of your forearm. Keeping your heels together push your superior knee, or high knee, away from your knee planted on the floor. Focus on your gluteus medius.
Double Leg Glute Bridges
While resting your upper torso across a stable surface step both feet out to an appropriate distance that is roughly parallel to your knees. Keep the entirety of your feet planted. After you drop your hips towards the floor elevate your hips to activate your glutes at the top of the movement.
Double Leg Heel Raise
While holding onto a stable object for balance assume a squatted position. Hold this position and elevate your heels while balancing across your toes. This is a calve focused exercise.
Goblet Squat
After you’ve situated your hands around one side of the dumbbell and are holding it closely to your chest, you’ll want to slightly rotate your feet and knees outwards. When squatting, attempt to avoid inwardly rotated knees. Be sure to brace your core and activate your glutes. Keep the entirety of your feet planted and the bar in-line over them. This is a good alternative to the barbell squat if you have limited hip mobility, limited shoulder mobility, or need weight lighter than the barbell.
Lateral Lunge with Band
Place a band around your ankles, keep your toes pointed forward and assume a squatted position. Next, laterally step while remaining at the same squat depth. This is a glute and abductor focused exercise.
Leg Abduction with Cable
Set the cable pulley to the lowest setting. Face away from the pulley so that it’s next to you. Attach the cable around your ankle that is furthest from the pulley. While keeping your leg straight lift laterally to work your abductor and glutes.
Leg Kickback’s with Cable
Set the cable pulley to the lowest setting and face towards it. Attach the cable around one of your ankles. Elevate your foot and tuck your knee in. Then kick back in a crescent motion to activate your glute.
Leg Curls with Dumbbell
(This exercise can be challenging to begin without someone to briefly assist.) Using a bench lay pronated on your stomach and allow your knees to extend over the edge of the bench. Elevate your feet upwards, bending 90 degrees at the knees. Have another individual place a dumbbell between your feet. Lower the dumbbell so that your legs are straight then curl the dumbbell back up but stop before 90 degrees to keep tension on your biceps femoris (hamstrings). Careful letting the dumbbell down when finished.
Lunges
Reach one foot forward in a stride and touch down from heel to toe. It is important not to overreach or make too small of a stride. You want to be able to sink into your lunge while keeping your foot flat and your weight evenly distributed over it. Typically finding a stride length that keeps your knee inline over your toes will keep your bodyweight distributed even on your forward foot. Remember to step-up through your forward foot and focus of your glutes and quadriceps. You can simultaneously push off your back foot to assist your upward motion.
Prone Kickbacks
From a pronated position on all fours drop to your forearms and press one foot towards the ceiling. Imagine you are placing your foot flat on the ceiling. This is a glute focused exercise.
Seated Leg Curls
This is specific for an upright leg curl machine. Situate your feet on top of the furthest pad so that the roller is across the back of your ankles. Lock your thighs down in the seat with the upper adjustable pad. Curl downwards through your heels and make sure you complete a full range of motion.
Seated Leg Extension
Situate your feet behind the lower pad so that the roller is across the front of your ankles/lower shin. Extend upwards and keep your toes pointed up. Make sure you complete a full range of motion.
Single Leg Glute Bridges
While resting your upper torso across a stable surface step both feet out to an appropriate distance that is roughly parallel to your knees. Extend one leg in-line with your torso and keep the entirety of your other foot planted. After you drop your hips towards the floor elevate your hips to activate your glute at the top of the movement. Focus on the glute on the same side as the foot planted.
Zombie Squat
Elevate your arms directly in front of you with your thumbs up. Situate the barbell across your shoulders and clavicles and lift off the rack. Next, you’ll want to slightly rotate your feet and knees outwards before beginning your squat. When squatting, attempt to avoid inwardly rotated knees. Be sure to brace your core and activate your glutes. Keep the entirety of your feet planted and the bar in-line over them.
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