Favorite exercises are hard to choose.
One, you want It to be somewhat enjoyable.
Two, It should also be effective and get some benefit from It. I guess a calf raise wouldn’t be at the top of the list unfortunately.
For me, lower body training is something I really despised growing up, It felt more like a chore than a benefit. As time went on I began to enjoy leg exercises and looked forward to the sessions where I was able to push just a little harder on those exercises.
Over that time the only leg exercises I was doing–> barbell squats, deadlifts, leg extensions, leg curls, calf raises.
Very balanced, I know.
Fast forward a few years, I tried a split squat. Yikes…
I think I got 8 or 10 reps with 25lbs. My heart was pounding, my leg was burning, and my hip felt like It could pop.
From that point on I had to find a way to get better at them. I did a split squat variation every single week until the point where I felt pretty damn strong. Lone behold, my favorite lower body exercise: Split Squats.
One of the main reasons I like this exercise not only for myself, but for my clients, is the fact that we don’t target single leg movements as much as we should. I hear the same thing from A LOT of people, “I hate split squats”. Yeah, because they are hard, they hurt, and we suck at them.
Getting into that split stance, think about what you feel, not only will you feel your front leg, but that deep burn in that back leg as well. This type of movement has a direct target to the hip flexor, a major problem area for most people in this world. Not to mention the balance and foot strength needed to hold that position.
Because we all sit for long periods of time, the hip flexors tighten up in that shortened position. Not only are they tight, but we don’t seem to use them often making them very weak as well. A tight, weak muscle sounds fun right? So now we get into a split stance, our hip flexor in the back is lengthened and we ask It to help us get to the floor and get back up, I can tell why we hate this exercise.
I could stop there and still have reason to love this exercise but one of the main reasons the split squat is my favorite leg exercise is because of how many variations come with It.
We can add range of motion:
-Rear foot elevated
-Front foot elevated
-Both feet elevated
-Deficit rear foot elevated
-Deficit front foot elevated
We can add different forms of loading:
-DBs by your side
-One DB (ipsilateral, contralateral)
-Barbell front rack
-Barbell back rack
-Kettlebell front rack
-Dumbbell front rack
-Mixed rack
-Band distraction
-Weight vest, chains
-Band resisted
-Band assisted
We can add focus to a different area:
-Front heel elevated (more knee flexion)
-Less knee flexion (more glute)
-RNT (anteriorly or laterally)
Now when we start adding some of these variations together the list grows and grows.
There are countless ways to progress in an exercise like this and with a starting point like mine, that is exciting to be able to grow, get better, and progress when possible.
Don’t skip your split squats, maybe It’s time to make them a main part of your routine.
In good health,
Jeff
