READY TO LIFT
(continued)

Figure Four: Squat with Tubing		Figure Five: Bend with Stick

flexion and hip and knee extension. Second, the adduction creates a need for enhanced glute medius activity. (See Figure Four Above.)

Instructions:

  Place the points of attachment of the tubing (Lifeline FMT) at knee-height and spread the handles about the size of a door-width apart from each other. Then give the band a twist so that the tubing crosses in front of you. Step inside and face the point of attachment. Position the foam handles at the outside of your knees. Point your toes straignt ahead with your feet shoulder-width apart. Start your squat.

  While pushing your knees down, keep feet flat, and cross your arms over your chest. As you descend, keep your heels down and go as deep as you can comfortably go. Then return to the standing position.

Verbal Cues:

  • Keep the line of your spine parallel to the line of the lower leg (tibia) and keep your knees over
    the outer half of your feet.
  • Do not let your heels rise off the ground.
  • If unable to go completely down, use a heel lift and slowly decrease the size of the lift over
    time, working toward doing a squat with the heels flat.
 • To increase difficulty, keep moving back to create more resistance.

LIVELY DEADLIFTS

  We often ask our athletes to perform single-leg, single-arm dumbell deadlifts, which require intense balance and spine stabilization. Our movement prep activities for these deadlifts involve athletes balancing on one leg while lengthening the hip muscles. We also use the movement prep activities to look closely at left vs. right side strength discrepancies. Here are the two exercises we use:

Bend with Stick:

  A balance drill to address right/left symmetry, in this exercise, the athlete bends over on one foot while holding a stick across his or her spine. The stick creates feedback for spine stabilization while the single-leg stance requires intense balance reactions by the hip internal and external rotators as well as the adductors and abductors. This is also an excellent way to complete left and right function and target the weaker side prior to exercise. (See Figure Five Above.)

In this exercise, the stick creates feedback for spine stabilization while the single-leg stance requires intense balance reactions by the hip internal and external rotators as well as the adductors an abductors.

Instructions:

  Start in a standing upright position while holding a dowel or stick in both hands behind you or slightly off to one side. You will raise the opposite leg. Place one hand (still holding the stick) behind the neck with the palm facing the body. Position the other at the lumbar area with the palm facing away. In one motion, balance on one leg and flex forward (without rotating) while raising the straight leg and keeping the toes pointed up. For the down leg, the knee should be slightly bent. Four points of contact should be maintained: the back of the head, between the scapulae, the hips, and the calf. Then return to the upright position.

  Verbal Cues:

  • Maintain a straight line from head to toe on the up leg. Only go as far as you can while
     maintaining a straight line.
  • Concentrate on sustaining the points of contacts.
  • Keep the knee of the down leg slightly bent.

Tubing Deadlift:

  This exercise is another balance drill to address right/left symmetry. Here, we are mimicking a single- leg deadlift with little weight, using classic resistance instead of a dumbbell. By adding the tubing resistance to the deadlift, balance and stability mistakes are quickly detected prior to exercise. The tubing also creates greater rotational force, which enhances stabilization and targets the core for single-leg stance activities. As with the previous exercise, it also provides an excellent way to compare left and right function and target the weaker side prior to exercise. This same move can also be done with a dumbbell.

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