Today we are going to do a presentation showing a couple of different ways of doing split squats.
I am going to show you two exercises and if you’d like to see more, you can subscribe on the side or below this video. These exersises were created for squash players but can be used within anyones exercise routines!
We train some elite squash players using the 4 Core Fitness training system which is focused on medicine ball training and functional circuit training with different devices.
This exercise I use a lot with squash players. Many quash players are quad dominant meaning they always have trouble with their hamstring. This exercise shows a different way to use the quads as well as the hamstring.
First, I’m going to demonstrate a split squat. A split squat is very simple. There are two different ways you can execute it.
1. Put your foot up on the bench and stand away (but not so far away that you loose balance) and move down and up. You’ll find a little bit of pull on the left side if you use the right leg to squat but mainly the left side the quadriceps is going to stretch out and you are loading the quad (on the right side).
As for loading the bum, if your body is too upright/too straight, it will switch off your bum. Not fully, but partially. If I’m doing the squat totally upright like this, I can feel my bum but most people are going to be more quad dominant. If you lean a little bit forward immediately you are going to use your bum, your glute much more.
If you have flexibility issues step just a little bit away from the bench. The only problem with this is that your knee is going to go forward and this is really bad. You don’t want that. As I push my bum back I’m structuring the movement backwards.
One thing you can do to enhance this exercise and get more bum function is to use your bum like a hip extension when we do the squat. Squat down, come up, and then you touch your toes. Slightly bend your knee and touch the floor and then you use your bum to come back up, go down again and activate.
If I’m too straight I’ll become more quad dominant so when I’m doing the squat, I lean forward a little bit, move the bum to come up, then forward. Now you are still going to feel a lot of quadriceps obviously but the hamstring is stabilizing, the other side of the quad is stretching out and you are going to start to use your bum.
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