As a professional fitness trainer, one of the questions I get asked most is , “What’s the best exercise I can do for my legs and rear?”
Great Question! I am a firm believer in compound exercises that include many different muscles instead of isolating just one. There is nothing more effective on anyone’s body that the old standbys: Squats, Lunges and Deadlifts. Let me share with you my current favorite: The Bulgarian Split Squat. Sounds lethal, doesn’t it? Well, it is lethal to those thunder thighs, if you do it consistently and correctly
Single leg (and for that matter, single arm) exercises are fantastic for folks with back issues. Doing single leg movements allow safe performance without putting tthe lower lumbar spine in peril by excessive rounding the lower back. Furthermore, single leg exercises mandate equal recruitment from each leg. Most of us have one side that’s stronger than the other. Performing a single leg movements makes each let work on it’s own. This will correct any baseline weaknesses.
Back to the Bulgarian Split Squat: It’s also called a rear foot elevated lunge. You will perform this exercise in front of a chair, stair, box, bench or any other sturdy foot support, preferably 12-18 inches high. This exercise begins with the front leg well in front of you. Reach back and place your rear foot on the elevated platform. Be sure your ankle and knees are lined up on both legs. You may actually have to exaggerate how far that front leg is in front of you so that your knee will not protrude in front of your toes as you dip down. This will reduce the sheer force on your knee joint…very important. Initiate the exercise by placing all of your weight on the front heel and dropping your hips as low as you can in a pain-free range of motion while staying really tall up top with a proud chest and shoulders down and back. Finish the rep by explosively driving through your front heel to return to the top of the movement.
Begin this exercise just using your body weight. As you progress, you can add weight, speed and repetitions. You might even try this with dumbbells raised over your head to really challenge your core, balance and stability.
This exercise is one of the most effective for strengthening your vastus medialis muscle and giving you that nice “tear drop” on the inner thigh muscle. If you have a medical history of overtraining or patella-femoral issues, this exercise is phenomenal for keeping your knees as bulletproof as possible.
In addition, this exercise provides an opportunity for a fantastic stretch for your hip flexor of the back leg. This area is traditionally tight on all trainees, but especially men. Using this Bulgarian Split Squat will allow you to simultaneously stretch and strengthen your body. It’s a real keeper. Forget the adductor machine, Find yourself a raised platform and start lunging!
Whitney Cabrera, BSN RN, Certified Personal Trainer, Licensed Certified Wellcoach, owner of Strategic Wellness: Fitness and Nutrition Consultation is from Lakeland, Florida. She runs Strategic Boot Camps, and is a real-world fat loss expert focusing on llifestyle change
To book Whitney to speak at your local Lakeland, Florida company, club, or organization please contact her by email at wcabrera@strategicwellness.net or by phone at: 863 838-7645. For more helpful information please visit http://www.strategicwellness.net.
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