Today’s entry is a series that I will post from time to time. In each installment, I will present one exercise and highlight its benefit to a program. The topic I present could be a mobility or warm-up exercise, resistance or plyometric exercise, speed drill, or anything in between. The purpose of this series is to give the reader a look at some exercises that may be totally new, challenging, or present a variation/ correction to an exercise that is already performed in their program.
Exercise: Unilaterally Loaded Reverse Lunge from Deficit
Technique Cues: Neutral neck/ neutral spine, big chest, shoulders back and down, vertical lead shin, hind knee more posterior than ipsilateral hip to promote hip extension mobility, kettlebell or dumbbell held tight and next to side
Benefits:
1) Unilateral Leg Strength
2) Hip Extension Mobility in Hind Leg and Hip Flexion Mobility in Lead Leg (increased by elevating lead leg)
3) Anti-lateral flexion Core Stabilization (because of unilateral external load)
4) Reciprocal Hip Movement (extension of lead leg, flexion of hind leg)
5) Hip External Rotation Strength/Activation (see note below)
Note: The first 4 benefits may already be known by the reader, but the 5th is an important benefit that may not be known. Since the exercise is unilaterally loaded (aka KB in only one hand), the lifter’s center of mass is shifted to the ipsilateral side of the load. Therefore, without getting too scientific, the lifter’s trunk has an increased tendency to rotate towards the stance leg (in the picture above, my right shoulder wants to rotate toward my left knee). If you are on one leg, and you rotate your trunk towards that leg, your hip is relatively internally rotated. In order to keep the hip in neutral/ out of IR, the lifter must contract his/ her glutes / external rotators.
See Video by Clicking Link Below and Give it a Shot.
Therapeutic Exercise, Strength Training, and PT info 