This foundational posterior chain exercise activates your glutes and hamstrings while strengthening your lower back, creating a strong foundation for better posture and pain-free movement.
HOW TO DO IT:
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart
- Keep your arms at your sides with palms down for stability
- Engage your core and squeeze your glutes (butt muscles)
- Lift your hips by pushing your heels into the ground
- Raise your hips until you form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders
- Squeeze your glutes harder & hold for a moment
- Slowly lower your hips back down with control
- Don’t let your hips fully rest on the ground between reps
MAKE IT COUNT:
- Do as many as you can
- Literally – don’t stop until you can’t safely complete another rep
MAKE IT EASIER:
- Use no additional weight
- Don’t lift your hips as high
- Pause for ½ a second at the bottom
MAKE IT HARDER:
- Hold a weight, water bottle, or book on your hips
- Stretch an exercise band around your knees & maintain tension
- Perform the exercise with one leg extended straight out
- Lower without letting your butt touch the ground
MAKE IT FUN:
- Share this with a friend so you have a workout buddy!
PRACTICAL USES:
- Walking and running more powerfully
- Reducing lower back pain
- Becoming the stair master
- Climbing steeper trails
- Jumping higher
- Giving your partner a wild ride
- Mastering “Buck, Trap & Roll” self defense
- Building a power booty!
DISCLAIMER: To reduce the risk of injury, before beginning this or any exercise program, please consult a healthcare provider to ensure you are able to safely participate in this or any exercise program. All exercise programs carry some risk of injury.
If you engage in this exercise or exercise program and/or use any information provided by Squirrel Fitness, LLC, regardless of where or how you access it, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge Squirrel Fitness, LLC, from any and all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising out of your participation in activities with Squirrel Fitness, LLC.