Focusing on the Lower Body

Week 3 was my first real learning session in which we covered Romanian dead lifts, single leg RDL and split squats. Sarah had us think about not what muscles we generally feel when carrying out these exercises, but rather what muscles we SHOULD be feeling and covering the more common mistakes. We started out with the Romanian dead lifts and the single-leg RDL. As someone who has not had any experience with this exercises getting even the basics down was difficult but with proper coaching cues I was able to demonstrate a  RDL. For beginners in general though it is easier to the single-leg RDL, they focus more on the technique rather having to focus on the bar and the weight applied. Standing shoulder width apart, knees light bent so that body weight is over the knee, the athlete should focus on having a neutral spine. Sarah pointed out that, if asked, some athletes will say that they feel it in their hamstrings, this is a glut exercise and therefore should be feeling it in their front glut. Simply bending the knees more though immediately changed the muscle that was being worked, it was interesting to see how an exercise that seems so simple can be done wrong but also how easily it was corrected. The last exercise was the split squat and with the same focus on keeping the body weight over the knee and working on the front glut. Watching and giving cues is very helpful but in the end  I think that one of the most important pieces of information in making sure the athlete is doing the exercise right is by asking “Where do you feel the exercise?” A simple question, but it makes a whole lot of difference.