Split squats are a great way to work out lower body strength without having to load your body with excessive weight. Wherever you are at with your physical health and training regimen, split squats are an essential exercise to add to your program to get great results and progress yourself safely. Below is the process as described in one of the strength workouts in your Journey portal. Log into your Journey account to view the video.
Equipment Needed
- Training attire
- Watch/clock
- Optional additional weight (dumbells, barbells, weight vest, etc.)
How to Perform the Split Squat
- Stand tall in a split stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and your weight primarily on the arch of your front foot.
- Lower your hips toward the ground by bending your knees.
- Without letting your back knee touch the ground, push through your front leg to return to the starting position.
- Complete the set on one side before repeating with the opposite leg.
The Benefits
This is one of the essential exercises as you are able to modify the pace to create challenging exercises without (over)loading your body with excessive and unnecessary weight or when you are traveling and have limited access to weights. You can also modify the time to make this exercise more challenging.
As your body has 3 types of muscle contractions: concentric (shortening), eccentric (lengthening), and isometric (no movement), you can modify the time of each of these during the exercise. For example, start with just your body weight and lower your body to the “down” position over 5 seconds, pause at the bottom for 3 seconds, and stand up in 1 second. This alters the amount of time your muscles have to “work” thus creating a challenging exercise without overloading your body in an unsafe manor.
When it comes to loading your body with weight, there are many ways you can do this via loading a bar on your back, holding dumbbells or kettlebells, or just strapping on a weight vest. When choosing to load your body, starting at the lower end is more beneficial and will decrease your risk of injury during the exercise.
Please check with your physician prior to starting any exercise routine. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to your program manager about your EXOS resources.