Primary Muscle Groups:
- Side Shoulders
- Front Shoulders
- Rear Shoulders
- Lower Abs
- Transverse Abdominis
- Glute Max
- Hip Flexors
- Quads
- Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle Groups:
- Triceps
- Biceps
Required Equipment:
- No Equipment
Categories:
- Bodyweight
- Crossfit
- Strength
Description
The hover leg exercise is a popular strength training move that targets the thighs, hips, and lower abs. This exercise is performed by sitting back on the heels with bent knees, raising the hips up to create a table-top position, and then extending the legs behind the body. The motion engages the hamstrings, glutes, and upper thighs, while the core remains engaged to maintain balance. The intensity of this exercise can be adjusted by changing the height of the blocks placed underneath the feet to modify the difficulty. In addition, this exercise can be performed in various positions, such as the active straddle hover and the straddle butt lift, for进一步加强 the workout.
How to: Active Straddle Hover
Description:
The active straddle hover is a more challenging variation of the standardhover leg exercise. This workout is designed to strengthen the hamstrings and glutes while enhancing active flexibility. It involves sitting in a straddle position with blocks set underneath the hips, then shifting the blocks closer towards the toes. The movements require coordination, core engagement and hip engagement to hold. As with other variations ofhover legs, this exercise can be done in various positions to focus specifically on different muscle groups.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands at sides.
- Reach down and grab a kettlebell or dumbbell with each hand.
- Keep your core and glutes engaged, and slowly begin to lower your hips towards the ground, imagining there's a chair behind you where you're going to sit.
- Hold the weight steady, and lower into a shallow squat, keeping your heels on the ground to engage your quads.
- Briefly pause at the bottom of the squat before performing a small pulsing motion by moving your hips up and down a few inches.
- Keep your hands on your hips or clasped in front of chest, and repeat.
How to: Straddle Butt Lifts
Description:
The straddle butt lift is a modification of a standard leg lift that targets the inner thighs and glutes. This exercise is performed with the sitz bones aligned over the supporting block, and it works by bringing the hips up towards the sky while maintaining a flat back. This movement requires the engagement of core muscles to maintain balance, and by using the body weight to lift the hips off the ground, it emphasizes the hamstrings and glutes.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Begin seated on the floor in a straddle with yoga blocks under your legs (see above for suggested placement options).
- Engage your quads by contracting the thighs to try to lift your feet off the floor.
- Lower your butts back down to the ground, resting the weight on your blocks.
- lean forwards as far as you can while keeping a flat back, pushing your thighs and knees into your blocks to try and lift your butt off the ground.
- Drop your butts back down to the floor and that's 1 rep.
- Try to do 4-10 reps.