Standing hip extension in a crossover. Leg curl in a lying machine

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Genus. 1984 Has been training since 1999. Has been training since 2007 .. CCM in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South of Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar Territory according to IPF. 1 category in weightlifting. 2-time medalist of the Krasnodar Territory Championship in m / a. Author of over 700 articles on fitness and amateur athleticism. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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Date: 2012-05-29 Views: 355 176 Grade: 5.0

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Major muscles -
Additional -
Complexity of execution- average

Hip extension in a crossover from the lower block - video

Weight and repetitions for beginners

For men: 10-15 reps (per leg) 10-20 kg. 2-3 sets.
For women: 10-15 reps (for each leg), 5-10 kg. 2-3 sets.

Muscle group load

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale (total load is summed up)

Exercise Description

The exercise is best done bent over. This will allow you to stretch your glutes more and increase your range of motion. This means that it will increase the efficiency of the exercise.

Main features

1. I advise you to lean forward while doing this exercise. Moreover, the lower the better. It can even be almost parallel to the floor. After all, the more you bend over, the more the buttock will stretch and the lower point of movement and the greater the amplitude. That is, the efficiency of the exercise will increase. 2. The leg should be slightly bent at the knee. At the bottom, you can bend it a little harder, and at the top point, either completely straighten it, or leave it slightly bent. A slightly bent leg at the bottom will allow you to stretch your butt even more. 3. For convenience, you can stand with your supporting leg on a small stand. Let's say you can put a disc from the bar. 4. The back when tilting should be arched at the lower back. 5. Set the weight so that you can do 10 - 12 reps. 6. At the top, try to hold on for a second. 7. Make sure that the swing is strictly back, and the leg does not go to the side.

Exercises → Legs→ The back of the thigh

Major muscles - semitendinosus, semimembranosus and hamstrings Additional - calf Complexity of execution- light

For men: 10 - 15 reps 15 - 20 kg. 2-3 sets. For women: 10-15 reps 10-15 kg. 2-3 sets.

Exercise Description

Main features

1. You need to lie down so that your knees do not rest on the stand, but hang down a little. It's safer for them this way.

2. Install the roller so that it rests on the ankle, closer to the heel. The longer the lever, the better.

3. It is desirable to bend the legs to the end. So that the roller touches the buttocks. You can unbend it both to the end, and leaving a small angle in the knee.

4. If in the upper phase of the movement you slightly lift your knees from the back, then slightly increase the effectiveness of the exercise. So the buttocks will be included in the work, and the back of the thigh will contract more strongly.

5. This exercise is not basic. Therefore, do it after deadlifts, bends, or hyperextension. To "finish off" the back of the thigh.

6. Alternatively, you can do this exercise with one leg in turn. This will help you focus better on one leg.

Crossover hip extension from the lower block

Exercises → Buttocks

Major muscles - gluteus maximus Additional - back of the thigh Complexity of execution- average

Crossover hip extension from the lower block

Weight and repetitions for beginners

For men: 10-15 reps (per leg) 10-20 kg. 2-3 sets. For women:

Exercise Description

The exercise is best done bent over. This will allow you to stretch your glutes more and increase your range of motion. This means that it will increase the efficiency of the exercise. Do not bend your leg at the knee.

Main features

2. The leg should be slightly bent at the knee. At the bottom, you can bend it a little harder, and at the top point, either completely straighten it, or leave it slightly bent. A slightly bent leg at the bottom will allow you to stretch your butt even more.

3. For convenience, you can stand with your supporting leg on a small stand. Let's say you can put a disc from the bar.

4. The back when tilting should be arched at the lower back.

5. Set the weight so that you can do 10 - 12 reps.

6. At the top, try to hold on for a second.

7. Make sure that the swing is strictly back, and the leg does not go to the side.

Extension of the hip in the simulator

Exercises → Buttocks

Major muscles - gluteus maximus Additional - back of the thigh Complexity of execution- average

Weight and repetitions for beginners

For men: 10-15 reps (per leg) 10-15 kg. 2-3 sets. For women: 10-15 reps (for each leg), 5-10 kg. 2-3 sets.

Pulling your leg back in the machine or extending your hip is a great exercise to work your glutes without using your quads. It is more often performed by girls, since most women are not interested in increasing the volume of their legs. Men usually work on the lower body with basic exercises, but can use leg abductions or machine swings to improve muscle quality.

Working muscles

As already mentioned, pulling the leg back maximally affects the buttock, while removing the load from the quadriceps.

The target is the gluteus maximus muscles, and the hamstrings are additionally included.
Some simulators allow you to fix the position of the body by resting your stomach and chest on a special shelf. With this option, the load is maximally isolated. If you just hold on to the support, standing on one leg, and swing with the other leg, the stabilizer muscles are included in the work.
The working leg in the simulator follows a well-defined trajectory. Someone likes it, but someone, on the contrary, can cause inconvenience.

Target muscles - gluteus maximus.

Exercise technique

Leaving your leg back can be done in a crossover - in this case, you pull the cable of the lower block with your foot, and put your hands on a support. But, hip extension in a crossover is described in a separate article, so here we will consider the mechanics of performing the exercise on other simulators.

There are simulators where you rest the back of your lower leg against a special roller and take your leg back, overcoming resistance. There are also machines where you push a platform or roller directly with your foot. The target muscle groups are the same in both cases, just the emphasis of the load shifts.

The position of the body during the execution of the leads may also differ. Starting from a fully upright position and ending with a prone position or with an emphasis on the elbows. The range of motion in the hip joint depends on the inclination of the body. The closer the body position is to the horizontal, the greater this amplitude (leg swings are wider) and, accordingly, the exercise is more effective.

Hip extension is done as follows:

Take the starting position. Stand on your supporting leg, fixing the body and arms in the desired position. Depending on the machine, you will either stand upright with your hands on the supports, or lie on your stomach on a special shelf. A natural deflection remains in the lower back (you do not need to arch your back too much). Bend your working leg slightly at the knee joint.
Next, you need to take your working leg back solely due to the effort of the gluteal muscles. This is a very important point to focus on.
If you push back the stove, press it with your heel without lifting the toe. If you are pushing the roller with the back of your lower leg, shorten your foot, that is, the leg moves back with the heel.
The leg remains slightly bent at the knee, only at the final point can you straighten it to take the weight even further.
Hold at the top point for 1-2 seconds and return to the starting position.

Also, back kicks can be performed without special simulators. In particular, you can stand with a supporting knee on a horizontal bench (there is one in any gym) with your hands in front of you. The working leg should be lowered from the bench and bent at the knee to a comfortable position. The technique for performing the exercise remains the same. You can use weights to increase the load.

An option for performing the leads on the bench is to rest on the hands and knee.

Application features

A few words should also be said about the use of this exercise in training programs.

The weight should be taken such that you can correctly do 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions on each side. When performing hip extension or swinging in the simulator, it is important to remember that technique and the number of repetitions are more important in this exercise. The working weight should be such that you can fully control it. Otherwise, all efforts can be nullified.

Girls can use the backward leg abduction as a main exercise if there is no goal to pump up the quadriceps, or if the level of physical fitness is not yet high.

If you have some physical fitness and a comprehensive study of the muscles of the lower body, the exercise is best done at the end of the workout. This will "finish off" the gluteus maximus muscles after performing the basic exercises.

Training your hips is an exclusively female occupation. This is what most of the visitors to the hall will exclaim. Now let's try to remember the Men’s classic form or the Olympia champion. Except for the protruding bellies, then all the other groups are perfectly worked out for them. And all because they do not hesitate to do things like hip extension.

When, to whom, why?

Perhaps it's worth starting with the fact that hip extension – isolated single-joint exercise. And, therefore, it:

not suitable for the development of muscle mass;
does not help improve strength performance;
performed after basic exercises (Romanian deadlift);
not performed by male athletes in the first year of training;
has a relatively simple range of motion and technique;
develops the relief of the muscles.

It is because of these qualities that women are especially fond of him, because using hip extension, whether in simulators or in a crossover, they dry and tighten exclusively the target muscle group of the legs, which allows you to get an ideal figure. Does he have any contraindications? If you do not have problems with joints or acute necrosis of bone tissue, then you can safely perform hip extension. This exercise does not place stress on the spine, abdominals, or other target groups that require insurance.

When and who needs to do hip extensions in the simulator. When - after complete mastering of the circular basic program (15-30 workouts). During this time, the body adapts to stress, all muscle groups become toned, and the required amount of glycogen is stored for exercise. To whom - to everyone who wants to tighten the back of the legs. For women, the priority is to work with small weights in simulators. For men - hard work, after basic pulls!

In the simulator

First on the list is a hip exercise using a special machine.

What muscles work in hip extension?

Muscles of the back of the thigh.
Anterior bundle of calf muscles.
Lumbar muscles.

In this case, all movement occurs exclusively in the gluteal joint. Strange as it may sound, it is not the hamstrings that receive the greatest load, but the muscles of the gluteal region. The simulator itself is designed in such a way that it can be performed with only one leg at a time. This creates the risk of imbalance between working out different legs. Therefore, when performing for the number of repetitions, set the weight in such a way that the lagging (most often left) leg can handle it.

How to do it correctly?

Set the correct weight on the unit.
Stand up.
Rest your body against a special roller to avoid the inclusion of the abdominal muscles in the work.
With one foot, lift the block with the load, taking the leg away.
At the top point, linger for 1-2 seconds.

It is important not to bend it at the knee joint. Although this shifts the load on the biceps of the hip, it increases the load on the joints, which in turn can result in traumatic consequences.

In the crossover

Crossover operation is almost identical. But the crossover has a number of advantages over the block trainer:

the ability to make the range of motion more natural for the body. This in turn significantly reduces the stress on the joints and increases the payload on the muscles;
the ability to more flexibly determine the weight;
the ability to bend the leg at the knee joint, carrying out movements in both weights.
no restrictions on the range of motion.

But at the same time, using a crossover, in particular hip flexion, you need to remember that, unlike a simulator, you need to properly hold your back, posture, and follow the movement, which somewhat toughens the execution technique and makes it not suitable for beginners.

Install the crossover to the lower blocks.
Choose one-sided handle with a loop for legs / arms.
Insert your leg into the handle.
Place both hands on the crossover rack.
Bend in the lower back.
Tilt the neck as far back as possible.
Pull the projectile back with a straight leg.
Additionally, at peak load, you can slightly bend the knee to change the emphasis of the load.

Important points:

Work with the knee should be done very carefully, as the handle can simply fly out of the leg, which will ensure guaranteed injury.
Do not forget to wipe the crossover handles after yourself, as many work with them to bring hands from side to center.

Unlike the simulator, the multi-joint exercise allows it to be performed as a basic one. And for some crossover designs, it is possible to tie both legs to the handles, which will allow the hip extension in the crossover to be done alternately with each leg.

Free weights

Working at home, as well as training in the absence of a gym, is a separate issue. It should immediately be noted that the work in this case will not be so effective. However, to maintain muscle tone, or in cases where it is not possible to work out in a fitness club, this becomes the only alternative.

There are two main exercises. This is a hip extension lying on the floor and a similar hip extension at the rack (an option for ballerinas). In the latter case, hip extension uses the muscles much more intensively, but requires special athletic training and inhuman stretching. Therefore, consider the option of lying hip extension.

What muscles does it use?

Absolutely the same groups as working in a simulator or crossover.

How to do it?

Option 1. Classic.

Lie on the floor on your stomach.
Slowly pull your leg up.
Fix it at peak voltage for 3-4 seconds.
Lower your leg.
Carry out the same operation with the second one.

Option 2. Basic basket.

Yes, many are familiar with this exercise since childhood. It was not for nothing that it was included in the basic set of exercises for junior graders. Its most important difference is that it:

Allows you to regulate the load due to the strength of the grip of the hands.
Allows static loading.
Shifts the focus to the muscles of the lower back.

Moreover, if you do it incorrectly, then in fact it turns out not hip flexion, but extension. Therefore, carefully follow the technique and features of the execution.

Lie on the floor on your stomach.
Stretch the legs, making a constant angle in the socks.
Slowly pull your leg up.
Bend your knee.
Reach for her hands.
Hands grab the leg.
The arms should be as relaxed as possible, the main load should be carried out by bending the body and holding the hips in the correct position.
Shift the emphasis on the arms (grab a lot and pull the legs towards you).
Carry out a compensatory movement, trying to straighten the legs contrary to the movement of the arms.
Relax the muscles in the legs and arms.

Or scientifically - hip extension is performed by contracting the muscles of the buttocks and the back of the thigh. Swings in the crossover allow you to work out the gluteal region as efficiently as possible by choosing a weight corresponding to the level of training.

Muscles worked

Some of the benefits of doing reverse swings in a crossover include the following:

The exercise is aimed at working out the gluteus maximus muscles. Additionally, the muscles of the back of the thigh are involved.
The crossover does not fix the trajectory of the leg movement and the position of the body, therefore, in addition to the target muscles, the stabilizer muscles work.
You can regulate the level of load on the gluteal muscles not only by changing the weight in the simulator, but by changing the position of the body, bending / unbending the working leg.

The main load during the exercise falls on the buttocks.

This exercise is isolated, ideally, the movement is carried out only in the hip joint.

Leaning back can be performed as an alternative to squats for knee injuries, since it does not engage the knee joints or only minimally (when bending the working leg).

Leading the hip back is a fairly simple exercise, and even beginners can do it.

Execution technique

Back kicks in a crossover can be performed while standing or with an emphasis on the hands and knees. Let's consider first the first, most popular option:

Stand facing the block machine support.
Attach a cuff to the lower pulley cable, which will allow you to secure the cable to your foot or ankle. Pass your leg through the cuff.
Conveniently grasp the support of the simulator with your hands, fix the body. The pelvis should be directly above the foot of the supporting leg.
Bend your working leg slightly and swing back. Remember that the gluteus muscles are able to pull the straight leg back 10-15 degrees from the vertical line. Further, the back muscles are included in the work. Therefore, if you keep the body straight, do not take your leg too far and do not bend.
Do not turn the hip outward, the movement is performed strictly backward.
At the top of the movement, pause briefly and lower your leg to its original position.

If you keep the body straight, you do not need to take your leg far.

At the expense you can adjust the swing amplitude. Accordingly, the lower you bend, the greater the amplitude of leg movement will be. Accordingly, the gluteus muscle will stretch more and work more efficiently. Do not forget to control your back - natural deflection in the lower back is allowed, but no more. You don't need to arch your back.

The tilt of the body allows you to increase the range of motion.

If you put a small support under your supporting leg, for example, a pancake from a barbell, you can swing with a relatively straight leg, practically without bending it at the knee.

Extension of the hip from the position of the support on the hands and knees is as follows:

Secure the end of the cable to the foot of your working leg with a cuff or any handle you feel comfortable with.
Facing the support of the simulator, lower yourself into a squat and move to a standing position on all fours with a straight back and an emphasis on your palms and knees. You can stand on the floor with a folded towel or mat under the knee of your supporting leg, or use a horizontal bench. This is the starting position.
Extend your working leg and lift it with the heel up. Hold for a second, concentrating on tightening your glutes.
Return to starting position.

A variation of the exercise using a horizontal bench.

The inclusion of exercise in the training process

Legs back should be performed at the end of a complex hip and glute workout. It works well for finishing off the gluteus muscles.

Choose a light or medium weight. You should be able to do 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps on each leg.

Combine back kicks with glute medius exercises for maximum effect. In particular, the gluteus medius involves lateral hip abduction, which you can do at the same time, which is called "on the spot."