Easy for you to say
This photo was accompanied by a caption that began, “One-legged squats don’t seem very tricky…”
Say what?
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
This photo was accompanied by a caption that began, “One-legged squats don’t seem very tricky…”
Say what?
Yow.
Whoever wrote that caption has obviously never attempted a one-legged squat.
Never mind squatting your body weight; doing it on one leg takes serious, serious balance, and no small degree of flexibility.
Speaking of people in crazy shape, recently I was doing sets of running up six stories’ worth of outdoor steps, and feeling good about it, I must confess.
Then a guy training for MMA came along. He’d run six miles to get to the steps, ran God knows how many sets on the steps, then did bear crawls up the steps, and finally climbed the steps again … with a 150 lb. guy on his back. Then he ran the six miles back.
Boy, did I feel like a wuss. Thanks a lot, pal.
These are sometimes called Russian Pistols. Russians are known for their ability to endure hardship. This will become apparent about half-way down.
You can start by puttine chairs on either side of you as you do this. You can also start with regular squats. After that, then extend one foot forward about six inches to place a greater load on the foot beneath you. In subsequent sessions, extend the six additional inches, until the forward foot is resting on the heal, extended all the way out. Then try to do it with the heal off the ground.
Good luck.
Say what? Say why.
F,
I’m with you. I get along fine just sitting on the sofa.
She is overextending her knee which can cause major problems.
I’d never try that exercise, or even “normal squats”. As NJartist49 notes, she is over-extending her knee. Marathoners are sensitive to knee injuries, and that looks like a sure way “blow” you knee.
Some of the exercises look OK and we do them in our Yoga class. Plank is one of favorites.
The caption was written by a skinny 6 year old who bites his toenails.
I used to be able to do that. Long ago…
I’d never try that exercise, or even “normal squats”. As NJartist49 notes, she is over-extending her knee.
In normal squats the knee should stay behind the toes, which necessitates sticking the rear end out. (See Rippetoe’s book re this.) I’m not sure that that’s even possible doing what she’s doing and keeping one’s balance.
MMA? Bear crawls? Whut does bees?
Our dad was an absolute nut on the fitness front. He had a desk job as a manager in a corporate insurance firm, and one day (in his 30s) he decided he’d gotten slack and soft. So he started the following regimen:
3 sets of 70 reps, Marine pushups
3 sets of 70 reps, squats
3 sets of 70 reps, lifting the overstuffed armchair over his head in an improvised press.
Finished off by doing several sprints in our backyard (we had an acre lot), and several giant swings on the backyard swingset, gymnast fashion.
Sometimes he let us ride his shoulders as he went up and down in his pushup routine. I still remember that sensation, and his grunting noises.
Another thing he liked to do was sit on the floor, then lift himself off the floor on his fingertips, legs parallel to the floor and in front of him, then slowly jackknife his legs between his wrists and up behind, then pressing to a handstand without ever letting his heels touch the floor. (While we were all watching TV.) He also could walk a long way on his hands.
We thought the other dads were such schlubs in comparison (and they were! doughy and neutered in comparison). Our mom was real athletic too.
MMA? Bear crawls? Whut does bees?
Sorry. MMA = mixed martial arts.
Bear crawls, an exercise much beloved of football coaches everywhere, are scurrying along on hands and feet. Sounds easy, but it’s surprisingly tiring, even on flat ground. On stairs …
I’ve lived long enough to find that squats (not one legged squats, the regular ones) are an absolute must to keep my glutes and hips working properly. Live long enough and not have a regular squat routine, your glutes and hips will likely begin to cause problems. Particularly if you ride a bike or run for long distances and don’t do squats. My hips began bothering me a year ago. X-rays showed no arthritis and the bone was sound. I was riding my home gym bike 3-6 hours a week and doing weight training (but no squats – I hate squats!) a couple of times a week. Did some research and found I had what is called “dead butt syndrome.” It comes from an imbalance of the muscles and tendons that hold the hips in place. It affects mostly bikers and runners who don’t do enough to exercise their glutes and hips. I’ve been doing squats, hack squats, and lunges three times a week and cut back bike riding to a 2 hours a week. Did I mention I hate doing squats. Amazing results, though! My hips are feeling good and working normally again.
Now, if I could work up to that one legged squat, my hips and glutes would really be strong. Well, I can dream can’t I?
J.J., also work abs and lower back, to maintain balance between muscle groups.
For the latter, use good mornings (bend over with straight legs and straight back, either with a light barbell on the back or even with soup cans held over head).
The reason is that strengthening the leg muscles (especially the glutes and hamstrings), without corresponding strengthening of the lower back muscles, tilts the pelvis backward, causing lower back pain.
General principle: work opposing muscle groups, to maintain balance between them.
In place of lunges, also try split squats: put the top of one foot on a chair or bench, then go down until that knee touches the floor. To make it more difficult, hold a plate in front of you.
Btw, I’m convinced that most people’s aches and pains as they age arise in no small part from underuse, rather than overuse, of their bodies. When I’ve had various owies, even those associated with old athletic injuries (blown out knee, broken ankle, etc.), I’ve found that the solution lay in working that body part harder. The pain miraculously abates. So far, at least!
OB, Thanks for the advice. Good morning to good mornings. I’ve been doing a variation on good mornings for my low back on a machine, but the real thing will probably be more beneficial. Split squats – sound absolutely splitting. But will give them a try. Nothing ventured and all that.
Three years ago, I had my first personal training session – ever. I thought I knew what I was doing. Well, not really. Will be getting Rippetoe’s book, too.
J.J., machines are generally inferior to free weight exercises, in my (and more knowledgeable people’s) opinion. It’s better to use lighter weights that have to be balanced than heavier weights in which a machine takes care of the balance issue. In fact, many of the best exercises can be done with just body weight.
Re good mornings, even just an empty bar (45 lbs.) across the shoulders gives a good stretch and good lower back work (provided the legs and back are kept straight through the entire range of motion).
Split squats aren’t that bad, actually. They’re only a little more demanding than using one leg to get up from a kneeling position, but of course one usually doesn’t do that ten times in a row.
Afterthought: Rippetoe’s book is excellent, informative, and highly motivational.
Free weights = good. Kind of like eating good foods which supply the natural nutrition rather than relying on supplements.
One leg knee squats are about as useful as increasing the money supply and increasing regulation. It might impress, but why do it? Unless you want to cause injury.
“One leg knee squats are about as useful as increasing the money supply and increasing regulation. It might impress, but why do it? Unless you want to cause injury.”
Or weed people out. In chinese martial arts they do a variation of the one legged squat called The Crane Walk, in which you alternate the legs and walk/squat your way across the room. It is usually unveiled when some students at the beginner to early intermediate level are getting too big for their britches. Three or four times across the room and they usually either shape up or quit. It rarely fails.