Running is a repetitive activity in the sagittal plane, the plane of motion in which you move forward and backward. So at first glance it may not make sense to place them side by side exercises in your routine After all, the closer your strength work imitate your career, better, right?
Not quite. Working your body through everyone planes of motion is crucial if you want to be a stronger and more durable runner. Doing so points more muscles and challenge your body in ways that pay off on the road. And an easy way to get a more complete movement? Lateral or side-to-side movements that work in the frontal plane. Choose ones that work the lower part of the body, you have a recipe for strong run success. Enter: Side squats.
We selected two certified personal trainers for essential information on side squats, including form tips, benefits, variations, and how to incorporate this movement into your routine. Keep scrolling to find everything you need to know.
How to do side squats, the right way
To safely and correctly side squat, follow these steps. Natascha Grief, certified personal trainer and owner of Inner change exercise in Easton, Pennsylvania, also demonstrates the movement so you can mimic proper form.
- Stand tall with your feet planted about three to four feet apart, toes pointed forward, heels firmly planted on the ground, arms at your sides. This is the initial position.
- Bend your right knee as you sink your weight into your right hip and push your hips back as if you were sitting in a chair. Keep your left leg straight and your chest up. As you sit, bring your hands together in front of your chest.
- Sit as far away as your mobility comfortably allows. You should feel a stretch in the inner thigh of your left leg and an activation in the glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs of your right leg. Don’t let your right knee extend past your toes.
- When you have reached the limit of your mobility, push off with your right foot to return to the starting position. That’s 1 repetition.
- Repeat on the other side.
Are there any common mistakes people make when doing side squats?
A common form error with the side squat is letting the bent knee go past the toes, says Kaila DeRienzo, certified personal trainer and RRCA certified career coach in Orlando, Florida. To avoid this error, which can overly stress your knee joint, sit back on your heel and keep an eye on your knee to make sure it stays behind and in line with your toes. You also don’t want it to point out or in, which can also stress the knee joint.
Another mistake is placing your feet too close together or, conversely, too far apart. If your feet are too close together, you won’t feel your full muscles working as they should, explains DeRienzo. And if they’re too far apart, then the hip you’re pouncing on will likely start to rotate outward, and your torso will likely rotate as well, he explains. Chris Travis, certified personal trainer and owner of Seattle Strength and Performance. The correct amount of distance between your feet will vary from person to person, but aim for three or four feet as a general rule of thumb, he says.
As you perform reps, make sure your hips and torso are straight forward, the squat knee is directly over that ankle, and the toes point forward, he adds. If your squat knee isn’t in line with your ankle, then that’s another sign your stance may be too wide or too narrow, says Travis.
Lastly, some people incorrectly bend both legs when side squatting, instead sinking at one hip and keeping the other leg straight, says Travis. you want to focus on one leg at a timeso by keeping the opposite leg straight, you’ll be able to better target the moving leg.
To avoid common form errors, perform the move in front of a mirror, DeRienzo suggests. This will allow you to control the shape and adjust its positioning as needed.
What are the benefits of side squats?
The biggest benefit of a lateral squat, according to DeRienzo, is that it allows you to work in a different plane of motion. Much of everyday life happens in the sagittal plane, whether it’s walking the dog, cycling to the grocery store, or tackling a problem. training race. But the more we train movement in different planes of motion, the better we can respond to our environment, says DeRienzo. For runners, this can be useful when you have to cut sideways to avoid an obstacle in your path, such as a puddle, rock, or pedestrian.
Another benefit of side squats? They work the gluteus mediusgluteus maximus, hamstringsand inner thighs (or hip adductors), muscles that are very important for running, but are sometimes neglected. “You see a lot of riders with really strong skills. quads, but we also have to round out the rest of the leg,” says DeRienzo. That’s because proper running form involves lower body muscles working together as a team, rather than having a single muscle group, like the quads, take on most of the work.
By regularly working not only your quads but also your other lower body muscles with movements like side squats, you can run stronger and reduce risk of injury.
How often should you do side squats?
Do side squats once a week as part of your lower body strength workDeRienzo says. She suggests starting with the body weight version of the movement and doing three sets of eight to 10 reps per side. If you find it easy, increase the difficulty by doing one of the progressions described below.
How do you modify or progress side squats?
First things first: The side-to-side motion of side squats probably won’t feel natural the first few times you try this move, DeRienzo warns, especially if you normally spend most of your time in that front-to-back plane. . You may also notice that your mobility it feels constrained, like you can’t sit that far back. That’s fine, just focus on doing the move correctly within your range of motion. “Little by little, you’ll notice that the range of motion starts to improve a little bit,” says DeRienzo.
Here are side squat variations to try:
Supported Side Squat
Why it works: If the bodyweight side squat feels too challenging, add stability by holding on to a pole, rack bar, TRX straps, or the side of a bench for balance, says Travis. You can also hold on to a foam roller in front of you
How to do it: Stand tall with your feet planted about three to four feet apart, toes pointed forward, heels firmly on the ground, hands flat on a support in front of you. This is the initial position. Bend your right knee as you sink your weight into your right hip and push your hips back as if you were sitting in a chair. Keep your left leg straight and your chest up. Keep your hands on the support. Sit as far away as your mobility comfortably allows. When you have reached the limit of your mobility, push off with your right foot to return to the starting position. Repeat, then switch sides.
side lunge
Why it works: Take your side squat to the next level by adding some movement to it with this lunge variation.
How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step your right foot three to four feet, bending at the knee as you sink your weight into your right hip and push your hips back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Keep your left leg straight and your chest up. Bring your hands together in front of your chest. Sit as far away as your mobility comfortably allows. When you have reached the limit of your mobility, push off with your right foot to return to the starting position. Repeat, then switch sides. Keep alternating.
Weighted side lunge
Why it works: If you want to build strength and muscle, add extra resistance to this move with a Russian weights either weight will help you do just that.
How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell to your chest. Step your right foot three to four feet, bending at the knee as you sink your weight into your right hip and push your hips back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Keep your left leg straight and your chest up. Sit as far away as your mobility comfortably allows. When you have reached the limit of your mobility, push off with your right foot to return to the starting position. Repeat, then switch sides. Keep alternating.
Glider Side Stride
Why it works: This raises the stability challengewhile also hitting your inner thigh muscles a bit more, considering you have to fire them to get the slider moving again, Travis explains.
How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, right foot on a glider. Bend your left knee as you sink your weight into your right hip and push your hips back as if you were sitting on a chair, while simultaneously bringing your right leg out to the side, keeping it straight. Bring your hands together in front of your chest. Sit as far away as your mobility comfortably allows. When you have reached the limit of your mobility, push off with your left foot and squeeze your inner thighs to bring your right foot back to the starting position. Repeat, then switch sides.
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