Split Squats are a great way to open your hips, activate your glutes, and focus on your balance.The inline squat can become a great hip flexor stretch, which will give you better access to your glutes. It also helps with ankle mobility so you can maintain your posture better, and if you can keep your spine vertical then you are also producing good trunk stability. Without trunk stability you cannot use your arms and legs at full strength and power. A split squat will also expose left and right asymmetries in how your body moves. Holding one kettlebell with two hands is an easy way to introduce a load to this movement. Search Split Squat in our library and you will find other loading options. Obviously, the better you can split squat with your bodyweight the better you will be able to do it, with a kettlebell or two.
The Split Squat can be a valuable tool to open your hips on the course, no kettlebell required;) During your next round do a set of 8 reps each side every six holes to keep your hips open and your back feeling good.
Split Squat 2-hands 1-kettlebell 2-4 sets of 8 each side
*Safely swing a kettlebell to the rack position with two hands. Hold the bell by the “horns” (side handles). Hold the bell with the handle below your chin.
*Keep your shoulders down out of your ear so you are not shrugging.
*Start standing with your feet together.
*Step backward 18” -24” with your right foot, this is known as split stance. You will start and finish each rep in this split stance position.
*Maintain a vertical spine so you are not folding in half from the waist.
*Keep your pelvis level so you are not arching or tucking your lower back/pelvis.
*Remember to keep your knees, toes, and hips lined up straight ahead. Think of being on railroad tracks.
*Squeeze your glute on the back leg, you might even get a stretch in your front of that thigh and hip as you lower yourself to the ground.
*Drop your right knee down to the ground while maintaining an upright torso.
*Press through both feet and return to standing in a split stance with both knees straight.
*Repeat for the prescribed sets and reps.
