HOW: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Keep the both feet entirely on the ground throughout the movement. Place your hands in front of you about shoulder height to help counterbalance your weight. Sink your hips down and backwards, and then stand back up.  FEEL: You should feel all of the thigh muscles and butt muscles working.

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting the knees cave in or bow out. Keep equal weight distribution in both feet, and try not to let your hips shift left or right. Keep a neutral spine by keeping your core engaged to avoid having a over-arched or rounded back.

HOW: Start in a standing position with your feet at least shoulder width apart – pick your ideal foot set set up for squatting. Begin the exercise by squatting as low as you feel comfortable with, then pulse up and down just a small amount to keep constant tension on your leg muscles. Repeat.

 

FEEL: This should feel like a lower body workout and may get your heart rate up. Your quads and glutes will be burning with this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not lose the bottom of your squat, only pulse up and down a small amount. All of the same rules apply with your general squat form, good alignment and quality over speed!

HOW: Start with hands up against a wall. Maintain a straight line from your heels to your shoulders. Perform a push up by slowly lowering your chest towards the wall and then press your body away from the wall back to starting position and repeat. The further your feet are from the wall the more challenging this exercise will be, the closer you bring your feet, the easier this will be.

 

FEEL: You should feel your shoulders, chest, and triceps work with this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your body in a straight line, don’t hinge at the hips. Stay evenly balanced through both arms as you lower down and push up

HOW: Start on your hands and your knees, have your hands positioned under your shoulders. To begin the exercise, assume a modified high plank position, while keeping your body straight lower your chest down towards the ground as far as you can, push up to the starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: This should feel like an upper body workout, your shoulders, chest, and triceps. You should also feel your core and your glutes/quads working to maintain a straight body from your knees to the back of your head.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your body in a straight line, don’t hike your hips high in the air or let your butt sag to the ground. Stay evenly balanced through both arms as you lower down and push up.

HOW: Start on your hands and your feet, have your hands positioned under your shoulders. To begin the exercise, assume a high plank position, while keeping your body straight lower your chest down towards the ground as far as you can, push up to the starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: This should feel like an upper body workout, your shoulders, chest, and triceps. You should also feel your core and your glutes/quads working to maintain a straight body from your heels to the back of your head.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your body in a straight line, don’t hike your hips high in the air or let your butt sag to the ground. Stay evenly balanced through both arms as you lower down and push up.

HOW: Start on your hands with your feet supported on an elevated surface. Have your hands positioned under your shoulders but closer to the top of your abs. To begin the exercise, assume a high plank position, while keeping your body straight lower your chest down towards the ground as far as you can, push up to the starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: This should feel like an upper body workout, your shoulders, chest, and triceps. You should also feel your core and your glutes/quads working to maintain a straight body from your heels to the back of your head.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your body in a straight line, don’t hike your hips high in the air or let your butt sag to the ground. Stay evenly balanced through both arms as you lower down and push up.

SLOW!

HOW: In a standing position, bring your feet in at about shoulder width apart.  Keeping your knees straight, bend forward at the hips and attempt to touch your toes or the ground in front of your toes. Go as far as you can comfortably stretch with no pain. Hold that for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t bend your knees, keep them straight.

HOW: Start on your back with your knees bend and slightly spread apart. Tighten up your stomach first, then your glutes. Next, drive your heels into the ground and lift your hips up towards the ceiling. At the end position your knee, hip, and shoulder should be in one straight line. Hold the end position and squeeze the glutes, then slowly return to starting position.

 

FEEL: You should feel your glutes work to control this motion. At no point should you feel your low back muscles doing the lifting motion. If you feel it only in your hamstrings, try bending your knees a bit more and repeat.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid arching at the low back as you perform this. 

Bridging Progressions

Got BACK PAIN? – Master the basics first
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The bridge is a FUNDAMENTAL phase I rehab exercise for countless reasons:
➡Introducing someone in pain to general movement.
➡Learning to activate and use the glutes as a primary mover over the hamstrings, adductors, or erector spinae muscles
➡Introducing the concept of abdominal core control and a stable spine while the hip joint moves
➡Low fear movement – laying on your back and lifting your hips up. “Just as you do everyday in bed to scoot over”
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Far too often progressions of the double leg bridge are neglected, and simply a new exercise is chosen once someone “gets down” the double leg bridge. Once a patient develops a level of comfort and confidence with an exercise, don’t be so gung-ho to change it up for a harder exercise. Instead, I encourage you to think of microprogressions (changes to the same exercise) instead of macroprogressions (choosing a completely new exercise) when it comes to a rehab program – especially when someone is fearful of new movements/exercises.
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Progressions and one (of many) rationales:
2️⃣Bridge taps for introduction of single limb loading and introduction of transverse plane loading through the hip as well as the core
3️⃣Single leg bridge with leg supported. While not encouraged, the patient can still derive some stability from the top leg pushing into the bottom leg
4️⃣Single leg bridge unsupported with short lever. Shorter lever is easier.
5️⃣Single leg bridge unsupported with long lever. Longer lever is harder.
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Happy hip thrusting!

WHY: This exercise is a progressed version of the other dead bugs designed to challenge your abdominals. HOW: Start this exercise on your back in a 90/90 position of your knees and hips. Keep the small of your back pushed into the floor by activating your core. While maintaining core activation extend your legs out one at a time towards the floor. The closer you drop the legs towards the floor the more challenging this exercise will be. FEEL: You should feel the abdominal muscles engaging while you perform this exercise.

HOW: Start this exercise on your back in a 90/90 position, with your knees over your hips and your arms in front of your shoulders. Keep the small of your back pushed into the floor by activating your core. While maintaining core activation drop one leg and the opposite arm towards the floor. The closer you drop the arms and legs towards the floor the more challenging this exercise will be. Return to starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

 

FEEL: You should feel the abdominal muscles engaging while you perform this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your low back arch

NB - DO WITH STRAIGHT LEGS NOT BENT  (ball rests on shin)

HOW: Begin by laying on your back for this exercise, knees over hips and hands over shoulders- with a swiss ball in between both. Then bring your hands and knees together by squeezing the swiss ball. Slowly drop one leg and the opposite arm to the floor. FEEL: You will be feeling this in your core especially as you squeeze the arms and legs together.
Compensation: Avoid allowing the low back to arch as you perform this exercise.

HOW: Begin in a side-lying position with your knees bent on top of one another. Distribute your weight onto your knee and forearm facing the floor. While keeping your feet and knees on the floor, side bridge up by pushing your bottom knee into the floor to lift your pelvis up and forward. Hold this position for a moment, then slowly lower down and repeat. When you are elevated your bottom knee, hip and shoulder should all be in one line. You should feel strong through your shoulder and shoulder blade, do not let your shoulder sag.

 

FEEL: You should feel the side towards the floor working, from your outer hips to outer core and shoulder that is against the floor.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid sagging your pelvis, hips, or shoulder as you bridge up into this position.

HOW: Begin the exercise by laying on your side, the side closest to the ground will be doing most of the work. Lift up into a full side plank with your feet stacked or one foot in front of the other, keeping your body in one straight line from your heels to your hips to your shoulders.

 

FEEL: You will feel your shoulder, hip, and core working – specifically the side facing the floor.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid allowing your shoulder blade to sag back. Avoid allowing your hips to dip towards the floor when holding at the top

HOW: Get set-up on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and your forearm supported on the ground. Have your feet stacked and supported on the ground with the knees straight. To begin the exercise, push your hips up and forward as high as you can and hold this position. Then lift your top leg up towards the ceiling while keeping it straight and in line with your body, hold this position.

 

FEEL: This should feel like a full-body exercise. Your shoulder and shoulder blade muscles will be working as well as your hip, back, and stomach muscles. You will especially feel your right hip and core muscles working if you’re laying on your right side. Follow the video for other cues and tips.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your hips or shoulder sag, do not let your body rotate. Do not let the leg in the air sag down

HOW: Assume the plank position on your elbows and toes. Simply hold this position for the desired amount of time.

 

FEEL: You should feel all the muscles in your stomach working to hold this position. You may also feel your shoulder and chest muscles working.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not arch your low back, let your hips sag to the ground, or stick your hips too high in the air

HOW: Start in a standing position. Perform the exercise by taking a step forward and assuming a lunge position. Stand tall and repeat on the other side while taking a step forward. Repeat

 

FEEL: This should feel like a lower body workout and will get your heart rate up. You should feel your quads and glutes primarily working with this exercise, specifically the front leg. Think of the back leg as a kickstand to just help with balance, try to keep at least 80% of your weight on the front leg.

 

COMPENSATION: All of the same rules apply when it comes to lunge form, do not let your upper body lean side to side. Do not let your knee cave in, do not let your pelvis sway side to side, do not lean back too much and have too much weight on your back leg.

HOW: Starting in a standing position, take a moderate length step backwards and perform a lunge movement. Pause at the bottom, then return to starting position. Repeat and then perform on the other side.

 

FEEL: You should feel at least 80% of your weight is on the front leg. This is the leg that will be doing most of the work, with your quads and glutes getting a workout.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not take too short or too long of a step, maintain space in between your feet, you don’t have to step back as if your feet are exactly in line with one another. Don’t lose balance or put too much weight on the back leg.

HOW: Step forward with one of your feet and slowly descend into a lunge position. Push yourself back to your starting position with both of your feet

FEEL: Your should feel your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings working on both sides

COMPENSATION: Don’t let your knee cave in

HOW: Get set-up in a tall split squat position with one foot back and up/supported on a bench or elevated surface. Perform a split squat by letting your hip and knee bend to lower yourself down towards the ground and repeat. Try to maintain at least 80-90% of your body weight on the front leg. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the leg that is in front doing most of the work, with your thigh and butt muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Do not lean side-to-side or lean back, keep your weight mostly on your front foot. Perform the split squat with good form by not letting your knee collapse in or bow out, do not let your pelvis drop. 

HOW: Position yourself standing in a corner with your back to it, or with a wall, chair, or sturdy object near you. Pick up one foot and balance on the leg that is in contact with the ground on a firm surface. Focus on standing upright and not letting yourself lean side-to-side or forward or backward.. It is ok to let your hip and knee bend a little bit.

 

FEEL:  You should feel like your balance is being challenged. If you’re having difficulty maintaining your balance, use fingertips on the surface near you as needed or try to focus on an object in the distance or near you with your eyes.

 

COMPENSATION: Try not leaning too much side to side or forward/backward. Put your foot down or grab the wall or sturdy object to avoid a fall if you lose your balance.