FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your calf. You should also feel the muscles in your calf and foot working.
COMPENSATION: Keep your knee over your toes as much as you can without lifting your heel off of the ground. Your heel shouldn’t lift off of the ground at any point. Don’t move the toes as you push into the ground or try to lift them off of the ground.
FEEL: You should feel a stretch in the calf of the foot that is behind you and depending on the direction you’re shifting your weight to – you will feel the stretch on the inside or outside. You shouldn’t feel pain or a pinch in front of your ankle.
COMPENSATION: Be sure to keep your back foot facing 12 o’clock, do not let your foot turn out or in. Try to keep your heel down.
FEEL: You should feel your lower leg muscles working.
COMPENSATION: Don’t move your knee, only have motion in your foot/ankle.
FEEL: You should feel your calf muscles and quads working hard to maintain the position.
COMPENSATION: Do not let your heel drop as you put weight on it.
FEEL: You should feel your hip muscles working.
COMPENSATION: Maintain a squat position. Don’t shift your weight to the leg tapping in each direction.
FEEL: You should feel all of the thigh muscles and butt muscles working, primarily in the forward leg. You may also feel your core work with this variation.
COMPENSATION: Avoiding having an over-arched or rounded back – keep a neutral spine with core engaged. Don’t let the knee cave in or bow out. Keep equal weight distribution in the entire foot of the forward leg. Avoid rotating towards the anchor, resist the pull to keep your hips facing forward throughout this motion.
FEEL: The leg closer to the anchor will be working harder with this variation, primarily in the glute’s and quad’s. You may feel a stretch in the groin on the hip of the leg that is straight. The further you are from the anchor and the stronger the resistance the more challenging this exercise will be.
COMPENSATION: Avoid landing very stiff on the leg that is lunging, you want to absorb shock with the muscle by landing softly. Avoid allowing the knee to go very far forward past your toes, let your hip bend as well with this exercise. Also, avoid your knee caving inward, make sure to keep your ankle, knee, and hip in alignment. Avoid rotating towards the anchor, resist the pull to keep your hips facing forward throughout this exercise.
FEEL: You should feel your foot muscles working. You should also feel core muscles working, too.
COMPENSATION: Don’t let the band pull you towards the anchor.
FEEL: You will feel your hamstrings, glutes, and even your calf and arch of your foot muscles working with this exercise. Your core muscles will be working a little bit as well.
COMPENSATION: Perform a strict hip hinge, do not arch or round your back. Follow the video for tips and details
FEEL: You should focus on maintaining a rigid/stiff foot/ankle as well as your legs, think of this exercise like you’re bouncing on a pogo stick. You want to keep your legs stiff so that you ‘bounce’ like you’re bouncing on a stiff spring.
COMPENSATION: Do not let your knees excessively bend or your heels touch the ground, stay stiff and bounce on the balls of your feet.
FEEL: You should focus on maintaining a rigid/stiff foot/ankle as well as your legs, think of this exercise like you’re bouncing on a pogo stick. You want to keep your legs stiff so that you ‘bounce’ like you’re bouncing on a stiff spring.
COMPENSATION: Do not let your knees excessively bend or your heels touch the ground, stay strong with your quad’s and bounce on the balls of your feet.
FEEL: You should focus on maintaining a rigid/stiff foot/ankle as well as your legs, think of this exercise like you’re bouncing on a pogo stick. You want to keep your legs stiff so that you ‘bounce’ like you’re bouncing on a stiff spring.
COMPENSATION: Do not let your knees excessively bend or your heels touch the ground, stay strong with your quad’s and bounce on the balls of your feet.
FEEL: You should focus on maintaining a rigid/stiff foot/ankle as well as your legs, think of this exercise like you’re bouncing on a pogo stick. You want to keep your legs stiff so that you ‘bounce’ like you’re bouncing on a stiff spring.
COMPENSATION: Do not let your knees excessively bend or your heels touch the ground, stay strong with your quad’s and bounce on the balls of your feet.
FEEL: You should feel the muscles in your lower body working.
COMPENSATION: Start with your arms and knees fully straightened out. Keep a stable balance as you squat down and briefly hold that end position, don’t go too fast and become off balanced. Keep your chest up.
For a detailed video on landing mechanics, click here: https://youtu.be/RThUCYRDyZw
FEEL: You should feel the muscles in your lower body working.
COMPENSATION: Start with your arms and knees fully straightened out. Keep a stable balance as you land and briefly hold that end position, don’t go too fast and become off balanced. Keep your chest up.
For a detailed video on landing mechanics, click here: https://youtu.be/RThUCYRDyZw
FEEL: You should feel your leg muscles working.
COMPENSATION: Keep your chest up as you hinge forward at the waist.
FEEL: You will feel all the muscles in your legs working.
COMPENSATION: Landing Position. Make sure your knees are aligned over your toes. They should not dive inwards on the landing. Your goal is to absorb as much of the landing forces as you can and land softly. That means that you want your hips and knees to bend as much as they need to, to absorb the force. If you do not let them bend much, you will land “stiff” and hard. Let your hips go back and while keeping your chest up to help absorb the forces. Your toes should touch the ground first when you land and quickly your heels will follow. You should land in a “ready position” like you would if you were playing sports, with your weight ever so slightly forward on the balls of your feet. You should not fall forward or backwards after landing.
For a detailed video on landing mechanics on one leg, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RCOGM5tZRM
FEEL: You should feel this in your glutes, quadriceps, and calf muscles.
COMPENSATION: Don’t let your knee cave in as your land, keep it straight. Don’t arch your back as you hop forward.
FEEL: You will feel all the muscles in your legs working.
COMPENSATION: Landing Position. Make sure your knees are aligned over your toes. They should not dive inwards on the landing. Your goal is to absorb as much of the landing forces as you can and land softly. That means that you want your hips and knees to bend as much as they need to, to absorb the force. If you do not let them bend much, you will land “stiff” and hard. Let your hips go back and while keeping your chest up to help absorb the forces. Your toes should touch the ground first when you land and quickly your heels will follow. You should land in a “ready position” like you would if you were playing sports, with your weight ever so slightly forward on the balls of your feet. You should not fall forward or backwards after landing.
For a detailed video on landing mechanics on one leg, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RCOGM5tZRM
FEEL: This should feel like a control exercise, specifically your calf and foot muscles working to control your center of gravity shifting forward. You should also feel your calf and foot intrinsic muscles working to return your body to starting position.
COMPENSATION: Keep your body straight, don’t fold at your hips or arch your back with this exercise. Use your calf and foot muscles to do the work.
FEEL: You should feel like your balance is being challenged. You will also feel your foot, arch, calf, and hip muscles challenged here.
COMPENSATION: Try not to lose your posture and excessively lean forward/backward or side to side. If you lose your balance it is ok, take a step and get back to starting position. Do not allow yourself to fall or take the risk of injuring yourself.
FEEL: You should feel your lower leg and foot muscles working.
COMPENSATION: Keep your hips facing forward, don’t rotate your whole body while throwing the ball.
FEEL: This should feel like you’re promoting and controlling motion at your foot/ankle that you do not step with. Your foot, calf, and hip muscles will be working with this exercise.
COMPENSATION: Maintain good balance. Do not let your heel or the knuckle of your big toe lift off the ground. Maintain good arch position.