Strength: Combo Squat Exercise for Upper Legs and Hips

Dick Moss, Editor

Starting Position
Starting Position

Here's a strength exercise for the upper legs that you can perform with inexpensive surgical tubing. Incorporate it as part of a strength circuit, a strength training program or even an aerobics routine.

Squat Combo Exercise
Have your students stand on a length of rubber tubing with their feet about shoulder-width apart and their hands holding the ends of the tubing at hip level.

    The exercise comprises four movements:

  1. Perform a squat, bending the knees while keeping the back straight—almost like sitting into a chair. Weight should be on the heels and the knees should line up over the feet. Lower until the thighs are almost parallel to the floor.
  2. Straighten up to a standing position.
  3. Student Squats, Then Rises Back to Starting Position
    Student Squats, Then
    Rises Back to
    Starting Position
  4. Immediately lift one leg sideways, keeping the foot flexed and pointed forward.
  5. Return to the starting position and perform the movements again, this time lifting the other leg sideways.

Muscle Involvement
The squat involves the quadriceps and hamstring muscles (front and back of the thigh), and the glutes (backside muscles). The side lift involves the abductor muscles of the upper hips.

Reference
1. Mary Duffy, “Star trainers.” Shape, November 1993.
2. Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker, Practical Programming for Strength Training, 3rd Edition,

Once Returned to Starting Position, She Lifts Leg to the Side
Once Returned to
Starting Position, She
Lifts Leg to the Side
The Aasgaard Company, 2014.



To download the pdf version of this
article, click here: Download Now



© 2014, Physical Education Update.com, www.peUpdate.com

Bookmark and Share

Printer-Friendly Format